King Zack Stands Deprived

Another day, another butterfly! This comma showed up on our buddleia yesterday afternoon, flashing bright orange as it fluttered through the air. I love how nature seems to color-coordinate both the comma and the peacock (see yesterday's post) with the flowers they feed on.

So much happened yesterday I'm not even sure where to start. Let's go with Olga first -- we took her to the vet, and despite her recent dizzy spells she got a pretty clean bill of health. She weighs 23.4 kilos, which is normal. The vet said her heart and lungs sound good and she looked in Olga's nose and mouth and palpated her abdomen and saw no sign of abnormality, beyond all of Olga's regular lumps and bumps. She has a lot of lumps and bumps, as many old dogs and particularly bulldog breeds do, and the vet said there's no way to know what they are without biopsies -- and honestly there are so many of them it would break the bank and cause the dog no end of misery to try to biopsy them all. But she said that none of them felt worrying. I think they're all benign lipomas and other harmless growths, so we'll just take our cues from Olga and how she feels overall. As long as she's eating and enjoying life, no need to meddle with all of that.

We did get a prescription for a medicine that's supposed to help dilate blood vessels in her brain, perhaps increasing blood flow and reducing dizziness. We'll see how that goes. Unfortunately vestibular disease, if that is in fact what's going on here, is not something that can be cured -- it has to subside on its own.

As if to prove to us she's fine and more veterinary attention isn't warranted, Olga took me on a walk of the high street afterwards, which is more of a walk than she's managed since our return from Pevensey. She seemed to enjoy it. Lots of sniffing.

I also did a ton of stuff around the house. I cleaned the entire kitchen counter, back in the corners and under the microwave, and now it's sparkly white. I cleaned the windowsill and the exposed shelving. And Dave and I went through the spice cabinet and threw away some old spices that we've had for ages -- like ginger and tarragon that expired in 2014. It felt good to get all that stuff out of there.

Then I went out and weeded the patio (above). I didn't really mean to do the whole thing, but I got started on one flower pot and it just snowballed from there. Now, I know you're going to say, "But I still see weeds!" Yes, I left behind the coltsfoot and the lady's mantle growing between the paving stones because I like them.

Our patio is still ridiculously crowded. I think we need to reorganize some things. I have vague plans to put a new cafe table and chairs out there but at the moment I'm not sure they'd fit!

I also weeded and swept the side return. Similar story -- I left behind the campanula and the St. John's wort, which I and the insects enjoy. But the campanula is greatly reduced in size and spread. I filled a whole yard waste bag with weeds and swept-up leaves and debris from these two areas.

There were other small things, like laundry, and I was busy for the better part of the day.

Oh! And I scheduled our citizenship ceremony. August 13 is the day we will join the ranks of His Majesty's subjects. That's the earliest option they gave us. Woo hoo!

The recent wind and rain broke a flower head off one of our hydrangeas, so Dave brought it inside. I told him, "Hey, that would be perfect for King Zack!" (Remember King Zack is a vase -- there's an opening in the top of his crown.) But Dave is not a fan of King Zack -- don't get me started -- so he insisted on putting it in a glass vase within view of King Zack, as if to taunt us both.

As for all that debris on the end table, well, this is a subject of endless debate. Dave likes to keep everything he might need within reach of his recliner, which means that tabletop is always crowded with junk. I like a clear surface and his collection of pharmaceuticals, vitamins, paperwork and loose pencils and pens makes me nuts. But hey -- marriage, right?

'The Goldbergs' and the Russians

Yesterday was calm and peaceful around here, for the most part. It rained in the morning and again, hard, in the afternoon -- which is great because the ground is as hard as baked clay. (Which is what it is, I suppose. It's raining now, too.) In between we had a burst of sunshine long enough for me to sit in the garden with a New Yorker, and for Olga to do some sunbathing. I watched this peacock butterfly (above) as it visited our buddleia and dusty miller plants.

I read an interesting article in The New Yorker about television pioneer Gertrude Berg. I don't think I'd ever heard of her, or her show "The Goldbergs," which was first on radio in 1929 and eventually moved to television in that medium's earliest days. "The Goldbergs" was a predecessor to "I Love Lucy," and its lead character, played by Berg, was immensely popular. But unlike "Lucy" it was never syndicated and many of its episodes have vanished into the ether, with some preserved only on kinescope.

