Grape hyacinth.
Even though many of the restrictions on the Corona virus have been lifted I noticed still a kind of hesitance amongst people. There hangs a fear to getting close, and all those tape and red crosses on floors and grounds isn’t conducive to closeness. Park seats even have crosses on them. I still am afraid to stand or sit anywhere. A few times at the supermarket I noticed people backing away when I walk past them. There are sign still asking people to respect and consider each other and that we are all in the same position. Patience and consideration are being tested.
I took my daughter last night to the railway station and there too were sign to stay clear of each other. The public toilets were locked and so was the waiting room. There were solid padlocks on everything that had a door. It was freezing cold and we could not be further away from other people because she was the only person on the whole rail station. She told me she was also the only passenger in the rail wagon she had jumped in.
Isn’t it sad how the US is now tearing itself apart? China now does not have to do anything to show that democracies can fail miserably. This is why in order to keep sane we might have to move away from both political and human made failures. I can think of no better way than to concentrate on the good and honest earth; The joy of making soils with cow, chicken, turkey, and mushroom compost, all of which I have been investing in. I wrote previously that I had planted a whole lot of grape hyacinths bulbs some weeks ago. And, even though we are just at the beginning of winter, the advice on planting bulbs was during late autumn, and they now have started, albeit very gingerly, rearing their little heads poking the soil. I risked pneumonia darting outside in my shirt and socks to take these pictures. It was freezing with a strong wind and just 8C.
The irises have also reared up.
I had to add gas heating to my town house as the reverse cycle ducted aircon just wasn’t doing its job. I am not of such a stoical disposition to enjoy cold. Some do, though. It always surprises me that during these wintry gales and frosty morning I see some walking about in shorts, t-shirts and thongs. What’s wrong with them? Perhaps it is my old age which doesn’t really matter unless you are a cheese.
So, now that I am settled in my new place, I can look forward to a nice garden, good friends, (including the softer ones) and my Café meetings at the Bradman Cricket grounds called ‘Stumps’, world famous cricket grounds. Life is good.
I’ll leave you with this picture of my cyclamen.
Tags: Bradman, Cafe, China, cricket, Grape hyacinth, Pneumonia, Stumps, US
June 2, 2020 at 12:59 am |
Your cyclamen is gorgeous, and it brought a smile to see those first tentative shoots poking up. I predict a great crop of beauty in the weeks to come. It is quite something to think about your cold weather, though. We’re now contemplating the possibile development of the first hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. It’s too early to know what’s going to happen, but at least it’s something to think about other than viruses and riots. That’s not all bad!
I’m just slightly more sanguine than some about the possibility of some good coming out of the current chaos. For the first time in a very long time, I’m hearing some of the same responses from conservatives/liberals, Republicans/Democrats/Libertarians, blacks/whites. There’s no tsunami of agreement or good feeling, but there’s a lot of shock at what’s been happening, and a desire to do something useful to stop it. We’ll see.
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June 2, 2020 at 10:48 pm |
Each time I go to may local gardening shop I buy a cyclamen. They are one of the most rewarding plants to have during winter, flowering for at east 3 months and with luck will hibernate during summer to come back again the following winter. They like cold and frost.
I had to stop the TV news just now with an hour away from curfew in Washington DC. So far the crowd seems peaceful!
I haven’t heard anything about a hurricane as well coming your way.
I haven’t yet looked outside at the state of more hyacinths poking through but shall soon do so after my breakfast and bed making. There are all those morning little things to do like putting plates away from previous day use, putting the knives, forks and spoons in their designated places. Discipline is important when living by oneself.
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June 2, 2020 at 1:23 am |
The cyclamen is beautiful. Good to know you are warm this season.
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June 2, 2020 at 10:50 pm |
Yes, reverse cycle aircon works better cooling than heating. Without my gas heating the place would be too cold. Heaven knows when the bills arrive. I might have to consider solar panels!
Cyclamen are wonderful. They are cheerful and never complain or play up.
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June 2, 2020 at 8:19 am |
Your plants are beautiful! 🙂
We need to be more grateful for nature. We need to pay greater attention to nature. We need to learn from it. We need to take good care of it. We need to take good care of our fellow human-beans, too.
I’m so glad you are settled, Gerard! And have so many positives in your new place!!! 🙂
You are gooder than a good Gouda, Gerard! Age DOESN’T matter! 🙂
Continue to be safe and well!
(((HUGS))) 🙂 to you!
PATS and RUBS to Milo!
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June 2, 2020 at 10:58 pm |
Yes, when it comes to age, nothing better than an old well aged cheese. Glad you picked up on that, Carolyn. In Australia we have a cheese that is called ‘tasty cheese’. It never ceased to amuse my dad wondering if an ‘un-tasty’ cheese was also available.
We are at the beginning of the winter and most of my garden is sleeping. Still, there are slight changes happening, almost imperceptible, but to me things are growing.
The bird seeds were eaten and the chaff that they left behind proof of it. They had their fill when I was out shopping or sitting somewhere at my café watching people. Let’s hope they will come again when I am home. I like to become their friend.
Hugs to you and Cooper too.
