Once upon a time people used to write letters on paper and stick stamps on them and entrust them to the postman to deliver – which surprisingly often they did. happily we have more efficient ways to communicate today. This may end up in a museum – one of Her Majesty’s post boxes on a road corner in southern England.
I usually cringe at the sight of neon-bright “parks floral arrangements” but in mid summer it works quite well in front of the town’s Fritz Farm community centre.
A few days ago we saw the passage through this area of what started down in the Carolinas as a Tropical Cyclone – bringing high winds and prolonged and torrential rain. The next day, a friend (professional French Hornist) was in the town bandstand rehearsing with colleagues. Added to our morning constitutional.
When people fell trees and then chip them to make the place look tidy they lose the opportunity to leave a beautiful mossy log to decay and provide habitat for fungi and insects and the small creatures that eat them.
They look nice too.
As you can tell form the name, this attractive butterfly did not evolve on this continent. In fact they appeared first about ten years ago at Mirabel Airport a half hour’s drive north of Montreal (so presumably hitched a ride) and seem to like it hereabouts, First seen our garden three or four years ago and caused much confusion until we found about the above as it doesn’t “quite” match any of the small, blue natives. Doesn’t seem to be causing any trouble.
Fans of the Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy will be familiar with the lorry-driving rain god and his 92 words for types of rain constantly poured on his head by all the clouds that simply “wanted to water him”. This was the rain type known as heavy blatter.
Quite something.
Very stormy and wet day so we passed much of it watching the garden and between rainy blatter periods mother raccoon and four youngsters paraded from one patch of vegetation across the pond and into the trees. Always takes time to grab the camera so this is kid number four.
In England four summers ago we visited, with friends, a small garden that was open one evening to raise money for a good cause – this is quite a thing in England. In an otherwise empty “garden room” we chanced upon this delightful seat for the weary gardener. “A large gin and tonic if you please”.
Each year at about this time we look out for the appearance of this exceptionally beautiful spider in the garden. He is quite large and colourful and sports a distinctive “zipper” on his/her web.
We have been joined this week by a new under-gardener by name of Bernie. His duties include keeping an eye on the front garden and inviting very small people to join him on his bench to take selfies.