Thursday, November 11, 2010

Poem for Thursday, Sugarloaf, Sarah Jane

Andromeda
By Gerard Manley Hopkins


Now Time's Andromeda on this rock rude,
With not her either beauty's equal or
Her injury's, looks off by both horns of shore,
Her flower, her piece of being, doomed dragon's food.
  Time past she has been attempted and pursued
By many blows and banes; but now hears roar
A wilder beast from West than all were, more
Rife in her wrongs, more lawless, and more lewd.

  Her Perseus linger and leave her to her extremes?
Pillowy air he treads a time and hangs
His thoughts on her, forsaken that she seems,
  All while her patience, morselled into pangs,
Mounts; then to alight disarming, no one dreams,
With Gorgon's gear and barebill, thongs and fangs.

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I managed to get almost nothing done on Tuesday -- watched news reports on the London student demonstrations, organized a bunch of files, started the dreaded summer-winter closet shift, put gas in the car, went to the post office which had only two windows open at the big local branch office so was very fortunate that there were only 6-7 people in line ahead of me, since it meant I had to wait less than the usual 45 minutes -- then when the kids got home I did even more exciting things like emptying the dishwasher while they were having snacks in the kitchen since they are most likely to discuss their days with me if I happen to be in the kitchen while they're munching Mini-Wheats.

I am going to miss Undercovers when it disappears from my Wednesday evening schedule -- I really love the cast, though the plots continue to rely on too much magic tech. We watched both part of The Sarah Jane Adventures' "Death of the Doctor" afterward, though, which I absolutely adored -- I don't care if it can be preachy as the villain accuses, Tennant's Doctor was often just as bad in that regard, and watching Smith makes me miss him even if I'd had enough of the God-Doctor by the end of his tenure. I never watched Jo Grant -- the Third Doctor was before my time -- but I absolutely love the Companions bonding, taking even less time than Sarah Jane and Rose did to realize that they were never competitors. The Doctor is a means to an end rather than a prize; I'd do just about anything for a man or woman with a TARDIS, too!


Fall color by the Civil War overlook site on Sugarloaf Mountain.


There are many oaks, tulip poplars, hemlocks, and some maples on Sugarloaf's slopes.


We'd been told that it might be a quick brown fall because late summer was so dry but the early fall rain has made for a gorgeous autumn.


The climb from the circle trail to the summit is not long but quite steep.


Unfortunately I couldn't do justice to the view from the summit with a point-and-shoot camera facing the sun. The bright spots are the Potomac River.


People often go climbing and bouldering down the vertical rocks.


Looking down the steep steps of one of the trails from the summit area.


This is the prettiest time of year to visit!

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