Ode to a Skylark | Venice: I am not making this up

Here’s what we’re getting today for a refreshing change of meteorological pace: Rain.

It was raining yesterday, too, and it’s expected to continue for another two, or maybe three, days.

Changing perspective does nothing to alleviate the grimy appearance of the world. Here, the view from the Giudecca shows the usual beautiful silhouette, but the color scheme is limited to about three colors, all too closely related to be allowed to marry. — Jan. 14: Changing perspective does nothing to alleviate the grimy appearance of the world. In Venice there are not 50 shades of grey. There appear to be about three, all too closely related to be allowed to marry.

Well, you say, at least it’s not fog. This is very true. But the grey remains. And the fog is expected to return.

I think that all the grey clouds in the northern hemisphere decided to come to Venice on holiday. They got bored, hanging day and night over Oslo and Bydgoszcz and the Kaliningrad Oblast. So here they are and they’re really enjoying their vacation.

an. 15. What can I say? If I say I wish we'd get snow or hail, it would sound like I want things to be worse. Maybe I just won't say anything. — Jan. 15. What can I say? If I say I wish we’d get snow or hail, it would sound like I want things to be worse. Maybe I just won’t say anything.

“Oh, we don’t want to do anything,” they all agreed; “We want to relax, look around, just chill for a while in the most beautiful city in the world that we’ve all heard so eternally much about. We’ll just hang out and be all grey and dismal while we’re at it.” All these clouds either bought a one-way ticket because they have no definite plans to go home, or they drove here in a friend’s car and now they’ve lost track of the friend. It happens.

But here’s something wonderful: I heard the year’s first blackbird yesterday morning. As you know, this is a pivotal moment for me. I won’t attempt a sonnet in praise of this avian avatar but I bring him forward as a sign that spring is still a possibility.

Obviously not Shelley's famous skylark, but for me the unmistakable outline and color of the blackbird does the same job for me. Whether this bird's spirit is blithe maybe open to discussion, but I'm enchanted by whoever created this image on the parapet by the Giardini. Sing on! — Obviously not Shelley’s famous skylark, but for me the unmistakable outline and color of the blackbird does the same job for me. Whether this bird’s spirit is blithe maybe open to discussion, but I’m enchanted by whoever created this image on the parapet by the Giardini. Sing on!

Calling all blithe spirits, especially flying ones