I snapped this picture as I left school yesterday afternoon, headed to a pub with Dave and a colleague. The peak of spring! That apartment building behind the trees is the same one I showed at the very beginning of my walking-home video a few weeks ago.
And we are now on Spring Break! Woo hoo! I sort of let it creep up on me, partly because I don't have any big plans. I'm going to hang out with the dog while Dave flies back to the states to work with his sister on clearing out his parents' Michigan house. The parents themselves are staying in Florida and will be advising from afar. I would help them except someone needs to stay with Olga.
Dave is leaving Sunday. Today we have plans to see our friends Sally and Mike, because I have to have Sally sign one of our referee forms for our citizenship application. If I'd known I had to get a physical signature on a piece of paper I'd have chosen someone closer -- Sally and Mike live down in Charlton, which is the other side of the city from us! We surely know several hundred British people between here and there. But I wanted to have at least one referee who wasn't associated with the school and Sally is a good choice in that respect.
This whole process seems a bit retro. We had to get passport photos taken, and I'm to write our names and birth dates on the back of the photos before gluing them to the forms for Sally to sign, one form for each of us. My question, of course, is how will the Home Office know I've written our names on the back of the pictures if they're glued to a form? But that's what the directions say to do, even specifying that I am to use glue -- so that's what I'm doing.
This is a courtyard outside the Lower School library. As I stand at the desk checking books in or out, this is my view. That windowsill used to be covered with potted plants but they've all been removed -- I think they got too messy.
Speaking of which, I brought home one of the library Thanksgiving cactuses that seems to be suffering. It has mealybugs and needs some TLC. Another Spring Break project! I also need to get our dahlias out of the shed and get them going. I want to repot them all in fresh soil.
Dave and I have noticed that we have almost no squirrels this spring. I have no idea why that is. We usually have plenty of them, crashing through the trees, digging up our plants and eating the neighbor's camellias, but I've only seen a few scattered individuals here and there. I wonder if wandering local cats have done them in? Or has a neighbor been waging a squirrel purge? Our squirrels are the invasive gray variety, and killing them is not only legal but sometimes encouraged -- the law only says it must be done humanely. Who knows?
This is the time when every tree that has pink flowers displays them in all their beauty, even here. There are no squirrels here, not even one. There are many hedgehogs, recently they warn here that hedgehogs suffer from obesity because they come out at night to eat the cats' food, and it is true, I saw it with my own eyes.
ReplyDeleteObese hedgehogs! Talk about a modern problem. I'm surprised you have no squirrels -- they're so adaptable.
DeleteNo grey squirrels - I wish we could say the same here. On the edge of red squirrel territory, we could use anything that would get rid of the greys to allow the reds to thrive. Plenty of cats too, enough to cause our neighbour to install a high-tech ultrasonic scarer that fortunately seems to be working.
ReplyDeleteYeah, we have no reds at all down here, so there's no danger of driving them out. It's already been done, if they were ever here at all.
DeleteOh, and good tip on the "ultrasonic scarer"! I have more cats wandering around here than I would like.
DeleteThat's a real explosion of blossoms in the first picture! I like that little courtyard which is your daily view.
ReplyDeleteOur school is a very pleasant environment overall, I must say.
DeleteI would not lament the reduction of grey squirrels. They are a danger to the house if they get in the roof and they are a pest. Please be aware of British pests if you are to be a British citizen.
ReplyDeleteThey're pests in the USA too, or can be if, as you say, they invade a building. I once lived in an apartment in Florida where I had squirrels in the ceiling. Bats too!
DeleteYour squirrels must have moved North....there are plenty around here! The dog is desperate to be able to climb trees! I like your courtyard view. Who looks after the planting?
ReplyDeleteIt's very strange. We used to have hordes of them! We have maintenance staff who care for the exterior plants.
DeleteYou have a nice view from your desk, looks very spring like.
ReplyDeleteI cannot remember how many bird feeders were destroyed by squirrels where we lived or as they are known by many ' rats with bushy tails!'
They are basically rats, that's true. I have some feeders now that are pretty darn near squirrel proof.
DeleteHow strange about the photographs. When submitting our passport renewals we are asked to submit two photos with those details written on the back...one to be glued to the form and the other loose and enclosed with it, presumably so that the details can be read.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, just be thankful those pesky squirrels are not around. Tree rats!
Well, I do have spare photos so if they want a separate one I can provide it at our biometric meeting, but there's no mention of that. If we order a passport we'll need more, I'm sure.
DeleteThe first shot is really an epic view. The lush red and varying pink are addictive
ReplyDeleteIt is an especially lush display!
DeleteThat view of the tulips is beautiful as are the flowering trees!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I enjoy those tulips and the shadows cast by the Japanese maple.
DeleteYou have a very pleasant working environment. It makes such a difference to one's attitude to work.
ReplyDeleteI know grey squirrels are a pest, but I love seeing them dashing through trees and up and down the trunks. I like hearing them chittering when they're cross, too.
I work in two libraries within the school. The picture above shows the view from the Lower School library, but I'm usually at my desk upstairs in the main library, where I have an equally pleasant view of plants and windows. I'm lucky in that respect!
DeleteOh dear - with your personal chef enjoying fun and games in Michigan - you will need to fend for yourself on the food front - but at least there'll be far less washing up to do!
ReplyDeleteDid Cruella Deville order the removal of the library's potted plants? Perhaps it was a housekeeping idea she picked up at a conference.
Actually, I'm not sure who pulled the plug on the plants -- no one associated with the library because we have plenty of plants upstairs in the main library space.
DeleteThat's a nice view.
ReplyDeleteIf I could send you some of our squirrels I would; we always have a lot dashing through the yard and up the trees!
Olga would LOVE that!
