The sun is out. Light breeze. Coolth. Birds frolic, lawnmowers gambol. Issue nine of Otoliths is filling up nicely even though publication date is still two months away. I’m trying to come to grips with this extra day, wondering why February should get it. Kon Ichikawa has died. In this year of the Olympic Games I remember a movie of the 1964 Tokyo Games, a compilation of shorts made by eight of the leading Japanese directors of the time. Unfortunately, Akira Kurosawa was not amongst them. He was still considered too Western, &, anyway, Mifune wasn’t competing. But Ichikawa’s contribution was the running of the final of the 100 metres, shot in slomo. An amazing piece. In the garden, subtle glimpses of the bird’s-eye chillies amongst the green. The race goes on, flexing tendon by flexing tendon. I fear thee, Ancient Mariner......