Football Half-Time: Emily: Mostly Birds.

A very good 2015 to you all. It's going to be an interesting year with the bi-centenary of Waterloo and the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta; not to mention the General Election and The Rugby World Cup - ( which one of those last two has the most sport I wonder ?)

The English football season has reached its half-way point. So what about my predictions?

Premier League

Arsenal
 currently 6th 13 points from the lead. Will have to work hard to reach the top four.

Championship

 Norwich and Wolves.
Currently 7th and 8th place respectively. 11 points adrift of leaders. Unlikely to get automatic promotion, but I am  confident one can  make the playoffs.

League One

Bristol CIty and Swindon.
Currently 1st and 2nd.  City should win league. Swindon can get automatic promotion with only Preston  likely to spoil  this prediction.

League 2

Luton and Portsmouth.
 Currently 5th and 15th. Portsmouth have little or no chance of even making the playoffs. Luton still in strong position only 5 points of the lead. If they finish strongly they still have a  major chance.

FfffffffffffffffffffffffF

Emily Dickinson was an American poet. Born in Amherst, Massachusetts in 1830   and died there in 1886. She wrote many short, succinct poems, many of which where published after her death. Mostly untitled, they are often  referred to by number. I cannot improve upon this critique of Emily, by Norman Foerster from The Camb. History Of American History.

" Her poems are remarkable for their condensation, their vividness of image, their delicate or pungent satire and irony, their childlike responsiveness to experience, their subtle feeling for nature, their startling abruptness in dealing with themes commonly regarded as trite, their excellence in imaginative insight and still greater excellence in fancy. Typical is such a poem as that in which she celebrates the happiness of a little stone on the road, or that in which she remarks with gleeful irony upon the dignity that burial has in store for each of us—coach and footmen, bells in the village, “as we ride grand along.” Emily Dickinson takes us to strange places; one never knows what is in store. But always she is penetrating and dainty, both intimate and aloof, challenging lively thought on our part while remaining, herself, a charmingly elfish mystery. Her place in American letters will be inconspicuous but secure."

For Emily.

Is it possible to convey a story in a few words?

I believe so.

Is it possible to sharpen an idea to a concise point like the tip of a pencil?

Emily thinks so.

She works to fine limits with precise accuracy; shredding her

wordy debris.

A starkness ready to be opened in the mind's eye.

Ck 18/12/'14

FfffffffffffffffffffffffF

Now for some pictures.

Although, it hasn't been very cold, I did spy a reindeer.

I also saw some swimmers take a dip on Christmas Morning at the Lido public swimming pool.

And D. and I started 2015 by visiting  the Wetlands at Slimbridge. It was a beautiful day with a bright low sun. Here is a selection of shots for you :

 From the tower.

From the Tropical House

FfffffffffffffffffffffffF

That about wraps it up for the start of 2015. Let's make it happen!

Cheerio for now

Ck.