Took the train to Leicester to visit with Elizabeth Barner (ex-Goat Hill, Carleton alum, and San Francisco frisbee connection) and her partner Grant for the weekend. Had my first encounter with fresh (“jelly”) coconut and sugar cane at the Caribbean festival (conveniently scheduled on this warm and gloriously sunny weekend).

The flood plain of the Soar river and the Grand Union Canal for a fantastic green belt running through the center of Leicester. It includes the National Space Science Center, a building that looks like a cross between the Michelin man and a Star Trek shuttle craft, a museum dedicated to 19th century technology with special emphasis on steam engines and toilets, a large brown dragonfly that perched on my shoulder, and many patches of blackberries. The blackberries have made the most of the warm summer -- they were delicious! So I’ve got a few nicks from leaning against the canes to reach just a little bit further in...and hoping that they wouldn’t give way and dump me into the brier patch. Dinner that night concluded with peach cobbler, ice cream, blackberries and double cream, whipped and sweetened. Quite a contrast to the low-fat vegetarian meal they followed.

More dragonflies this morning walking into the city along the river -- small and transparent when seen up close but bright metallic green and turquoise when they were flitting over the water. Plus happy wet dogs launching themselves into the water, plus cygnets, ducklings and baby coots (not near the dogs) and more blackberries, elderberries and sloeberries.

The trip back was uneventful compared to last week -- only a half-hour delay due to a medical emergency (fortunately at least five people responded when the train manager made a request that ‘any doctor or nurse on board please come to the front of the train’). Made it back just in time for dinner and another concert in Jack Gibbons’ Chopin series. And another dragonfly -- this time an immense green and black one in the gardens at Merton.

Walking back to my room I had the opportunity to put a face with a name and realize that the downstairs neighbor who makes late night phone calls is calling her three year old daughter. One of those bits of information that changes one’s entire perspective on the situation.