Had We But World Enough, And Time

~ travelsandtomes

Our power must have gone off yesterday.  The two electric clocks we have in the house were inexplicably set to zero in the afternoon.  And that got me to thinking about time.  Well, that and the shock that June is almost upon us (where did April and May go?).  And the real live cuckoo bird who is nesting somewhere in the neighborhood and sounding for all of the world like my clock, but “going off” at random times.  And the son who appears to grow by inches on any given night.  And the beloved dog and best friend who passed away last week.

Time engulfs us and confounds us. We decorate our towers and homes with it, wear it on our wrists, celebrate its high holy days, and mourn its passing.  Time heals all wounds, but steals all souls.  And if we respect it and appreciate all the fine gifts the years bring us, we still fear it.  We don’t understand it at all.

So, today, I offer a few photos and let time speak for itself.

Giant Cuckoo Clock on the Rhine River in Germany--looking out on new shops and very old castles.
Giant Cuckoo Clock on the Rhine River in Germany–looking out on new shops and very old castles.

 

Victoria Clock Tower, which stood by our house in Ripon, England
Victoria Clock Tower, which stood by our house in Ripon, England. On a personal level, a very special reminder of 4 great years in our lives.

 

 

The fabulous Corpus Clock in Cambridge, England--revealing less of itself in the gleaming sun and more of a reflection of King's College.
The fabulous Corpus Clock in Cambridge, England–revealing less of itself in the gleaming sun and more of a reflection of King’s College…because, after all, time is a canvas for the things of life.

 

 

Sienna, Italy
Siena, Italy–Town Hall and Clock Tower standing tall over the historic piazza.

 

South Gate Clock, Chester, England
South Gate Clock, Chester, England– is it a coincidence that clocks so often mark thresholds like this?

 

An 1820 Longcase clock from Leyburn, England stands sentry at our door.
An 1820 Longcase clock from Leyburn, England stands sentry at our door.
The Best Friend we loved and lost
The Best Friend we loved and lost. At 15 years old, she had lived a long dog life . . . but not nearly long enough for those who loved her.

 

The past came alive at a history fair at Fountains Abbey, Yorkshire
The past came alive at a history fair at Fountains Abbey, Yorkshire. And why is it that little boys always want to grow up to be soldiers?

 

Having fun with the past at Tweetsie Railroad in NC many years ago.
Having fun with the past at Tweetsie Railroad in NC many years ago.

 

And so, time marches on. . .

They are young one day, and all grown up the next.
They are young one day, and all grown up the next.

*”Had we but world enough, and time” is the first line of Andrew Marvel’s poem “To His Coy Mistress”

9 thoughts on “Had We But World Enough, And Time”

  1. Corpus Clock,didn’t know about that,interesting,now I look around on the web.When I was living in north Italy I had a house on the hills and exactly every 1st of may a cuckoo was arriving from somewhere since years to make the nest.I was going mad because in the house…I had 2 german cuckoo clocks so was really difficult to understand what time was between cuckoos and cuckoos 🙂

    Reply

    1. How funny! We were surprised the first time we heard the cuckoo outside our window. He’s very loud! We still haven’t seen him, but we are looking and hoping.

      Reply

  2. Lovely post and photos! I know Ripon and Fountains Abbey well as my family lives in Yorkshire (Harrogate). Can’t believe it’s almost June either where did the time go?!

    Reply

  3. What a great post! Have you been to Wells Cathedral? They have a beautiful clock there, I think it’s an astronomical one. I spent about ten minutes just staring at it, it was so pretty.

    Reply

    1. Thanks so much. Haven’t been to Wells, unfortunately, but I’ve been to Exeter where there’s a magnificent astronomical clock. Also recently saw one in Strasbourg–mind boggling. Beautiful and intricate.

      Reply

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