Being Ready to See

“The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend”

 — Henri Bergson, French philosopher

I found an imperfection in the glass of this window, which gives the plant beyond a strange form.

Patterns and Textures

Patterns and textures of the English countryside

Pollen Mantle

 

Pollen daubs the shore

Coating tree stumps, plants and rocks

Leaving a scum line

An Almost Disastrous Day

Why do some days seem disastrous, near disasters, and others seem totally uneventful, mild even? Last week I heard and watched a dead tree fall into the water where I had been in my kayak not five minutes before! That sure as heck felt like a close shave.

Then, once home, I couldn't find my wallet after my solo kayak excursion, and searched for almost 2 hours, both in and around the house, as well as driving back to my kayak launching spot and combing the area, to no avail. There was absolutely no sign of it having dropped out at the beach, and I had walked the beach path twice after exiting the lake anyway, so it couldn't have been there. So, was it time to cancel credit cards before someone else found it, and begin reapplying for a driver's license?

I recalled pulling my wallet from my pocketbook before I set off that morning, but I had no memory of it after that. I got so tired of searching through the same locations over and over again without any luck, as I retraced my steps through the house, scouring the same spots as if I might suddenly find it, that I was really beginning to lose my cool. I'd NEVER misplaced a wallet before, so didn't know what to do! So I finally decided to start on one side of the house and work my way around it systematically, from right to left, whether I recalled having been there or not that morning. I came across it sitting innocently on my sideboard, next to the fruit bowl where I'd placed it when I removed a banana from the bunch to take with me. I took the banana but not my wallet. Argh! It was 2 hours of perplexing worry.

Then at dinnertime, I managed to spill a crock of sauerkraut all over the table in a disastrous carambolage of spills - what a smelly mess it made! The towels I used to wipe it up stank out the laundry room with a smell of methane until I got round to washing them.

Oh, and that wasn't the end of the day - I was soaking my fingernails in a bowl of warm water while I watched TV to try and relieve the discomfort from a sliver up my nail, when I nodded off and spilt water all over myself. It was a shocking way to wake up, that's for sure!

Honestly! How can so many near-disasters happen in one day?

A Solemn Reminder, June 19

It took 135 years for the U.S. to acknowledge and recognize a SECOND day of Independence for some people in our country, who became independent (emancipated, freed) citizens a full 100 years after the rest!

Let's not go backwards ...

Spider Mystery

These spidery remains were floating on the surface of the water, making the creature look a lot more scary than a live one! I suspect its body has been opened up and folded open, making it look a lot longer.

Here is what a live one looks like - the amazing dimples each leg makes was a joy to see. I was impressed at how beautifully these surface perturbations were captured by my phone.

New Oak

This beautifully dangling inflorescence is a shrub oak (Quercus ilicifolia), which I think would make the most amazingly delicate and elegant earrings, made in silver of course!

This shrub is also known as bear oak, as it seems that only bears will eat its bitter acorns.

Its leaves are pretty oak-y, it grows to the height of a shrub, not a tree, usually in disturbed sites. This one was growing along the road edge.

Spring Bells

Virginia bluebells

Emerge from pleated pink buds

Carillon of bells

Breakfast at Dale's

Okay, so it's not Tiffany's, but where else can you get 2 red squirrels dining with you? So touching ...

We missed these sweet visitors while we were away, though a kind neighbor came to feed them regularly.  We've only had one at a time since we returned.

Five Years

I'm celebrating 5 years of blogging! I started during COVID with a photo of a non-native rose (which is still going strong after giving it to a dear friend), which reminded me of my Mom.

Interestingly, my currently flowering native Virginia raspberry (Rubus odoratus) is almost the same color as that rose. I adore this gorgeous plant.

Here is my first ever post: 
Roses always remind me of my Mom. Though I'm not particularly fond of cultivated flowers, it's the association with her that makes them notable. This one was left behind by the previous homeowner, and now lives in a pot since it doesn't fit in with my Natives-Only garden theme.

I love the pollen dust on the petals!

Creeping Creeper

Virginia creeper

Leafing out in brown and rust

Tinged with green edges

Nature's Pearls

I don't know which I'm drawn to more - the exquisite green folds and textures

Or the glistening drops of perfection

Catbird Fatality

I'm back on the water! Sheesh! I've already had one tick bite since I got home, and 2 unattached ones looking for an opportunity - at least the lake is safe ...

I came across a gray catbird in the water whilst out kayaking, and though it was no longer alive, its beautiful feather patterns and coloration begged to be admired. Look at the delicate gradations of texture and color up close - so amazing!

It has the most amazingly elegant legs and claws, too.

Velvet Hearts

Silky wild ginger

With blooms inconspicuous

In the leafstalk crotch

Impressions

I'm no longer physically in England or Holland, but my mind is still there, despite a 12 hour sleep in my own time zone! I'm so energized and excited by my travels that I feel as if I'm singing "The hills are alive, with the sound of music ..." (as in this photo of me enjoying a mossy wall at a waterfall).

