I have had two profound experiences this week, both serving to reinforce my wonder at the inscrutable ways of nature.
The first was of course the eclipse, which I found extra ordinarily moving and indeed emotionally draining and awe-inspiring. How powerfully it brought home to us our total dependence on nature and our inability to alter her ways, even in this cocksure scientific age. It is amazing that we can predict exactly when these phenomena will occur, but to my mind it is infinitely more amazing that we have no power to interfere with them or stop them occurring. This should humble us, surely.
The second experience was seeing a swallows nest cunningly sited on an old broomhead under the roof of a neighbours shed. With the aid of a mirror I was able to see the eggs cosily lying on the hay that formed the nest. I was deeply impressed to think that soon these tiny eggs would hatch out into tiny helpless creatures that in a matter of weeks would fledge and fly unaided to Africa, ahead of their parents. What a total miracle, more wonderful to me than all our gadgetry.
MRS EVELYN SCOTT BROWN