DeleteWe've had the occasional year when we saw almost no squirrels, too. But they're baaack, they always come back. I've had them in the roof, what a performance getting them to leave.
ReplyDeleteThat school is posh!
Yeah, I've had that problem too. It's a nightmare.
DeleteA soon to be Englishman goes to a pub. Nothing remarkable about that.
ReplyDeleteSome tourists get so excited by seeing squirrels in London, that they take photos thinking they are they are the first to ever do so, before discovering a gazillion photos are online taken by tourists visiting London. What me?
But I wonder about the shortage of squirrels? A hard bop on the head of a grey squirrel could be considered humane.
Your citizen application seems to be somewhat and surprisingly primitive.
I have seen squirrels literally climbing the bodies of tourists in St. James' Park to get at food. Quite a spectacle!
DeleteHope you have a nice relaxing break with Olga. Many walks? Garden adventures? Hope the weather is nice and you can get out and about to take lots of photos for us.
ReplyDeleteI like the pics in this post - so lovely!
We will certainly spend time in the garden and walk some too, though our walks are not very far-ranging these days.
DeleteThose Japanese magnolias are magnificent.
ReplyDeleteI can send you some squirrels. We have extras.
Did they even tell you what KIND of glue to use? How bizarre.
Spring break! Hurray!
No mention of the kind of glue. I used Super Glue, but in my defense, they never specified!
DeleteChatlton, Sarah and Andy and the cats live there- nice area- interesting walks! Olga is glad that you are going to stay with her , what a treat!
ReplyDeleteIt is a great area! We have co-workers who live there and commute every morning to St. John's Wood. It's a straight shot on the Jubilee Line but still kind of a haul.
DeletePerhaps you should recheck the directions for your pictures ... or ... do as JayCee stated: take 2 pics of you and Dave, glue one, write on the back of the other one!
ReplyDeleteI followed the instructions to the letter, but as I said to Jaycee, I have spares so if they want another photo I can provide it at our meeting.
DeleteEnjoy your break.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI wonder where the squirrels went?? 🤔
ReplyDeleteI do too. It really is a mystery.
DeleteThat is odd that you are instructed to put your name and birth date on the back of a photo and then glue it to a piece of paper. Maybe they want to see if you will follow directions even when they don't make sense.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of making sense, David Brooks had an interesting opinion piece in the NY Times yesterday about how low levels of reading lead to low levels of reasoning which lead to you know who in the White House. I'm glad I've been a reader.
Well, I did follow the instructions, as peculiar as they seemed! I'll look for that Brooks piece.
DeleteSeveral years ago we had a pretty severe drought and it was during those three or so years when no one got any pecans and so the squirrels dined on the inner bark of my two gingko trees. I thought they were going to die but this year they are really full. Anyway, the next couple of years we had almost no squirrels. I don't know if the died, moved on, or failed to reproduce but this year I'm seeing more than the previous years. Now I set out peanuts and cracked corn so they won't attack my gingko trees again.
ReplyDeleteI imagine during a hard year they probably don't have many babies, and squirrel death rates are probably naturally pretty high. But we haven't had a drought here!
DeleteYou can understand why cherry blossom time is celebrated in Japan.
ReplyDeleteIf you weren't a librarian, you'd be a gardener!
I'm not sure I'd want to work someone else's garden, though. Part of the fun of gardening is doing what I want and watching the progress. If someone else ordered me to kill a plant, for example, I'd probably fight them on it!
DeleteThe squirrel population seems high sometimes and then lowers significantly. This year, like you, I've seen very few squirrels. I do see more hawks and they might be reducing the population.
ReplyDeleteYour view of the patio and all the flowering tulips makes a great workspace. The glass wall does a nice job bringing the outside inside.
You are making good progress on your paperwork. How odd! Sign the back of the photo and glue it in place. Does someone have to steam off the photo to check for signatures? You have to laugh.
I guess there are natural fluctuations. They won't steam this photo off -- I used Super Glue!
DeleteThis spring the local squirrel congregation has grown, as have the butterflies and we spotted two one-legged blackbirds, both male. And we are experiencing drought, it's official. Maybe it was always somehwat weird and I hadn't noticed.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy what you get, have a pleasant spring break.
Odd about the blackbirds. Urban birds have a tough life, I think!
DeleteNow, that's a great view for a workplace! Wish I could send you some of ours -- every day I smooth over where they have dug in my spinach and lettuce seeds (which have a grate over them, no less. Every day I have to do it again.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I'm not sure where Dave's family is or if he needs a break but if he does, please tell him he's welcome here. We'll feed him well before sending him back to continue that big job of closing out.
That is very kind! I'll let Dave know! He's going to be in Brownstown, southwest of Detroit.
DeleteThat's a nice view! My view is down the hallway as yet another employee comes to see me. I think it's hilarious that I'm "not a people person" yet I'm the person in the office who gets the most people traffic. I might have to change my tune.
ReplyDeleteAt least you can see who's coming and prepare yourself!
DeleteSpring break, yes! About the squirrels, am I remembering right, or not, that you had some trees trimmed radically? Now I'm not sure. But if so, their nest might have been destroyed. Does the government spell out how to humanely kill the squirrels? Lovely photo there. Is Dave worried about travel to the U.S. ... or getting back out? So many questions!
ReplyDeleteWe did have some trees trimmed, but I specifically did NOT trim them radically in order to preserve the squirrels' habitat. That's what's so odd! That's OK, the birds still enjoy them. Dave is a US citizen on a US passport so he shouldn't have any trouble, I don't think.
DeleteI love those blooming trees and their different colors! I don't think we have gray squirrels...yet. I hope you have a productive, yet relaxing spring break.
ReplyDeleteI thought they were everywhere in the USA! But maybe they haven't figured out how to cross the deserts and prairies?
Delete