Two Kingfishers

The signs of Spring, though technically Summer, are well and truly underway.

For the last weeks, threats and fall of snow and ice have been keeping nature's blossoms at a slow pace, holding the burst of leave and colour.
You could see it as you're walking along if you cared to look. The tiny, tiny buds at the ends of stems and sticks. The great chestnut trees I feel for, their buds are not so small, yet you could see the swelling at the sticky bulb, almost feel the anxiety of the tree - waiting !

The Rye river below the house, swollen most of it's time due to the rain, was lowered and calm. Tadhg and I slowly wandering down for our own little break from the house, OK, my break, his adventure - he is 5yrs old after all. He's all questions and chat, bring him to the bridge, he wants to go to the village. Bring him to the village, it's only a short journey, one of the many great things about living in Leixlip.

Returning, and as we're walking, a flash to my right. Two kingfishers in aerial dual as they sped along the river. The first flash caught my eye, I twisted back to see the pair fly. A reminder of how alike the military jets doing manoeuvres in the Scottish highlands the two birds appear. Flitting left and right, bursts of speed, the dazzle of colour changing as angles of sight and light changes with their rotations and banking.
Incredible patience will be needed to get their image. Every year I promise I'll track them to a perch and photograph them. But then again, if I don't - I'll still have the pleasure of having seen them each year since I moved here. Long may the dream of the photograph or just the sighting keep the summers pleasant.

I wish them well. Not a dogfight in my mind, more an amorous chase - after all - Winter is over !

How to choose a book

I was browsing the shelves of a bookshop the other day, looking to pick up a new read.
Over the years, I have read a wide range, literature, fiction, non-fiction. Biography/Auto biography. 'Mens' war and Espionage and thriller. 'Ladies' romance and crime.
No category should be banned, If I like a book - I'll read it. Reading my kids Harry Potter books - it's still reading....

Anyhow, I was picking up books but quite rapidly discarding them and moving on - it got me wondering why do I do that.
What is it that allows a book to be chosen or discarded.
Sometimes a title stands out - only to be let down by it's subject.
Sometimes it's the cover design, a great piece of Art or Striking graphics, maybe subtle enough to match a given mood.
Maybe I know of the Author or the screenplay taken from it - The latest academy award nominee or booker prize winner.

Strange as it maybe, all the above are more in line with what makes me 'want' to buy. Exceptions, granted do come in - but after all if a book isn't high on the perceived like-list  then it implies it's on the dislike-list and is rejected.

But above all, there stands out one reference point to any book that makes or breaks a purchase.
The word count !

I'm not an analyst - I'm not able to tell if a book has 20,000 or 50,00 words. But instantly I do do know if the layout is presenting few words for big costs, let me explain;

If a book passes the initial Title/subject/cover/blurb/Author scan - the next obvious task is to open the pages.
Is the typeface large ?
Are the margins wide ?
What space between the lines ?

Barely a second has passed, and instantly I know, this book will or not last me a week.
Only then does the cost come into question.

But the end decision is - Is this book worth spending money on to give me an enjoyable return ?

Some books do, but sadly - most books don't pass. In the latter category I hate to suggest, but feel it's true - the more modern the Author, the less their effort in writing.
If the book designer has to hide little content in wide typeface - forget it - I decline and you, the Author lose out.

And as for 'Authors' who allow others to write books - in their name ! Shame !

James.