Bathe it in Baja Blue

William Overington

This song was written in the autumn of 2004 yet the lyrics were not published until 2007.

The song was inspired by an announcement by Pantone that labels on consumer items could have the Pantone colour details on the label, as names and maybe Pantone numbers. So the lady in the song is looking at the labels and studying the details of the Pantone colour of the item, not trusting simply to just looking at the colour of the sofa or the cushion but making sure of the precise colour from the details on the label.

A lady comes into
the store one day
Saying what she wants to do
She's furnishing a room
in her home
And she wants it Baja Blue
She's looking for a sofa
A few easy chairs
A number of cushions too
And she wants the colours
All to match
And she wants them Baja Blue

Bathe it in Baja Blue
Bathe it in Baja Blue
She's looking at the labels
Studying the details
Making sure it's Baja Blue
She's looking for precision
in the measurement of colour
So that she knows that the colour is true
She's relying on precision
in the measurement of colour
So that she knows that it's Baja Blue

The very next morning
We took the van
The furniture to install
The lady came out
into her drive
And showed us into the hall
She pointed down the hallway
to the room at the end
Then she added too
Go past the copy
of the Leonardo
To the room that's Baja Blue

Bathe it in Baja Blue
Bathe it in Baja Blue
She's looking at the labels
Studying the details
Making sure it's Baja Blue
She's looking for precision
in the measurement of colour
So that she knows that the colour is true
She's relying on precision
in the measurement of colour
So that she knows that it's Baja Blue

Now it later turns out
The lady is a writer
For a fashion magazine
And there we saw
some photographs
Of the room where we'd once been
One of the views went
out to the hallway
Through the open door
Lady with an ermine
Gazing out
And a stylish ceramic tile floor

Bathe it in Baja Blue
Bathe it in Baja Blue
She's looking at the labels
Studying the details
Making sure it's Baja Blue
She's looking for precision
in the measurement of colour
So that she knows that the colour is true
She's relying on precision
in the measurement of colour
So that she knows that it's Baja Blue
So she knows that it's Baja Blue
So she knows it's Baja Blue

Copyright 2004 William Overington

Pick Your Own

William Overington

A day in the English countryside. She is starring in a creative writing scenario wherein a television company has decided to make a television programme series called English Volksmusik which is to be shown on Thursday evenings. She has been contracted to perform two songs. One will be in the studio, but this one is to be filmed on location, here in this large 'Pick Your Own' orchard where people can visit, pick fruit from trees and then pay for them and take them home. The phrase 'Pick Your Own' is a play on words as 'pick' can mean to pick the fruit from the tree and also 'pick' can mean to choose which individual fruits one wishes. In a 'Pick Your Own' orchard one does both of these. Usually she sings alone, except perhaps for backing singers, but today she is to be part of a duet with another female singer. This is the idea of the television company who wish to produce an English language version of the volksmusik programmes that are often on German television. A fairly regular feature of such programmes are female duets, singing, often with a combination of singing and walking, fairly fast songs with catchy, swing along lyrics. The television company wishes to give this German style presentation to the programme. The idea is not to create a programme of English Folk Music, but to create an English language version of German Volksmusik. Indeed, many of the musicians are over here from Germany, including the five member band that is here in the fruit orchards today with her. She and the other singer have practised the song in the studio and have had a walk through of their route amongst the rows of apple trees. This is a fairly fast song with catchy, swing along lyrics. Several camera crews are here, some static, some in motion. Several takes may be necessary, but now it is time for the first filmed performance. They are to start walking so that they line up with the 'Pick Your Own' sign just as they start to sing. The director indicates to start walking. They walk. The introductory music will be short, then they will be off!

          (And a volksmusik clarinet swing)
Pick your own
The notice states
In an orchard
Or estate
Pick an apple
Pick a pear
In the rural
Country air
Leave the bustle far behind
Pick some fruit
Just unwind
Very soon
It will be clear
Pick your own is here!
          (And the music takes off with a clarinet swing)
          (Just trying to give it a volksmusik zing)
          (Then it swings back and forth like a bird on the wing)
          (And we're ready again for the singers to sing)
Apples, cherries, plums and pears
Pick some fruit
Lose your cares
In the orchards you can go
See just where
Apples grow
Walk around amongst the trees
Choose your fruit
As you please
You will find
Once you've begun
Pick your own is fun!
          (And we're back once again with the clarinet swing)
          (Trying once more for a volksmusik zing)
          (Once again back and forth like a bird on the wing)
          (And the singers wait to sing)
So you see
It's really great
Picking fruit
On an estate
Rural England
Air is clear
Pick some fruit
It's not too dear
Spend some time
Upon the land
Ask a friend
To lend a hand
See the fruit
Where it is grown
And you can pick your own!
          (And the volksmusik style with clarinet swing)
          (Now ends us with a zing!)

Song lyrics and creative setting written by William Overington
Copyright 1998 William Overington

Decoration Through Time

William Overington

She walks out onto the very back of the stage, to our left. She walks forward past the small orchestra. There is a microphone for her on a stand near the front of the stage, to our left. Two backing singers, one male, one female, are already at a microphone half way back on the stage to our right. She reaches her microphone. Her arms are straight by her side. The lights go down around her. She, in her long dress, is illuminated by a spotlight; orchestra and backing singers are bathed in turquoise light. She speaks.

