Olga is so happy to be back to her routine. We took our normal morning walk yesterday, through the housing estate -- where we checked out the graffitied basketball court -- and she sparred with the cat beneath the door and sniffed where she always sniffs. I could just tell she was finding great comfort in it all.
Or maybe it was me who was comforted.
I did a bunch of stuff around the house -- once again, I am perplexed at how a house can get dirty when no one is in it -- and then Olga and I resumed our weekend routine by going to the Heath. We found a fruit tree in bloom...
...and an abundance of crocuses at the entrance to Golders Hill Park. I never get sick of crocuses.
The weather was incredible -- sunny and mild.
Another sight -- two mistle thrushes, flitting about near a field on the West Heath.
Dave and I were so motivated by the spring weather that we got out and worked in the garden. Dave transplanted some things -- we moved the rescued acanthus from its place near the garden bench into the central bed, where the apple tree used to be. It will get more sun there and will hopefully give us some flowers. We also moved a plant we'd put in the front garden, where it was overshadowed by larger shrubs, and Dave moved some daylilies to spread them around a bit.
Then I got sucked into a black hole of ivy-clearing. The ivy has become incredibly thick and dense in some areas, and I was out there almost until sunset. I'm trying to remind myself that it's only February and we could still get wintry weather, so I don't want to clear too much and expose delicate buds to the elements. But it's hard to think like that when the sun is bright and relatively warm!
On the culture front, I was sorry to hear that Peter Tork of the Monkees died a few days ago. I used to watch Monkees reruns religiously as a kid -- I knew all the episodes and all the songs, which I recorded off the TV onto a cassette, a sort of Super Monkees Mix Tape. Peter was always my favorite Monkee. I coveted his hair. I remember telling my mom, "I want hair like Peter Tork." And my mom said, "Well, you're not going to have hair like Peter Tork, so you better get used to it." Or something along those lines. And she was right.
You watched The Monkees religiously? Were you dressed as a monk or perhaps fingering your rosary beads? And I agree that your current hairstyle bears little resemblance to Peter Tork's mophead barnet.
ReplyDeleteI was sorry to read of Tork's demise. He was actually the best musician in that group. It has been about 78 degrees inside with no air running here simply because all it does when on is run constantly and the motor is in danger of running out and only slightly cooler outside...the bats are still flying, one was caught in another neighbor's house despite the bat people being here yesterday...When asked, our condo board president only said the roof should have been fixed two months ago, tarp is still there. This is beginning to feel deliberate so that they can go before a judge and plead too many problems to fix and therefore get a dissolution order so they can sell off the place. I wish I could enjoy the peace of your garden.
ReplyDeletePeter was my favorite Monkee as well. Of course I watched them when the episodes were new. Strange times, really.
ReplyDeleteThose crocuses look like confetti of the angels thrown down upon the grass. A heavenly Mardi Gras party the day after. I love how you and Dave have taken to gardening. It's a beautiful thing.
those crocuses are beautiful. what a delight. and yeah, the warm weather does make you want to get out there and weed and cut back winter's chaff.
ReplyDeleteLove seeing the crocuses blooming. Ah those beautiful hints of spring. We're having an atmospheric river of rain here for the next few days. Enjoy your sunshine.
ReplyDeleteYou never know what might happen in the days of climate change.
ReplyDeleteThat picture of the circuses gives me something to look orawrd to here n the north shore of Long Island. Crocuses should be pooping up in, oh, about a month. A MONTH. One more month of rotten gray sunless days. I bought an extra-large bottle of vanilla vodka to get me through it.
ReplyDeleteI watch the Monkees in their first run and bought all their records. My mean step mother couldn't wait to inform me that they were all fakes and didn't play their own instruments. But that was usual for the adults that I knew. They always liked to make your kid world just a little shittier.
For some reason, I never liked Peter Tork when I was a rabid Monkees fan. He was in the foreground on the cover of the Headquarters album and I cut him out of it (See? I was good with scissors t an early age.) and in the Peter Tork-shaped hole I wrote his obituary. But later, when I read his interviews and saw him talk about the Monkees during their reunion tours, I came to like hime a lot. He was funny and smart, and then I read the memoir of my favorite Monkee, Mike Nesmith, and discovered that he was kind of a jerk.
Is that thrush a delightful songbird?
Welcome home, I see the "whew" in Olga, so glad to have things back to normal - and the SUNSHINE! Your weather is far better than ours, always.
ReplyDeleteAs Monkees go, I was not a fan, I was too dark and they were too happy, but , yes, Peter was probably the best musician of the lot, with the best hair.
Mothers usually are right! You two must be pretty well acclimated to the London weather. I see Dave is even wearing shorts. In the mean time, it was in the low 50's here yesterday and I was wearing three layers to keep warm. It's supposed to warm up a bit next week. I hope so.
ReplyDeleteI was sorry to hear about Peter Tork too. I used to watch their show all the time mostly because my younger sister was a HUGE fan. It's sad to see these icons of an era leaving us.
Mothers know best, right?
ReplyDeleteOlga always steals the show she's a lucky dog to be able to run free in a place such as London, looks like you are of to a nice start of spring enjoy the sunny weather.
ReplyDeleteOlga is standing like she's ready for the judge to look her over at the dog show, lol
ReplyDeleteShe's looking nice and fit.
Briony
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I love the story about what your mother said. Sounds so typical-mom-like. We were also sad to hear about Peter Tork. The Monkees are such a nice memory. I loved them all. Wish I still had my old "Tiger Beat" magazines!
ReplyDeleteThe Monkees were such a fun group in a more innocent time. My hair is a lot like Peter Tork's was in his youth! It's very hot in the summertime, but good insulation in winter :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad Olga is back to her usual schedule. And I'm sure she IS comforted by it. Animals like routine, at least that's been my experience.
hey, hey, we're the monkees! I watched faithfully, too, back in the day.
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