Gerard
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June 3, 2020 at 7:52 am
“un-tasty” cheese! 😀 I’ve smelled some cheese that was phew-y and it made me not want to taste it. 😉 😀
Yes, it’s wonderful to have bird friends who visit. Thank you for offering them a meal. 🙂
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June 2, 2020 at 10:32 am |
Such enjoyable pictures! Thanks for publishing, Gerard, and stay well and warm! We’re doing alright too. We needed some repairs done. And just at the right time, a young tradesman appeared at our door willing to do a number of necessary odd jobs for us at a reasonable price. Peter and I are very happy about this! 🙂
I think you cannot consider the coronavirus to be your friend, unless you have a death wish. I think I am not all that afraid of dying, which at my age may be soon enough anyway. But I do not want to hasten it by catching the virus. So I am still very careful around people and keeping my hands clean after I have been touching things where the virus could be lurking around. Well, it is just my choice to be as cautious as possible. And this goes for Peter too! Not that it cannot happen that we accidentally get into situations where it may not be possible to avoid the virus should it be around. Still, I think it is common sense not to walk too close to people or let people be walking too close to us. We know that if we are unlucky enough to catch the virus, we definitely have to stay in total isolation for some time so as not to infect others. We are just grateful when we can avoid this kind of isolation. We Australians are so far very lucky that a lot of covid-19 restrictions just could already be eased a lot. I expect, we have to be extra careful again, once there are no more travel restrictions, none whatsoever.
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June 2, 2020 at 11:10 pm |
Yes, a handy man knocking on the door can be very welcome. It is surprising how those little jobs come about. I still have to hang more pictures but have become a bit complacent and am actually taking a bit of a holiday albeit within the confines of my new place. I cheer myself up by looking at the garden and not watching TV.
Yes, we have to stay alert and keep distance. No one of our age need to get this nasty virus. However, with just over 100 deaths and just 7200 cases of infections Australia has done very well. A friend of mine reckons that mathematically, with hardly any new infections, and even then mainly from outsiders arriving at our airports, the chance of getting attacked by a crocodile while having a bath, is greater than getting the Corona virus.
I still adhere to the safe distances rule, and do some deft footwork to achieve the required distance at Aldi’s shopping when getting my bread and Shiraz. After all that is why we now seem to have beaten this terrible pandemic.
We still are ‘The Lucky Country.’
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June 2, 2020 at 2:52 pm |
Planting and digging in the good earth is, indeed, a good antidote to all the craziness going on around us. What you describe is similar to what we had here in regards to public places. However, over the weekend, our Governor raised the state lockdown measures to Stage 3 (out of 4). I can’t imagine Stage 4, because already it seems like we are back to the past. Traffic is booming and zooming, people are congregating in parks with and w/o masks. Grocery shopping is interesting, with about 2/3 of shoppers masked, the other 1/3 unmasked and uncaring. What can you expect from babies who have a baby as a role model? Stay warm.
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June 2, 2020 at 11:22 pm |
Yes, digging and getting stuck in soil is satisfying. I now have enough social contact to have a good balance. I was so lucky to have met friends at the local cricket café. Actually it is a very famous cricket field and before the pandemic, bus loads of people came to visit the cricket museum attached to the café and cricket pitch. They came from Pakistan, India, Fiji and other cricket loving places.
I don’t understand the game but that is fully acceptable, and not many of my friends talk about cricket much. After all it is just a little round ball that gets hit about and people run after it to take the ball back again.
Masks haven’t really taken off in Australia. It is a free choice and I don’t think the Government has a stand on it. We do have an ‘app’ on the iPhone whereby they can follow who you have contacted, and if they included a case of infection.
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June 3, 2020 at 12:51 pm |
Never tried putting my cyclamen in the ground like that (not that I have any) but it is so very pretty. A favourite flower of mine. I too don’t like the cold and use my gas heater as it warms up the place much quicker. Helps to close the windows.
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June 4, 2020 at 1:54 am |
Cyclamen like cold climate and in Sydney we never succeeded in growing them outside.
I can’t imagine cold in Perth but I remember Sydney getting cold especially when living in Revesby. My dad had to defrost the windows of his car.
Here in the Southern Highlands I feel like keeping the heaters on day and night. perhaps after the installation of solar I will end up doing that.
I am now sleeping under such a pack of doonas they end up flatten my feet and crush my toes that wake me up.
Of course sleeping with another person ( a soft one) would help and be nice, but that is still some time off.
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June 6, 2020 at 11:18 pm |
Metaphor…:
“. . . And ponder I, why ‘tis always encouraged,
That we pluck the prettiest flowers,
But leave the weeds to flourish..
On this island Earth.”
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June 7, 2020 at 11:50 pm |
Nice poem, Jo.
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June 9, 2020 at 4:37 am |
The cyclamen is very pretty. It looks as if your weather and soil is to its liking. I have never tried to grow what we call house plants. I am pretty sure Texas weather is not conducive to growing what is sold in the florist shops here in the states. It sounds as if Australia is doing much better about distancing folks than where I live. I have been told that almost no one wears a mask and at Walmart folks go about shopping as if nothing has changed. Americans are spoiled
.
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