Summer's wasting away...

Moving into the latter part of August and I've accomplished little since my return from London last week. A few days in the office, one blog post, no trips other than the one to Stromiec, see previous piece.

Over the years, I've noticed that I've become rather weather-dependent. For me, nothing compares to the existentialist joy of a blue sky on a hot summer's day. And as such a day passes into night, the iridescent horizon's glow. The sensual smell of the night air as the vegetation in full leaf exhales. These experiences connect me with the Eternal and Infinite. Grey skies and rain don't.

So then. Blue sky.

Should I rest or should I venture forth?

Depends how long the weather will remain fine for. Two years ago, my long trip across Poland to buy some fine Polish wine was predicated by an unbroken spell of hot weather that assured four rain-free days. This summer, such long fine spells have been few (there was one during the week I was in London).

Rest and write, take photos, walk a lot, take it easy. This is what the summer's for.

But to rest, to relax, to take it easy properly, (rather than aimlessly lounging about) requires planning. There's stuff that doesn't rest, that still needs doing. A przegląd techniczny here, a car alarm to fix there, rubbish to take out - when's the glass collected? And what's the date for the dry recycled bags? Bills to pay, groceries to buy - and in the background, a dearth of inspiration.

Since May I'd been planning a return trip down Wałbrzych way to seek out the Gold Train - I still have a theory about it's possible whereabouts that needs to be either proved or disproved. I need four clear days to do this - no point of doing this adventure in the pouring rain. But it's raining now, it'll rain tomorrow, and on Monday and on Tuesday.

Planning is difficult if you need a good weather window to coincide with work and other commitments; there's 11 days of August left, when to fit in that trip?

Summer's slipping away. Those glorious sunsets around nine pm are but a memory; today the sun will set at ten to eight; an hour and ten minutes less daylight in the evening. But it's still warm. The freedom to walk around in a shirt, rather than shirt + jumper + jacket, is so precious given how the rest of the year looks.

Summer is so wonderful compared to those dreary short dark cold days, I want to make the very most of it. And there is only a finite number of summers ahead. They are precious and should not be wasted. I still hope that one day I'll be able to spend some Southern Hemisphere summers when winter draws in upon Poland.

Mindful of the fact that that the rain will come today, I went for my walk this morning (a mere 6,000 paces), but a trip to town with Eddie for a curry pushed up the total. [NOTE: The Ganesh on the corner of Herbsta and KEN in Ursrynów is closed - not something we could learn from the internet. So we took the Metro to Politechnika and dined at the Tandoor Palace.]

And this week I've had conjunctivitis in my right eye - it's not the bacterial sort (no cross-infection or pus) so either viral or allergic (the latter is possible as I've just sneezed again). No big deal, except my right (good) eye hurts when I look towards a bright sky, and when the wind blows at it. No treatment - it should be back to normal in a few days.

But I should be doing more. More writing, more travelling, more thinking, more discussing more photography. I feel guilty for not being more active.

It's raining again.

UPDATE: Sunday 20 August. Raining. All. Day.

This time last year:
Warsaw remembers the PASTa building capture

This time two years ago:
Drought. It was a dry summer.

This time four years ago:
Warsaw's ski slope at Szczęśliwice

This time five year:
On the road from Dobra, again

This time six years ago:
August storm, ul. Targowa

This time seven years ago:
Warsaw Central's secret underground kebab factory

This time eight years ago:
Cheap holidays in other people's misery

This time nine years ago:
Steam welcomes us to Dobra

This time ten years ago:
New houses appear in the fields by Zgorzała