MORE GUFF FROM THE GODS’ OWN ISLAND SUNDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER 2021

MORE GUFF FROM THE GODS’ OWN ISLAND SUNDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER 2021

Anything worthy of note? Well, today is my father’s birthday: N.W.F. Mason – North West Frontier Mason – would be one hundred and eighteen years old this very day; and I retain his British Indian Passport, issued at Peshawar on March 17th 1926, by order of the Viceroy and Governor-General of India. So whaddya know?

Wednesday was an important Balinese holiday – Hari Pagerwesi. What does Pagerwesi mean or imply? No one can tell me, but it is a day of thanksgiving and universal temple festivals to honour Sanghyang Paramesti Guru, one of the manifestations of Siwa and Sanghyang Widhi – the Supreme God – as World Teacher. Yagoddit?

Tomorrow will be Kajeng Kliwon – not again! – and Tilem (night of the black moon), so everyone had better be on their very best behaviour; while yesterday was zilch – NO HASH RUN – and another week down the drain. Another month …

Shall I go on? Is there nowt of import to relate? I have been scanning the sky of late – nothing better to do – and between the hours of half four and five fifteen I behold hundreds of Green Pigeons in waves – thousands maybe – whizzing by, heading north to forest roost. I reckon they would be winging it at 80 mph in level flight. Numbers pause momently to rest in the tall acacia and a lovely lemony green they look in the late afternoon light.

According to Su, many roost in the giant ficus at Pura Dalem just up the road. One bird I haven’t heard for two or three weeks now is the Drongo Cuckoo – too preoccupied to practise its scales? – though Plaintive Cuckoo still chimes in daily. The new rambutan crop is coming along famously and the bats are feasting on them and dropping the kernels all over the show: soon we expect an incursion of hungry monks. Meanwhile abundance of Red Admirals, Small Tortoiseshells and Gatekeepers reported from North Devon – but no fritillaries. Wonderful.