Monday, June 11, 2018

Puttering and Finding Things


Another lazy day. We got some things accomplished -- laundry and a bit more puttering in the garden. Dave came home with a plant from Waitrose and said, "Look! A daylily!" And I looked and it wasn't a daylily at all -- it was a Peruvian lily. Which is fine, except that slugs reportedly like Peruvian lilies. So part of yesterday's puttering was putting it into a pot on the patio. (Lots of alliteration in that sentence. Plosives, to be precise.)

I also took Olga for a long walk in the morning, which was terrific because it negated the need for me to take her to the Heath in the afternoon. She was all walked out by 10:30 a.m. and lay on the lawn for the rest of the day, moving back and forth between shade and sun.

On our walk we looped around West Hampstead and up to Cricklewood, and then over towards Childs Hill. We visited the Cricklewood Millennium Green, where some dodgy-looking guys were drinking cans of something alcoholic at approximately 8:30 a.m. They kept to themselves, though, and the dog and I explored the hills and long grass and then moved on to the Clitterhouse Playing Fields.

Along the way, we found some shoes (top) which were pretty fabulous but looked like they'd suffered a bit in the weather. We also found:


...a (possibly) useful toaster oven, and...


...a Scooby Doo doll, keeping company with a gleeful emoji pillow. (We did not bring any of this stuff home.)

Olga meanwhile, made a find of her own...


...a hard rubber ball that kept her occupied all morning and afternoon. The picture above shows her celebrating its return after it sank to the bottom of (fortunately shallow) Dollis Brook, next to the playing fields. When Olga couldn't get it herself, I managed to retrieve it using a long stick, but only after teetering across a makeshift weir and almost losing my balance on the narrow path on the creek bank. It's a miracle I didn't wind up in the water myself.

After all that trouble, you can bet we kept that ball.

Dave and I have been watching "The Americans" in the evenings. I like it, but it's one of those shows that makes me feel stupid. I keep thinking, "What's happening now? Who is that person? Do these two characters know each other? Have we heard any of this before?" Sometimes they start in on a story line and you really don't know what's happening because they haven't jumped to the backstory yet -- but I expect to know because I am (I guess) a linear thinker. Anyway, it keeps me on my toes.

13 comments:

Elizabeth said...

Gosh, I know what you mean when you say you feel "stupid" watching certain kinds of shows. I am absolutely terrible and clueless in "getting" stuff. If I watch with Carl, I'm okay, and we were thinking about starting The Americans. Keep us posted!

Ms. Moon said...

I'm to the point where I only want to watch documentaries or really simple stuff. Otherwise, I can't possibly keep up with who is who.
I have to say that walking in town certainly affords more options to find interesting things. All I find is plants and snails, pretty much.

Sharon said...

You really do find a lot of interesting things while you are out and about.

Anonymous said...

You do find some interesting, colorful, and cool stuff out there on your walks. We've been thinking about watching The Americans. Maybe we'll give a few episodes a try.

ellen abbott said...

you want to watch something confusing, try 'Legion'. it's in it's second year and especially after missing three episodes I have no clue what is going on or even what it's about. but then I felt that way before I missed those episodes.

Catalyst said...

Now I would have brought that toaster oven home. And SWMBO would have squawked, "WTF were you thinking?"

Rebecca smith said...

Have you read the book THE KEEPER OF LOST THINGS, by Ruth Hogan? It’s been criticised for being a bit twee and that could be a valid point but it was interesting to think about the back story of random lost or found objects. Anyway, a quick and easy read to balance the feelings engendered by watching the news.

I rarely if ever comment, but read your blog every morning and enjoy it.

jenny_o said...

Those bootees! I wish I could have seen the rest of the outfit on the person who set them out!

Olga is a chip off the old block, finding useful things :) I sure am glad you didn't fall in the water. The things we do for love :)

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Clitterhouse Playing Fields? That sounds like a nice place to visit.

John Going Gently said...

Your garden in your last post ( esp the last photo) is amazing x

Steve Reed said...

Elizabeth: Spy shows are particularly bad, it seems. I remember going to see "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" a couple of years ago and I had no idea what was going on.

Ms Moon: Plants are always interesting! I bet there's some fun litter here and there, too.

Sharon: London is good for wacky stuff!

Robin: It's definitely worth a try. I am enjoying it, even though it confuses me.

Ellen: I haven't tried Legion. And now I'm not sure I want to!

Catalyst: Ha! I get that reaction from Dave sometimes, too. But despite what you may conclude from my blog, I'm actually quite selective about what I bring home.

Rebecca: Thanks for reading! It's good to know you're out there! I haven't read that book, but I'll keep an eye out for it. I do often wonder about the background of some of the more unusual items I find.

Jenny-O: They're cool, aren't they? And yes, I often find myself doing things for Olga and thinking, WHY am I doing this?!

YP: Stop.

John: Thanks! :)

Lesley UK said...

Hi Steve, if those boots are size 3, then they're mine. I have been known to shed my footwear after a particularly good night out although I don't remember doing so in London recently!. Seriously, I have several pairs of embroidered boots in different colours colours, and some hand painted ones too.
As for 'The Keeper Of Lost Things', it's well worth reading. I loved it. Blessings

Lesley UK said...

PS, if you would like me to I could send you some pics. I may be 72, but I'm not in 'granny shoes' yet.