Thursday, August 19

I go for a walk in my autumn jacket which has a hood, in case the rain arrives early. I walk through the woods listening to Melvyn Bragg leading a discussion on the Rapture. I learn a lot and realise how little I actually knew about the history of the idea, which only arose in the nineteenth century.

I turn and walk down the long path and some way down I see an abandoned shopping trolley. This surprises me because I cannot imagine how it got here. The nearest supermarket is several kilometres away, and the nearest houses are half a kilometre or more away.

Who pushed it here and where had they come from? And why did they abandon it here, rather than taking it all the way to wherever they intended to go?

Some mysteries just have to remain mysteries. I switch to listening to Mickey Dolenz singing the songs of Michael Nesmith and carry on walking.

The rain will arrive just as I get home and continue all morning.