"Hello everyone. I'd like to sing a new song, with lyrics written in England in February and March of 1998. It's called 'Decoration Through Time'."

She waits for the orchestra to start the performance. Quietness. She knows that the backing singers will first sing two lines, then she will sing alone and the whole audience will be focused on her every word. She remembers the directions to sing slowly and meaningfully. We see the conductor raise his baton, though he is behind her and she does not see him. She hears the music start.

          Delight in the decorations
          Which have survived through time
As a potter makes a work of art
With hand movements like mime
The methods are so similar
To those of ancient time
Though time flows ever onwards
Not to return again
Though days are gone for ever
Some ceramic things remain
          Though those days are gone for ever
          Some ceramic things remain
As a builder digs foundations
Some pottery in the ground
Once used, long broken and forgotten
In modern times is found
Collected now as history
Remains of times long passed
For though those days are gone in time
Their artists work still lasts
          For although those days are gone in time
          Their artists work still lasts
Clay that was so pliable
Fire that was so fierce
Ceramic made from both of them
Survives so many years
Delight in the decorations
Which time will never tire
Deliberate choice made there and then
Sealed in the clay by fire
          By deliberate choice made there and then
          Sealed in the clay by fire

As the orchestra plays the final notes of the music she knows that the performance is almost, though not yet quite, over, yet her part is complete. As the music stops, she will learn the reaction of the audience.

Song lyrics written by William Overington in February and March 1998
Creative setting written by William Overington in May 1998
Copyright 1998 William Overington

It was running humour from the posts about the label on the jar of jam.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CFs-CDtPAA

I remember one time seeing a cartoon reposted on the Unicode mailing list where someone had got Scrabble tiles with unusual characters and large scores.

The cartoon had the caption "I've got some weird tiles."

It did not have this one, but to get the flavour (pun intended) please imagine a Scrabble tile with an emoji of a Strawberry and a score of 22!

Yes, thank you both.

I was, with increasing frustration, looking down the side panel at all the Tools.

Eventually, I noticed the three hoizontal lines and looked there and found Document Properties. Which was peculiar as I had already used that menu to open the PDF document.

I had wondered whether I had somehow managed to install a trial version of Adobe Acrobat.

By the way, does the Affinity suite version 2 still have the peculiarity that one cannot put one's name as the author in the PDF document Document Properties using Affinity Designer?

200x100ym700xd2c500yd5c200x100yd

[Here is an attempt to draw the example stated in the desctption]
[WJGO]
Please produce an image from the following text.
200x100ym700xd500yd200x100yd

[Copilot]
Here’s your image, generated from the input 200x100ym700xd500yd200x100yd. It should now correctly depict a triangle with the specified vertices. Let me know if you'd like to test another shape or expand your language further!

[For the avoidance of doubt, it is not the correct image for the input text. The image is 1024 pixels by 1024 pixels. Perhaps I can work out approximately would be the text input to producev this image and inform Copilot. Maybe that would help]

[WJGO]

I am writing a post about this language for a web forum. Please describe the language so that I can copy and paste your description into the forum thread.

[Copilot]
Absolutely, William — here’s a clear, copy-ready description of your language that you can post to your forum. It explains the syntax, behavior, and structure in a concise and engaging way:

[Not even attempted to enter it here due to rich text structure]

[WJGO]
That is good. However the forum only accepts plain text, so could you present the same infomation as plain text all of one font size please, no panels, just text.

[Copilot]
Absolutely — here’s the same description in plain text format, suitable for posting in a forum that only accepts basic text:

This is a minimalist command language for generating vector-style graphics using simple text input. It operates on a small set of variables and commands, allowing precise control over drawing operations with compact syntax.

Variables:

a: current X-coordinate

b: current Y-coordinate

p: previous X-coordinate (used for drawing)

q: previous Y-coordinate (used for drawing)

h: input buffer for numeric values

All variables start at 0.

Digit Commands (0–9): Each digit command updates h by multiplying the current value by 10 and adding the digit: h = h * 10 + n

So the sequence 2 5 7 builds h = 257.

Symbolic Commands:

x: sets a = h, then resets h to 0

y: sets b = h, then resets h to 0

d: draws a line from (p, q) to (a, b), then sets p = a and q = b

m: moves to (a, b) without drawing, then sets p = a and q = b

Syntax Rules:

Spaces are ignored. Input can be tightly packed or spaced out.

Commands are interpreted sequentially, character by character.

The coordinate system places the origin (0, 0) at the top-left corner.

X increases to the right

Y increases downward

Example: The input string: 200x100ym700xd500yd200x100yd

Produces a triangle with vertices at: (200, 100), (700, 100), (700, 500), and back to (200, 100)

This language is compact, expressive, and ideal for generating simple vector paths with minimal syntax.

Let me know if you’d like to include a sample image description or a few more examples!

In various places in the novel, Edith says "Possibly" rather than saying "Yes".

For example in the following where Edith lets Simon know why Mariposa is visiting without telling Simon, a journalist, anything he can quote.

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~ngo/l … er_037.pdf

Also, about parsnips.

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~ngo/l … er_057.pdf