Summer holiday childcare duty today with both the great nephs, M (10) and G (6). Given the heat and the inevitability of them getting frustrated with each other after a period of time we stuck on a movie. And then I did a jigsaw with G while introducing him to the music of Steve Reich, which seemed to calm him down. He’s very much at the “is it ADHD or is he just six?” stage and I had a feeling repetitive minimalist percussion might work.

My mum was very much a classical music person and my step-dad is an orchestra conductor so I grew up around musical scores and the like. I never really clicked with their stuff and so while I have a musical ear I’ve never done anything with it. Which was fine, but I do have a mild resentment that despite being of that world they never introduced me to the more modern, avant guard stuff which I’m sure I would have loved. By the time I realised it existed it was probably too late for me to be anything more than a casual listener, but maybe, if I’d been taken to a Stravinsky or John Cale performance, or had what Stockhausen was up to explained to me at earlier age I might have thought, yeah, this is what I want to do.

Or not. We’ll never know. But at least G has had the option now.

In other news, the heatwave is back with a vengeance and there are wildfires in parks in south Birmingham. It’s not too bad near us but you can smell the smoke in the air. We’ve retreated into the cool room with the fans to wait it out.

Didn’t do any reading today, or at least nothing came my way. Just one of those days I guess.

Here’s my eclipse photos from yesterday. As expected, nothing special really. The fun was in the going out and taking then.