Wednesday, May 15, 2024

An Apple, a Flood


Here's another curious thing I encountered on my excursion into the city on Sunday. I'm not sure if you can see what's going on in this photo, but water was pouring out of the ceiling onto the train platform at the Baker Street tube station. The transport workers had set up some sandbags to catch the spill and direct it down the platform, but it was still quite a mess. I've never seen anything like this before that I can recall. Apparently Thames Water has begun a project to upgrade the Victorian water mains outside the tube station, and I wonder if this leak was somehow related to that work.

So what else has been going on around here?

Well, I tried to see the aurora borealis over the weekend, but I didn't get a hint of anything in the sky over London. Maybe I was out at the wrong time, but I suspect there's actually just too much light pollution. I even tried the point-your-iPhone-at-the-sky trick and it did nothing. I just got gray.

Olga was feeling poorly yesterday and we're not sure why. She wouldn't eat a treat or her dinner, her stomach was gurgling and she was eating a lot of grass. She gets like this sometimes, and we've found that if we can just get a smidgen of food into her, it settles her stomach and her appetite returns in short order. So we got take-out burgers for dinner, and I gave Olga part of my meat patty. She ate it, and sure enough she ate most of her can of food soon afterwards. We'll see how she fares today.*


Apropos of nothing, here's an old photo my dad took of me and my brother at our grandparents' house in Hyattsville, Md. This was probably 1972 or so, which means I would have been five and my brother would have been about two. I'm sitting on the bucket holding up an apple from my grandparents' apple tree. I was reminded of this photo when I opened a frame and found it beneath the photo that was on display. I switched it out so this one is now in the frame. My brother looks puzzled, doesn't he?

*Late addendum: Olga ate normally this morning and walked her regular route, and had a treat afterwards. So she seems OK today!

26 comments:

River said...

That's a lovely photo. Your brother might be thinking "where is my apple?"
No aurora for me, I'm too close to the city, it needs to be viewed at horizon level and I am surrounded by buildings and trees.

Moving with Mitchell said...

That photo is wonderful. You haven’t changed a bit! Both adorable.

Sue in Suffolk said...

The pouring water looks very close to electric lighting - not a good mix!
Good photo.

Sabine said...

Well, you haven't changed much Steve. What a nice photo.

Andrew said...

Humans have off days, and I suppose dogs might too.

What a cool photo of you at such a young age. The gayness doesn't seem evident in the photo.

I tried to see the southern lights from here but I couldn't and its the same as you face, the city environs are too well lit.

Pixie said...

You haven't changed at all, and you and your brother look a lot alike.

Bob said...

We live in a rural area but I only caught glimmers of the lights ...

I love the photo of the Tube Station waterfall, though I imagine navigating that area at peak times is a mess.

Glad Olga is feeling better; we have the same issue with our animals from time to time, and sometimes a little extra treat of something unusual gets them back on track.

Boud said...

I'd have known you from the photo! Amazing how little you've changed, well, taller, grown up clothes, but aside from that. Your brother is clearly wondering about his brother waving apples about!

Ed said...

After my grandmother died last year, I inherited a lot of framed pictures and went back and forth debating on what to do with them. I finally decided to take the pictures out of the ones I didn't want to display and sell/give away the frames. When I opened up the first frame, I discovered that my grandmother had simply printed off new pictures periodically and put them in front of the old ones leaving sort of a photo album of sorts, with each and every frame. It was so fun to look back through all those photos, which were generally themed by person.

Ms. Moon said...

That water-pouring picture is pretty darn dramatic. Good shot!
And oh, that picture of you and your brother! You were such a sweet little boy. Your brother does look puzzled.
Glad Olga's better. You know your dog!

The Bug said...

You and your brother are ADORABLE. I have a bucket picture too, but I was about three and I was IN the bucket. Ha!

Sharon said...

That's such a great photo. I'm glad you gave it the top position in the frame.
I was wondering if you saw any of the northern lights. Apparently some people saw them here in Arizona. I have to admit, I question that in spite of seeing a couple of photos. We know all too well that photos can be manipulated.
That water at the tube station is troubling. I hope they get it fixed soon.

Ellen D. said...

I like that sweet photo of you and your brother. You resemble each other. I think you look just like you do now!

Red said...

Lots of interesting stuff in this old photo. bare feet, light on your fore head. Holding up the apple is cute. I'll bet you picked the apple yourself.

ellen abbott said...

apparently the aurora was visible way down here but it was overcast both nights so I didn't even bother to look. glad Olga is feeling better.

Kelly said...

I think they sometimes eat something they shouldn't (like a bug) and it messes up their system. I'm glad Olga is back to her normal self now.

Tasker Dunham said...

That's a great photograph. Your brother is of an age where everything is a puzzle.

Margaret said...

I wish dogs and cats could tell us how they're feeling. Yesterday Mari threw up several times and I was concerned because she's looking skinny again. Today she's fine.

Susan said...

My dog gets boiled rice when his stomach is upset and it works like a charm every time. I'm glad Olga is eating normally again. We definitely know when our pets are having an off day. That's an adorable photo of you and your brother.

Colette said...

That's a very sweet picture.

Jennifer said...

You look just like yourself in that picture! :)

John Going Gently said...

You HAVENT changed x

Catalyst said...

Maybe Olga needs one of those apples.

re the Baker Street flooding: Call Holmes, Sherlock Holmes!

Allison said...

Glad Olga is feeling better. A dog that won't eat is not a happy camper.

Jeanie said...

I could have sworn I commented on this and said you had the same great smile. That photo is a treasure and I'm glad it's now front and center in the frame.

Steve Reed said...

River: Oh, maybe that was my issue too. Most of the sky I see is overhead.

Mitchell: Ha! Well I think I've changed, but it's funny that so many people still recognize me in that face.

Sue: I KNOW! It looked dangerous to me!

Sabine: I'm a bit bigger now for sure. :)

Andrew: Oh, c'mon, those little overall shorts? They're pretty gay! LOL

Pixie: We DO look a lot alike. Whenever we go places together people say, "You must be brothers!"

Bob: I guess they get nauseous just like people!

Boud: He seems more intrigued by Dad behind the camera.

Ed: It's not a bad way to store photos. These pictures are very large -- 11x17, I think? So keeping them in the frame is the best option.

Ms Moon: She just forgets to eat. She's a mess.

Bug: Ha! Surprisingly, I don't have a picture where I'm IN a bucket. Seems like most kids do!

Sharon: Apparently even in areas where they were dim to the naked eye, they were revealed by the iPhone's light-sensitive camera.

Ellen D: We do look alike. He's much hairier now!

Red: Actually, it was probably a windfall apple. We used to go up and pick them all up so they wouldn't rot in the grass.

Ellen: I'm not too broken up about not seeing it.

Kelly: Definitely. Here it's more likely to be street trash (even though I try to keep her from eating that) and she also drinks from the bird bath, which gets pretty filthy.

Tasker: Still trying to figure out the world!

Margaret: ME TOO! I would love to be able to ask Olga about a few things.

Susan: I'm not sure Olga would eat rice. I haven't tried that. We've found if we just give her a small bit of meat she'll usually come around.

Colette: I was very pleased to find it!

Jennifer: I still have that expression in pictures! LOL

John: Well, I've lost some hair, not that you can really tell. :)

Catalyst: "Elementary, my dear Watson! It's the water main!"

Allison: Yeah, not eating is never a good sign.

Jeanie: I don't know why your comment didn't go through! For once, it's not in spam. Anyway, thanks for being persistent. :)