I've long been interested in old TV shows so I'm surprised I didn't know of this one. But unless an old show was filmed and later syndicated for release as a repeat, I never saw it growing up. That's why shows like "I Love Lucy," "The Honeymooners," "Star Trek" and "Gilligan's Island" made a huge impression on me long after their initial runs, while I've barely ever seen other popular programs, like "Mission: Impossible" or "Honey West" or "The Man From UNCLE," that didn't become staples of syndicated TV in the '70s. (At least not where I lived.) "The Goldbergs," sadly, never had the benefit of syndication.

In other news, I found the real estate listing for the Russians' apartment. The one time I've been inside it was during the peak of their renovations, so it was interesting to flick through the photos and see how it looks now. I'm not surprised that it is pristine and pale. I am surprised at the rent they're asking -- Dave and I pay nowhere near that much, though granted, the Russians have an additional bedroom. I keep hearing about how crazy rents have become, and perhaps this is evidence. Food for thought any time we consider moving in the future.

Dave and I have scheduled a vet appointment for Olga this morning. She still seems a bit weak and off-balance after her "episode" last week and we just want to get her looked at. I think it's probably her vestibular disease flaring up again, in which case we may just have to wait for it to subside on its own. But we should have her ears and heart checked, at a bare minimum.

Here are some more blooming things in the garden -- the burdock (above with the bee) and the teasels. Some of our plants have been looking desperate, so once again, thank goodness for this rain!

Pride!

Yesterday was London's annual LGBTQ+ Pride parade, which I attended with my friend Chris from work. I haven't been to Pride in a couple of years -- not since 2022 -- so it was good to go back and get my dose of flamboyance and feathers!

Pride offers possibly the best photography opportunities of any event all year. Everyone's there to see and be seen, from the relatively understated...

...to the most elaborately costumed. This person had a whole Ukraine-themed thing going on which definitely wins points for creativity.

I took 528 pictures, of which I selected 77 for a closer look. Of those, you're getting nine (plus a video). So hopefully this is the crème de la crème.

As usual I was impressed with the diversity of the crowd and the participants. There were marchers of all ages, races, abilities and genders, marchers representing asylum seekers, gay Christian Africans, sports teams, corporations, theater productions, "dykes on bikes," you name it.

We had a bit of excitement when some pro-Palestinian protesters threw red paint on a truck and glued themselves to it, causing the parade to stop for about an hour. Chris and I didn't know what was going on -- only that there was a massive gap in parade activity. Fortunately there was plenty of fun people-watching to be done.

There were also several pro-Palestine and "two-state solution" contingents in the parade itself.

And of course the usual array of incredibly daring and clever and unusual outfits. The gays do know how to put on a show.

As I said, even the spectators were pretty entertaining.

There was also a lot of attention given to trans rights, following a controversial Supreme Court ruling in England earlier this year. (You can click the link for details of the ruling.)

We did see a few celebrities, including actress Vanessa Williams and singer/actor Olly Alexander, who stood within about a foot of me. (I didn't realize who he was until Chris pointed it out after he moved on.)

During another lengthy parade delay, we happened to be standing near the contingent from the Royal Navy, who at first were very military in their restrained presentation. An announcer nearby, desperate to create some entertainment while the parade stalled, put on the Village People's song "In the Navy," which got those sailors grooving. They followed that with a performance of "YMCA" (above).

Afterwards Chris and I made our way through Soho to a couple of the performance stages, ending our day in Trafalgar Square. The shot above shows the crowds in Old Compton Street, the center of gay life in London in years past.

Happy Pride, everyone!

Home Sweet Home

We are home again safely, thank goodness. Dave and I were really worried about putting Olga through that journey, given her unexpected infirmity during the week. But she stood up to it (or lay down, as the case may be) like a trooper. We had a bit of confusion when the Uber Pet showed up at our beach cabin and it turned out not to be an Uber Pet at all -- the guy said he couldn't take the dog. But we showed him the booking, which made it plain we needed a dog-friendly car, and he saw it through -- thank goodness, because we had a train to catch.

On the train people fawned over Olga as usual. The guy sitting across from us -- who cracked open a big can of beer at 10 a.m. -- was especially friendly. He did return my hat when I dropped it getting off the train, so I owe him for that.

