It spoke to me

Not literally of course – it’s a leaf.

It said simply “pick me”. Of the myriad sticks, stones, mundane oddments and other leaves I was passing, this one item alone spoke.

Autumn has yet to arrive, but this leaf along with a few others had lost its anchor and fallen to Earth already.

Not quite perfect. Slightly asymmetrical even. Beautiful nevertheless. Peach-tinted rather than simple red. A little bruised from its exciting voyage through life, but far from broken by the experience.

I wanted to know it better; understand its inner workings; figure out why it had the power today to stop me mid-stride and say “pick me”.

So I did.

Salted away for later

I know it’s not my birthday yet, but…

So if you’ve got €125 burning a hole in your pocket and you’re feeling like making an elephant very happy, I have JUST the thing for you…

Orée Board Maple | Orée

It reminds me of that film with Robin Williams – The Final Cut. Interesting story idea, and I just loved the wooden hi-tech. Such sumptuous styling. Not to be mixed up with the awesome album by Pink Floyd, with its Falklands-inspired anti-war songs.

The Rain in Spain

… is completely irrelevant. The rain in White Rock however is somewhat persistent. As in “It’s persistenting it down outside”. People have started referring to Junuary, it’s been that wet.

Now call me odd (many do!), but I love the rain. Ignoring all the obvious stuff like the cheap hydro it offers us, and the cycle of life and all that gubbins, it’s such a sensuous thing to experience. I just got back from walking the chien. She looks like a drowned rat, but gives me hopeful looks every time I go near the coat rack… just in case there’s chance of a rerun. The rain makes the more normal folks stay indoors, so I get to experience the parks pretty much on my own. It’s a calming experience. The dog came to a complete halt at one corner, and I was forced to call Mrs E to ask advice. It turns out that I’d happened to arrive at a portion of the route she herself takes the dog every morning (I’d extended my walk to enjoy more of the rain and the solitude it offers, and taken a random turn.) The dog was basically refusing to deviate from the route she expects once at that point. As soon as I hit the crossing button and headed over the road she happily trotted along. It’s a pure coincidence that’s my dog is female. Just sayin’.

First-born, currently at Waterloo, was complaining of the “million degree heat” currently there. Mrs E offered no sympathy, as she herself does not enjoy the wet and cooler temperatures we’re currently experiencing. “Well, you do live in a temperate rainforest” came the over-educated but ultimately unhelpful response from across the country.

Meanwhile I was having a whale of a time. As the rains eased off, the colours seemed more vibrant. The lack of people made me aware of more of the nature I was passing. When the rain stopped altogether, the duck ponds were mirror flat, like they’d been pounded smooth by all the raindrops hitting them. Then the swallows (not sure of the airspeed velocity) came out in force. They were feasting on the mosquitoes hovering low over the water. Probably only moments old. They’re an amazing bird. Swooping and darting at breakneck speed. And now the sun is out and the concrete is steaming.

I love BC.

The coveted “pacman maple”: get the cherries, get the cherries!

Strawberries. Wild? They were livid!

Red red rain. This maple was sending its seeds to doom on the rocky gravel.

Salmon berries. Such a sweet delight.

Does the fur coat keep you dry Mr Caterpillar?