Tuesday, October 5

I have my Weetabix and rhubarb and head off in the dawn light for a brisk walk. The other day I noticed the brightness of Finnish autumns. This morning I notice the other side of this: the grey dawns and the clouds threatening rain.

I walk through the woods and down onto the fields and then, after following a path filled with dog walkers, I turn right into Itäväylä and up towards the gas station.

I notice a cyclist coming towards me and step neatly to one side.

All the time I walk I listen to Jackie Leven and decide what I find lacking in his songs: other people. Or anything except him, actually. I also decide that I have nothing against his constant probing of his own situation and his framing of everything else in terms of how it affects him, but I just don’t have much sympathy with it as a world view.

He probably had a lot of personal reasons why he focused on himself the way he did. I have my own personal reasons for not liking it.

I guess I had better switch to listening to Freddie and the Dreamers tomorrow.