Graffiti and Flowers

I loved the way these little flies were parked tête-à-tête, as if having a conference about some serious fly business. How to divvy up the dead mouse by the shed, maybe?

Yesterday I let Olga take me for a walk -- she chose the direction and the route. (Obviously I still held the leash!) We wound up on Billy Fury Way, probably West Hampstead's sketchiest pedestrian path, running along the railroad tracks. There's lots of litter, which is why Olga likes it, and in broad daylight I wasn't too concerned. But then we were approached by a scarecrow-thin guy who got right up in my personal space (well within two meters) and mumbled something. "What's that?" I asked, having not heard him, and he said, "Oh, sorry," and scampered away. I think he thought I was either buying or selling.

Ah, urban life.

We found some interesting portraits spray-painted on one of the railroad bridges.

Other than that little adventure, life was pretty sedate. I read all day, and Dave and I watched "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" in the evening. Ever since I heard last December about the death of Philip McKeon, who played Tommy in the TV show "Alice," I've had it in my head to watch the movie that inspired the show. (Even though McKeon isn't in it.) It's a good film.

Here's some of what's blooming now:

Our first rose appeared yesterday morning, and we have plenty more buds on the way. They seem to hit their peak about a month from now, as I recall.

Mrs. Kravitz gave me a flat of violas, part of her hoard of free plants. I put some in a hanging basket and planted the rest around our potted blueberry bush, and they're all going gangbusters.

Our camellia has lots of flowers and even more buds. I've never been crazy about this plant -- the white flowers turn brown very quickly. But it was here when we moved in, so c'est la vie. (Apparently I am channeling my inner Frenchman today.)

The honesty is still blooming, and the first little hints of its unique seed pods are appearing. By fall they'll be like round translucent windows, as you've no doubt seen in dried flower arrangements. (Dave keeps talking about bringing them inside, but I hate dried flowers. Besides, they'll re-seed themselves if we leave them in the garden over winter.)

Finally, the African daisies have bloomed within the past day or two.

I tried to make another film of our foxes, and I put out some food for them, but somehow the food got eaten by a culprit who wasn't captured on camera. Wily!