The picture above was taken in a black cab on the way to our flat from Victoria Station. Olga pawed at her rolled-up bed until I opened it up so she could lie down. Dave and I both agreed that this is it for Olga and traveling. From now on, she stays home. I suspect she's fine with that.

As you can see, she was thrilled to get back to the garden and to her routines.

The garden fared pretty well during our absence. There was some wilting, which was to be expected given the very warm and dry week, and I think we may have lost a hanging basket of petunias. But the dahlias all seemed fine after a drink, as did Dave's tomato plant, which looked positively dessicated when we first saw it. A few hours and a long drink later it was back to normal.

After Dave watered all the potted plants, I mowed the grass, which as you can see above was looking pretty seedy and shaggy.

Here's some of what bloomed in our absence:

The Penstemon...

...the Inula...

...and the day lilies.

Dave belatedly realized that he left his noise-cancelling headphones plugged in and charging on the kitchen counter of the beach cabin, so now we have to try to get those back. It's always something. But still, a successful trip overall and thank goodness we're home sweet home.

Tech Bros, Nakedness and Overexertion

Well, here we are -- our last morning in Pevensey Bay. A few hours from now we'll be in an Uber to the train station and then on a direct train to London. I won't be sorry to get home to our own bed, and to water the garden, which I'm sure needs it desperately. We had a smattering of rain here on Wednesday but otherwise the weather has been sunny and clear, and if the same is true at home the plants must be parched.

The picture above was actually taken on Wednesday. Yesterday's sky didn't even have that many clouds in it.

I spent the morning reading one of my New Yorkers -- in particular an article about a political thinker named Curtis Yarvin who basically wants to jettison the USA's governmental system in favor of a single CEO-style strongman. He's apparently been an inspiration for Peter Thiel and some of the other Silicon Valley "tech bros." I won't rehash the article, which is here, but even though I've read about Yarvin before I found it eye-opening.

It struck me that some of these guys who are very into technology have simply spent too much time with machines, living in the simulated realities of video games and computer code. It's like the elements of their humanity involving empathy, compassion and cooperation have withered away for lack of sunlight and warmth. Surprisingly, Yarvin does cry at two points during the article's reporting -- once when gesturing toward some nearby homeless people and, by extension, the failures of our current government, and once when envisioning the future for his children. But those are virtually the only glimmers of emotion we see in him. Mostly he seems possessed of a (to me) menacing desire for control.

In the afternoon I took a long walk down the beach in the direction of Normans Bay. When we were here in December 2023 I walked in that direction, and as I remember I could only go so far -- eventually there was a barrier or channel that prevented my going further. I didn't find that this time, though, maybe because it was low tide. I did discover that Normans Bay beach seems to attract older naked guys. That was a surprise.

I just kept my head down and looked for interesting rocks.

(Incidentally, if you click back to that earlier post, you'll see my mention of the Royal Sovereign Lighthouse, which used to stand off the coast here and was being disassembled at that time. It's completely gone now.)

I came across a big flock of seagulls who all took off at my approach. See what I mean about the cloudless sky?!

In the afternoon, Olga and I sat out on the deck. I had a gin & tonic while she watched a handful of passing visitors. Just in the short time we've been here, Dave and I have seen the cast of local characters change a few times over, with people coming and going from surrounding houses. The one next to us has had three groups of occupants in the week we've been here. (Ours is rented by the week only.)

Oh, and by request, here's a selfie of me in my dashiki. I took the picture in Eastbourne right after I bought the shirt, in order to show it to Dave. It's not a very good picture of me -- I look like "The Old Man and the Sea," minus the sea -- but having the Queen's Hotel behind me was a happy accident!

Olga has had two wildlife encounters this morning, one with a fox and one with a cat. Both of them involved her streaking out onto the deck with her hackles up, and then collapsing with exhaustion immediately afterwards. I hope she gets through today's travels OK. She's had a lot of excitement this week.

A Short Survey and a Dashiki

I was feeling a bit of cabin fever yesterday morning, so I headed back to Eastbourne. This time I took a bus rather than walking the whole way. One of my readers asked why I would take a bus here rather than a taxi, and there are two reasons: one, it's obviously cheaper, and two, buses are a cultural experience. When you're on the bus, you're seeing parts of town that you might not otherwise see and you're getting a sense of the people who live and work there. I always feel like I learn a lot about places I visit when I take public transportation.

