This is not our Chinese lantern plant. I wish! No, it belongs to a neighbor, and just like every year, it is bedecked with beautiful orange lantern-like seed pods. Our lantern plant -- our third attempt at growing one, I should add -- seems to have spontaneously died. It was doing well until shortly after we returned from Vietnam, when it turned yellow and withered away. I thought it was dying back for fall until I saw the neighbor's, still lush and be-lanterned. I have no idea why Dave and I are so terrible at growing this particular plant -- especially when it's supposed to be so easy!
We'll see if it comes up in the spring, and if not, we'll get a fourth one. I am GOING to have lanterns, dammit.
An office near Fortune Green closed some time ago and was remodeled into another office. Simultaneously, these office chairs appeared, discarded by the side of the road. Coincidence?
A picture of nothing. I just liked the orangey glow of that streetlight.
The promotional posters on the vacant shop on Finchley Road keep changing. There's a whole world of entertainment going on out there I know nothing about!
Perhaps the world's ugliest loveseat, left on Priory Road for the trash collectors. Beige vinyl and green-stained trim? Hmmmm...
A nearby pub is having a Halloween party tomorrow night with a drag queen! This is surprising only because it just doesn't seem like a drag queen kind of pub. I guess drag culture really has permeated the mainstream -- or, as one of my friends suggested, maybe it's the name of a band.
Cute doodles on the side of a discarded box, set out for the recyclers.
A fall leaf atop a metal manhole cover -- don't you love that colorful stem?
By the way, we had no trick-or-treaters last night. Whew!
You should have been a detective! It was a real light bulb moment to see a connection between the office closure and the discarded chairs. Even Sherlock Holmes would not have spotted that one but he might have seen the mis-spelling of "Entry" in the window of "The Lillie Langtry" on Abbey Road!
ReplyDeleteLove the photo of the orange glow of the street lamp in the park! Your're right - photo of nothing, but the the lighting says everything.
ReplyDeleteGreat collection of random photos, always makes you wonder the story behind them, the stem on the leaf is beautiful with the lovely grate as a backdrop, that small sofa is unusual, lovely lamp light glow, lovely Olga,
ReplyDeleteWhat David said. That glow is so...wistful. I am a sucker for anything that evokes that feeling of longing, just short of regret.
ReplyDeleteI do like the Chinese Lantern, but I tried growing them and they wouldn't stop spreading all over the garden. It took me years to get rid of them completely.
ReplyDeleteI really do like your iPhone pictures. There is a spontaneous feeling about them which seems to reflect your eye, your days so well.
ReplyDeleteI am a bit jealous. Gmail signup never says he/she loves ME!
Harrumph!
Also, that love seat is absolutely NOT the ugliest love seat in the world. Trust me.
you've aged out of the local entertainment scene I guess. and yeah great assortment of pics. I've never tried to grow a chinese lantern but I have tried other things like gardenias. I have finally gotten one to grow!
ReplyDeleteI love it when you have these random photos. No trick-or-treaters here either! I love that orange glow photo. That's the kind of thing that would catch my eye too. That orange glow of the street light spurs memories from childhood. I remember most street lights being like that when I was young. You are so right about that loveseat. Yikes, that's horrible. I don't think I've ever seen a lantern plant in person. It's beautiful.
ReplyDeleteYou've got to talk nicely to lantern plants or they won't do well!!!
ReplyDeleteCaught up with previous post re: halloween. The colorful pumpkins are my new fave!
ReplyDeleteChildren came to our door last night, I had a huge bowl of assorted wrapped chocolate and just let them help themselves- you can tell a lot about a person when you say "help yourself".
I love these ol phone shots, all of them, they seem more personal somehow. Story worthy.
I too have tried with lanterns- was told that they take about three years just to establish themselves before they break out in bright , intriguing orange lanterns. I will buy some again this year and try again.
Always look forward to your phone photos. They tell a lovely story.
ReplyDeleteI love the Chinese lantern plant - hopefully you'll get one to grow bloom next year.
ReplyDeleteWe had four little trick-or-treaters. I worked late, so I passed them as they were leaving (actually, I had to dodge them with my car - the kids in our neighborhood own the road - ha!).
You had me with that first picture. I thought it was a pumpkin tree.
ReplyDeleteI love Chinese lanterns - my mother always grew them, so they remind me of her. She isn't doing so well with the gardening the past couple of years, but she won't let anyone help her. Ah well. Maybe next spring she will. Good luck; I hope yours comes up next year, or, alternatively, that you find out what is happening to kill them.
ReplyDeleteThat picture of "nothing" is very moody and interesting! A piece of art, really.
ReplyDeleteAnd happy birthday to you!!!