Hi, All!

-----Beginning of the citation-----
People talk about nightfall, or night falling, or dusk
falling, and it's never seemed right to me. Perhaps
<skipped>

In life, night rises from the ground. The day hangs on
for as long as it can, bright and eager, absolutely and
positively the last guest to leave the party, while the
ground darkens, oozing night around your ankles,
swallowing for ever that dropped contact lens, making
you miss that low catch in the gully on the last ball
of the last over.
----- The end of the citation -----

Can you explain it in other words?

"... swallowing for ever that dropped contact lens,
making you miss that low catch in the gully on the last
ball of the last over."


Bye, All!
Alexander Koryagin

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* Origin: nntp://news.fidonet.fi (2:221/6.0)

Hi, Alexander! Recently you wrote in a message to All: 0

-----Beginning of the citation-----
People talk about nightfall, or night falling, or dusk
falling, and it's never seemed right to me.

While others tend to think of the sun "sinking toward the horizon", the author appears to be questioning such turns of phrase & comparing them to his own observations. He's noticed that the sky may still be quite bright at (or near) sunset, although from his POV the ground is in semi-darkness.

In life, night rises from the ground. The day hangs on
for as long as it can, bright and eager, absolutely and
positively the last guest to leave the party, while the
ground darkens, oozing night around your ankles,
swallowing for ever that dropped contact lens, making
you miss that low catch in the gully on the last ball
of the last over.
----- The end of the citation -----

Can you explain it in other words?

"... swallowing for ever

Perhaps not forever, but long enough that some archaeologist(s) will classify the item as a ritual object in the absence of other information. :-Q

that dropped contact lens,

Note... "lens" is singular. Contact lenses are much like the curved glass or plastic bits in your spectacles which are ground or moulded to adjust your vision, but do not require frames because the wearers place them directly on their eyeballs. Occasionally, for whatever reason(s), these things fall to the ground. Then there is great consternation because they are very difficult to see, even under good lighting... and whatever else was going at the time is placed on hold while the owner searches frantically & others try to help. :-)

making you miss that low catch in the gully on the
last ball of the last over."

Paul, where are you? This sounds like something to do with the game of cricket... about which I know very little although it is popular in the UK. At the end of an afternoon or evening game when sunset is rapidly approaching, however, I imagine the ball could be difficult to track.

Using a different analogy... when Dallas & I are returning home from SomePlace Else, and we are facing the setting sun, it's not easy for either of us to see what's on the road ahead. I presume that a such a time a person who has inadvertently dropped a small object might be unable to locate it.... :-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)

Hi! Ardith,

On 31 May 2021, you said the following...

making you miss that low catch in the gully on the
last ball of the last over."

Paul, where are you? This sounds like something to do with
the game of cricket... about which I know very little although it is popular in the UK. At the end of an afternoon or evening game when
sunset is rapidly approaching, however, I imagine the ball could be difficult to track.

I desperately wanted to inject some comment, but it is an English game; not Aussie. All I really know is that we enjoy beating the English bastards, 'at their own game'.

Cheers,
Paul.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Linux/32)
* Origin: Quinn's Rock - stuck in a Linux VM, again! (3:640/1384)

Hi, Paul! Recently you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinton:

making you miss that low catch in the gully
on the last ball of the last over."

Paul, where are you? This sounds like something
to do with the game of cricket... about which I
know very little although it is popular in the UK.
At the end of an afternoon or evening game when
sunset is rapidly approaching, however, I imagine
the ball could be difficult to track.

I desperately wanted to inject some comment,

I'm glad Alexander & I inspired you to respond. I was beginning to wonder how you were doing because you hadn't posted in E_T for awhile.... :-)

but it is an English game; not Aussie.

That is the impression I got from various other things I'd read. I wasn't sure if you might have learned about cricket during your younger years, however, and when I looked up "gully" the only dictionaries which mentioned it with reference to the sport employed even more jargon I don't understand. :-Q

All I really know is that we enjoy beating the
English bastards, 'at their own game'.

:-))




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)

Hi! Ardith,

On 06/03/2021 03:32 AM, you wrote:

making you miss that low catch in the gully
on the last ball of the last over."

That is the impression I got from various other things I'd read. I wasn't sure if you might have learned about cricket during your younger years, however, and when I looked up "gully" the only
dictionaries which mentioned it with reference to the sport employed
even more jargon I don't understand. :-Q

It is similar for me. I'm not a sports nut and I only ever played a game once, socially.

The term 'gully' escapes me completely, and the same goes for any similar receiving team "positioning" term. WRT the loss of a contact lens, it ought not affect the playing of the game due to a lighting factor as the game is governed by an umpire, taking available lighting into consideration for the continuance of a game.

My 'take' on Aexander's query is that it is an expression of an example of an unpublished "Confucius's Constant: Shit Happens". It just takes one little stupid happenstance to screw some well-thought plan.

:)

Cheers,
Paul.

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