So, anyway, the No. 8 bus into Eastbourne basically starts its route right outside our front door. It let me off near the train station about an hour later.

I had no real agenda in town -- just a vague notion that I might visit some thrift shops, wander around and take some pictures. Which is what I did.

Near the Eastbourne pier I saw a gaggle of school kids, and three of them approached me with a clipboard. They asked if I'd take a survey, and I said sure. They then proceeded to ask me some very specific questions about the Eastbourne waterfront, like did I think the coastal barriers were adequate and why we might need better ones. I answered as best I could, but honestly, I have not given a lick of thought to Eastbourne's defenses against coastal erosion. It seemed like a funny thing to ask people on the street.

I did visit some thrift shops and found a groovy blue dashiki, which I bought (£7) and put on right away over my t-shirt (mostly for ease of carrying). I had a dashiki years ago which I used to wear and I think I gave it away as we were preparing to move to England. So now I have a replacement! I feel like it gives me a kind of Roy Ayers vibe.

I caught the bus back around noon, because I wanted to eat here -- we have food we need to consume before we go home tomorrow. I bought a couple of scones from a local bakery and brought them back as a special treat for Dave. I got off the bus about a half mile short of the house and walked the rest of the way on the beach for some more exercise.

Olga seems fine after her dizzy spell or seizure or whatever it was on Tuesday. Yesterday morning she was lying on the couch when she saw a fox walk past our deck, out on the shingle. She ran outside but by the time she got to the garden wall the fox was long gone.

I took a video in which you can see the fox in the distance, just to the right of the flagpole, looking back at us before it slinks into someone else's garden -- and then Olga on red alert at the wall. I never thought of foxes as beach animals, but they certainly are here.

Round Rock and Wobbly Dog

Olga, who gets me up at 4:30 every morning in this house with no curtains, has just been out on the deck guarding against foxes. They're all around us at dawn -- I saw one posing on the garden wall a few houses down, and another running across our deck while Olga and I walked on the pebbly beach. Of course I didn't have my camera handy.

That's yesterday's sunrise in the photo above, which gave a pretty good indication what the day's weather would be like:

Despite the sunny skies I stayed inside for much of the morning, reading David Szalay's book "All That Man Is," which I am loving. I read his book "London and the South-East" a few years ago and loved that one too. He's really good at exploring the identities and compulsions of men, for better or worse.

When Dave woke up and started moving around (about 11 a.m.!) I went for a walk on the beach.

I found an almost perfectly spherical pebble. In fact at first I thought it was a musket ball or some similar piece of antiquated ammunition -- but no, just a rock.

I found numerous interesting rocks, in fact. And an empty wine bottle, with no note inside (sadly), which I brought back to the house and put in the trash.

We got good news yesterday afternoon -- the Home Office has approved our citizenship applications. Woo hoo! All we need to do now is attend a swearing-in ceremony, where we plead allegiance to King Charles III and his descendants, and get our citizenship certificates. And then we're done. We never have to worry about visas and biometric residence permits and all that junk ever again. And we can vote!

Of course we'll still be American citizens too. I wouldn't renounce that, as tormented as I am about the direction of American politics these days. As I've said before, we'll only be in trouble if the UK and USA get in a conflict with each other -- which despite Trump's bluster still seems unlikely.

Olga scared us to death yesterday evening. She was climbing down from the couch, which for her always involves a deep stretch, and I think she lost her grip on the smooth floor and stretched a bit too far. When she got her hind legs off the couch she couldn't stand up, and she flopped over and had what looked like a seizure. She went rigid and her eyes shifted rapidly from side to side. She was fine again in about 30 seconds, but I really thought she might be dying right in front of me. Maybe it was a momentary recurrence of her vestibular disease, or she simply got dizzy from all the blood rushing to her head when she over-stretched.

In any case, she seems OK now and as I write this, she saw a fox walk past and ran out onto the deck to challenge it.

See that brown moth on my chair? I found it in the kitchen, tucked into the seam between the refrigerator and freezer doors. Not a very good place for a moth. I captured it and brought it outside, where it sat on my chair for a while before fluttering away. Olga is fascinated by foxes but she couldn't muster any interest in a moth.

This was my view as I had last night's martini and listened to my iTunes. The hummingbird hawk-moth came back again.