Hilton Head Island: gannet power; a cause of WW2; out of shape

 

I came across this photograph yesterday taken by Henley Spiers. It is titled ‘Sunbolt Rocket’ and is of a northern gannet, who looks quite purposeful.  As you and I know GANNETs are.  It won first prize in the annual bird photography contest in which there were over 24,000 entries.  Gannets stand out from the crowd.

In addition to my reading some ancient Japanese or Chinese poetry and some, usually more modern, Western poetry each morning, I have added ten pages of THE NEW YORK TIMES COMPLETE WORLD WAR TWO:  THE COVERAGE OF THE ENTIRE CONFLICT, which came to me via BookBud for $2.99.  It consists of reprints of articles written at the time, starting with an optimistic report on the signing of the Treaty of Versailles dated June 29, 1919.  On November 1, 1922, there is a piece praising Mussolini as he takes power.  On August 16, 1932 THE TIMES reported:  Hitler Dictatorship in Reich Unlikely:  Woodbridge Thinks Nazi Leader Cannot Seize Power—Sees Steadying Force In People.

Reading what was so mistakenly thought at the time is ironic, tragically sad, and sometime amusing.

According to most historians and Webb Chiles, who is not an historian, just an omnivorous reader whose life has been, among other things, a completely unsuccessful search for meaning, the punitive and unjust penalties forced upon Germany in the Treaty of Versailles are among the primary causes of the rise of Hitler and the resumption of what many historians and Webb Chiles think was not a second war, but a continuation of the same war after a twenty-one year cease fire.  One result of that treaty was runaway inflation in Germany in the early 1920s, which helped Hitler come to power.  Here is an article that brings a smile and tears.

I believe the extreme heat has finally come to an end in the Low Country.  When Carol and I went for a bike ride at 9 AM this morning the temperature was 74F/23C and it is forecast that at 9 AM this coming Friday it will be 64F/18C.  Wonderful.

However this morning’s ride revealed that, despite my doing my indoor workouts, my legs are woefully out of shape.  Because of the heat I have seldom ridden my bike for months, and I have not used the treadmill at the club often enough.  Working on the edited version of GANNET 6 last week I almost never even left the condo.  Today’s ride was hard and slow.  

I have found that I lose my legs after sailing for extended periods.  I don’t walk around much on GANNET.  But they have always come back when I return to using them on land.  I trust that with regular biking and walking, they will again.  I don’t want an electric scooter.