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Thursday 22 September 2011

To sleep; perchance to dream

Ay, there's the rub.

With Alan's Sepia Saturday photo this week being of a man asleep I was reminded of a not so private joke in our family. As I've grown older there has been a greater tendency for me to fall asleep in the evening. Hence someone saying, "Bob, you're tired. Go to bed."

I maintain that this is what inspired my daughter to send me this photo taken a few years ago on a trip to Washington DC.

I've been on a few red-eyed flights in my time but always managed to avoid travelling by sea. Perhaps as well because I don't think I would have appreciated  sleeping arrangements like this,
Steerage aboard SS Great Britain
Travelling on business can be a bit of a dog's life. I've always envied the way a dog can lie down and dream - presumably about the the finer things in life.
Tired Golden Labrador Pup
Some people of course may sleep for ages - Rip Van Winkle springs to mind. However Britain's oldest known poet has been asleep for quite a while.
Memorial to Caedmon, St Mary's Churchyard, Whitby, North Yorkshire
(By Richard Thomas - CC A-S A 2.0 license)


Cædmon is the earliest English poet whose name is known. An Anglo-Saxon who cared for the animals he was attached to the double monastery of Streonæshalch (Whitby Abbey) during the abbacy (657–680) of St Hilda (614–680), he was originally ignorant of "the art of song" but learned to compose one night in the course of a dream, according to the 8th-century monk Bede. He later became a zealous monk and an accomplished and inspirational religious poet. (ex wikipedia)

As Cædmon cared for animals I decided to end with a dreamer of the future.
Sweet dreams.
 For more dreams that hopefully won't require you to go to sleep, please visit Sepia Saturday 93l
 

19 comments:

21 Wits said...

Oh what a great sleeping take on Alan's theme, and always the doggies take center stage for me...although the bunks on the ship is REALLY high up there on my list too! I love your sense of humor to Bob, it's always great!

Rosalind Adam said...

Wish I could sleep a night through. It must be an age thing. We once went on a sleeper train to Venice and I wanted to sue on grounds of trade description. It was NOT a sleeper!! Love the puppy. He's so cute.

L. D. said...

Very nice post. I think the sleeping dogs just remind me of my two dogs who choose to be around one of us all the time and sleeping is there best job.

Postcardy said...

I envy the way dogs and cats can sleep on any surface, hard or soft.

shelly said...

Nice sleepy pics.

Little Nell said...

Ah yes, the great “I was just resting my eyes.” excuse!

SS Gteat Britian - fabulous ship - one of my favourites. But have you seen Nelson’s tiny hammock on The Victory?

Liz Stratton said...

You should tell your family to "let sleeping dogs lie!" My father always said that one of the great luxuries of retirement was to be able to sleep whenever and where ever he liked. :)

La Crona said...

Interesting info on the earliest English poet there.Thanks for the suitable images!

Kristin said...

In my younger days I would have liked to try the ships sleeping arrangements.

Unknown said...

Love the dog guarding the boots! I wondered how many of us would have sleeping dogs, so far 2. I have always liked red eye flights when I traveled for business, because what else to do but sleep. However those ship bunks do not look at all comfortable. Did they have a way to strap themselves in or did they just fall out when rough waters tossled the ship?

Marilyn & Jeff said...

I love your post, it's so much fun and a great set of photos.

Rosie said...

This reminds me of a postcard I had a while back. It had a picture of a man lying down on a bed and the caption read: You must be a good sleeper because you "lie" so well.....

Unknown said...

Don't think I would like those sleeping arrangements either. Our daughter and SIL have a whopper of a houseboat, now that is a different story. Love the sleeping puppy.
QMM

Sheila @ A Postcard a Day said...

All these pictures of people and animals sleeping is making me feel exhausted! The dogs look so utterly relaxed.

Tattered and Lost said...

You have some wonderful "awwwww" moments in there. I envy the way my pets sleep. Oh to be able to fall asleep as they do.

Love the beautiful memorial. The type is stunning

Mike Brubaker said...

Another fun medley! But why am I yawning? :-}

Bruno Laliberté said...

those puppies are just adorable. but i would definitely not settle for that kind of accommodation as i usually am "lucky" enough to always end up next to a snorer... (story of my life!!) and i need my privacy!!
:)~
HUGZ

Anonymous said...

I took a train ride in a sleeper compartment. It was rather small and it was a double! Thanks for the sweet doggies too. :-)

Anonymous said...

Love your post, Bob - I'm not so good at sleeping these days (used to be an expert and even listed sleeping as a hobby at one stage) although my elderly cat is now a Gold Medal Sleeper for Scotland. Great pics, thank you, Jo