Bertie berates Aberdeen's reluctant daffodils

Really daffodils, you are putting on a poor show this year!

Don't you know that it's April already, and barely any of you have yet bothered to show your face?

The fact that it has recently been snowing here is absolutely no excuse! Surely you are aware that your counterparts in Germany are known as 'Osterglocken'? That means 'Easter Bells'. And Easter has come and gone. Our Deutsche Freunde would most certainly not appreciate your lack of punctuality!

At Human Granny's funeral service today in Nottingham, her grandaughter Annabel is going to be reading one of HGY's favourite poems, 'Daffodils' by William Wordsworth.

Down south in Nottingham, and also on the shores of Ullswater (where WW wandered lonely as a cloud), the daffodils will without doubt now be in full bloom.

What's that Gail?  Enough of my lecturing?

Well perhaps my readers would instead value a reminder of the full text of the aptly named Mr Wordsworth's beautiful poem:

"Daffodils"

I wander'd lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils,
Beside the lake, beneath the trees
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretch'd in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: -
A poet could not but be gay
In such a jocund company!
I gazed - and gazed - but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought.

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills
And dances with the daffodils.

William Wordsworth, 1807.

Bertie's musings on Wordsworth...

           I WANDERED lonely as a cloud
Lonely? A cloud, lonely? Clearly William Wordsworth was not in Aberdeen. The whole sky has been covered in clouds all week..
          That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
And they are very low clouds too.
          When all at once I saw a crowd,
          A host, of golden daffodils;
Well yes we certainly have plenty of them here.
          Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
          Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
But you know what, for the first time in about six months, there is in fact NO WIND here this morning. And no sign of even the gentlest fluttering.

          
          Continuous as the stars that shine
          And twinkle on the milky way,
Hmmm. Astronomy. Nice touch there Bill.
          They stretched in never-ending line
          Along the margin of a bay:                                  
          Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
          Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
A cab driver once told Gail there were ten million daffodils in Aberdeen…

          The waves beside them danced; but they
          Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
          A poet could not but be gay,
         In such a jocund company:
This is so true. Sort of like being with a wire-haired fox terrier actually.
          I gazed--and gazed--but little thought
          What wealth the show to me had brought:

          For oft, when on my couch I lie
          In vacant or in pensive mood,  
I wouldn't say I do vacant.                             
          They flash upon that inward eye
          Which is the bliss of solitude;
          And then my heart with pleasure fills,
          And dances with the daffodils.
Ah yes, I get what he means now :-)