Photo: P. Broderick

We came home to a very overgrown yard, dock pieces floating off in high water, laundry, suitcases to unpack, reviews to be written and an untidy home, but it's been well worthwhile to have reconnected with friends and family.

Some general things we noticed that stood out:

- milk products are exceptionally, deliciously creamy (higher fat content) - YUM!

- a trash can cleaning service (extra) was available to paying customers, who wished to have their rubbish bins washed out on the curb after pick-up. 

- double on- and off- ramps (slip roads) to help traffic flow and merging.

- toilet doors opening outwards away from 'the throne' enclosure, and doors reaching all the way to the floor (feels way more private).

- the sandwiches we made used 'bog common' cheddar, and it was still way nicer than what we call cheddar in the U.S.

- in Holland, there are multiple small grocery stores one can walk to from one's home

- there are hobbits in some areas of England

Photo: P. Broderick

- Dutch people are friendly and greet each other in passing in the street and on trails, English people do not (they look away or down as they pass). 

Britannia rocks - these are my souvenirs of a wonderful trip

that has sadly come to an end ...

Back to Reality

We had an early start to reach Amsterdam's Schiphol airport for our flight to Boston. I kept falling asleep during the 1.5 hour car ride to the airport.

The airport was pretty empty when we first arrived

This is an extremely well organized and clean airport, and as an added bonus, everybody understands English! My heart went out to an elderly Chinese man whose travel bag disappeared when he went to use the restroom. He kept smacking himself on his cheeks and gripping his head as he continuously went back and forth to the same spot over and over again - it was still not there! Airport personnel were trying to help him locate it, but also emphasized that one should never leave a bag unattended for security reasons, anyway. We suggested that maybe he had taken it to the bathroom and left it there by mistake (i.e. had they also looked there?), but the assisting staff member explained that it was a regular thing at an airport and didn't seem quite as concerned as we were. It wasn't resolved when we boarded.

I'm so appreciative of the efficient and obvious way allergens are listed on the airline meals - my first choice of meal listed soy as an ingredient, but thankfully the vegetarian option was soy free, AND ... (drumroll) ... so was the delicious serving of Tiramisu.

I nodded off again whilst watching a documentary, which I was enjoying! Poor Dale was too scrunched to be able to find any sleeping position.

Boston  - on the home stretch 

Passport control was quick and easy for us - feeling fortunate I'm not in a questionable category ...

A bus- and car-ride followed, as well as a quick stop in the grocery store before we reached our own paradise.

Thanks for following along with us - the adventures are over, but the memories will last.

Retracing Our Steps

We have reached our last day in fair Britannia ☹️

What a delicious spread we had for breakfast! Ooh, yum - we had trouble choosing between Weetabix, fresh strawberries, cream, lemon curd yogurt, bacon and eggs. We had to decline the toast due to being satiated. 

It's hard to focus on the present when scheduled travel is imminent: packing and weighing bags, checking in for flights, keeping track of passports, etc preoccupy one's thoughts. So we simply sat and chatted after we had shopped for a few more nostalgic treats - Peppermint Crisp, fruit dainties and yet more Crunchies

And then, more delectable food - steak rolls for lunch! Thanks, Craig, they were.

Leaving these beautiful pastoral scenes behind is hard

Heavy rain pummeled us en route to Stansted, but thankfully it didn't have repercussions or cause delays. I think it was the heaviest rain we'd experienced in England. Dinner was snacks of cold cuts, crisps, apples and ... chocolate at the Stansted airport before flying to Eindhoven.

All plans and connections went smoothly, and before we knew it, we were having Espresso martinis with Hein on our final night in Holland.

From Hedgerows to Open Fields

We set off early from Cornwall to return our car to Cambridge, so the day was a series of interchanges, motorways, slip roads and traffic, but no major setbacks. 

As we moved west, the landscape opened out and it was easier to see fields and barns without the tall hedgerows blocking our view.

 

The rest stop was well appointed and super busy, but we were able to find seating and a table to eat our picnic fare, which was topped off with my absolute favorite chocolate bar: a Crunchie.

Sorting of waste and recycling at the rest stop

We racked up just under 1,000 miles in the week we drove around - not bad. When Craig fetched us from the Europcar drop-off, he very kindly took us to parts of Cambridge we had not yet seen. 

Here are some of the drive-by sights:

Frontage of our Lady of the Assumption and English Martyrs Catholic church

Reality Checkpoint in Parker's Piece - the lamppost to the right of the Ferris wheel is said to represent the separation between academia and the real world.

Beautiful sculpture outside the Scott Polar Research Institute

Our day ended with a fresh garden salad and pizza with Craig and Sue - awesome!