Wednesday, August 01, 2012

Lyrics for Lughnasadh, Gardens, Gymnastics

John Barleycorn
Traditional (Traffic Version)

There were three men came out of the west, their fortunes for to try
And these three men made a solemn vow: John Barleycorn must die
They've plowed, they've sown, they've harrowed him in, threw clods upon his head
And these three men were rejoicing then John Barleycorn was dead

They've let him lie for a very long time, 'til the rains from heaven did fall
And little Sir John sprung up his head and so amazed them all
They've let him stand 'til Midsummer's Day 'til he looked both pale and wan
And little Sir John's grown a long long beard and so become a man

They've hired men with their scythes so sharp to cut him off at the knee
They've rolled him and tied him by the way, serving him most barbarously
They've hired men with their sharp pitchforks who've pricked him to the heart
And the loader he has served him worse than that for he's bound him to the cart

They've wheeled him around and around a field 'til they came onto a pond
And there they made a solemn oath on poor John Barleycorn
They've hired men with their crabtree sticks to cut him skin from bone
And the miller he has served him worse than that for he's ground him between two stones

And little Sir John and the nut brown bowl and his brandy in the glass
And little Sir John and the nut brown bowl proved the strongest man at last
The huntsman he can't hunt the fox nor so loudly to blow his horn
And the tinker he can't mend kettle or pots without a little barleycorn

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Happy Lammas to everyone who celebrates. On Tuesday we decided we needed bagels, so at lunchtime the kids and I went to Bagel City to get a dozen plus some veggie cream cheese. We had a storm watch for most of the afternoon and heard thunder for quite a long time, but we only got a few drops of rain here and I got to take a nice long walk on this relatively cool (for this summer) afternoon.

I decided I'd had it with NBC broadcasting interviews with American swimmers while the women's gymnastics team final was happening live, so I figured out how to get the live stream to play on my laptop without glitching. Without any spoilers for the west coast, it was awesome -- so much so that I rewatched it on the big screen at night. I am also very happy for certain swimmers and a certain granddaughter of the Queen.

Adam went running and biking and talked to his girlfriend who got her bike stolen while she was at the Smithsonian (it was chained up -- cautionary tale if you use a bike chain on the National Mall!). Daniel chatted with friends from fencing about the epee controversy with the Korean Olympian who staged a sit-in after a buzzer went off too early. Here are some photos outdoors at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens:















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