I took Olga to Hampstead Heath yesterday morning. Fall is definitely arriving!
We had a good long walk. We came across a couple of clumps of purple asters, which I'd photographed in the same location last year. I guess they're an annual thing in that spot.
And Olga indulged her previously unknown tree-climbing skills. (!)
After we came home, in between loads of laundry, I watched the movie "Peyton Place," with Lana Turner. I read the book when I was in high school and first saw the film about ten years ago, but I'd forgotten most of it. It's very long. In fact, I'm still not quite done with it -- I had to turn it off to go meet Dave at school, where he was working. I have about ten minutes to go, I think, and I hope to polish it off this morning before work because otherwise, how will I know whether Selena is acquitted of murder? And will she be dumped by Ted for her scandalous reputation? And will Constance get together with Michael, and Alison with Norman (now that they have recovered from being unjustly accused of swimming nude together)?
There's nothing like a fabulous '50s Technicolor movie in Cinemarama (or whatever) on a Sunday afternoon.
Yesterday evening Dave and I went down to Epsom, a town southwest of London in Surrey, to see our friend Chris, who's slowly recuperating in the hospital after surgery. We took the train down (about 45 minutes) and came in the front entrance of Epsom General Hospital, and there wasn't a soul in sight. It was the strangest thing. We walked and walked through three wings of the hospital and didn't see a single human being. Dave said, "This is like 'The Shining'!" Finally, when we got to Chris's third-floor ward (called the High Dependency Unit, which as best as we could tell is a step down from the ICU) we saw a handful of nurses and patients. And sure enough, there was Chris, sitting up in a chair with his wife Linda by his side. We chatted for a while, survived a brief but perilous car trip with Linda back to the station, and took the train home.
Those are such wonderful photos of Olga -- and I love even reading the words "Hampstead Heath" -- it makes me think of reading Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights as a young girl!
ReplyDeleteYour references to "Peyton Place" have convinced me to never read the book nor watch the film version... Now I'll return to live TV coverage of the Las Vegas horror show. Awful.
ReplyDeleteThe leaves have not begun to turn color yet here on Long island so it's nice to see them all golden in London. I love sweater weather even at the price of shorter, darker, colder days.
ReplyDeleteThat downed tree that Olga is on is absolutely magnificent! It's like an ancient sea creature. It makes me realize how people could have worshipped trees. And still do.
ReplyDeleteOnce, I had a hospital experience like that. It was with Kathleen and Judy. We were in the bowels of the hospital waiting on more testing for Kathleen and for a very long time, there was absolutely no one about anywhere. We wondered if we were the only people left on earth.
Love that photo of Olga on the tree. It's a wonderful balance to the crazy news of the world this morning. I had forgotten all about Peyton Place. I think there was even a Peyton Place TV series in the early 60s.
ReplyDeleteIt would be eerie to find a large busy institution almost vacation.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lot of leaves on the ground. I don't recall that many fallen leaves when I was there last year at this time. Dave's comment about the hospital made me laugh out loud. I was thinking something along those lines as I read your description. I would find walking empty halls of a hospital rather unnerving.
ReplyDeleteOlga may be wishing that all trees were like that so it would make squirrel-catching easier :)
ReplyDeleteThe empty hospital reminds me of when we went to visit our daughter after their first child was born. There was no one in the first entire wing there either. And no security of any kind on the door; it was completely open to the public and this was after dark. It kind of bothered me, in today's world . . .
that heath is a gorgeous place. no wonder you go there so often. I read Peyton Place when I was in junior high I think, young enough that when my mother saw me reading it she took it away and told me I was too young. I just waited a couple of weeks and got it off the bookshelf again and finished it. or was that Lolita? could have been Lolita. I have read both books though.
ReplyDeleteI think Olga should have her own instagram account. She takes such fetching portraits! But really though. I'm not even kidding. Olga has fans.
ReplyDeleteThat last photo of Olga is amazing! And yes, she should have an instagram account. I already follow several animals on there :)
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