Here's a much better "busy park" photo than the one in my last post. This is Golders Hill Park, where Olga and I walked yesterday on our outing to Hampstead Heath. Everyone seems to be hungry for sunshine, and the Bank Holiday weather did not disappoint -- we had a warm day with wide blue sky and barely any clouds.
I didn't mind the crowds, because it's a big park and I felt like there was adequate space -- although the sidewalks were pretty packed. At least we weren't as bad off as Botany Bay in Kent, where you may remember I went metal detecting a few months ago -- apparently it was crammed with holiday visitors. (I suspect other beaches were too.)
Before Olga and I walked, I worked in the garden. I finally pulled the plug on our forget-me-nots. It's always hard to know when to clear them out, but they were looking seedy and ragged so they went. I also did a general weeding of our central flower bed, which was long overdue. I discovered plants we'd forgotten we had, including two tiny hollyhocks that had been buried among all the forget-me-nots.
I mowed the lawn, washed our bedsheets and another load of laundry, and went to the grocery store. Whew!
The highlight of the day was definitely the Heath walk, where Olga got so hot she opened her panting mouth as wide as possible. When she does this, Dave always jokes that we can see straight through her, right down her gullet and out the back door, so to speak. Kind of like a shotgun house.
Anyway, she got a bit draggy until we got to the pond on Sandy Heath...
...where she had a revitalizing swim. After that, she was fine.
On the walk home, we paused in front of Rumah Malaysia, the Malaysian high commissioner's house in Hampstead, where the sign cast a reflection like a swirl of golden smoke.
I took this photo in front of the grocery store. I was amused by the guy in front of me, in his full-face plastic shield and yarn mittens. But no mask, curiously! I'm not sure how valuable that shield is by itself, but if it makes him feel better, no harm done.
Once again I picked up a couple of plants at the store -- a nicotiana and a reddish foxglove, a color I've never seen. I usually get annoyed with Dave for buying so many plants, given that we struggle to find places to put them -- and now that he's isolating and I'm the grocery shopper, I'm doing it!
If a word balloon was coming out of the face mask guy's mouth it might well be "What ya taking pictures of me for you weirdo?"
ReplyDeleteThen you would explain.
"Oh, I am going to feature in 'Shadows and Light'? That's brilliant! Soon I will be invited to TV chat shows and I'll be doing interviews for glossy magazines and I will be able to give up work! Thank you mate and sorry for calling you a weirdo! Fame at last!"
I spent ages a couple of days ago digging out all the forget-me-nots from my veg plot. It now has a lovely row of runner bean plants and 4 tomato plants in it...lots of watering required ! BTW ..seeing Olga in that pond reminded me of a warning I read a few days ago regarding green algae which is apparently becoming prevalent in this warm weather.......especially in static water. It is lethal to dogs apparently. Would hate anything to happen to Olga if I didn't mention it.....X
ReplyDeleteI suppose that the face mask would direct droplets down rather than out and so that might be of some help. Except around children. The mittens however...
ReplyDeleteHope he washes them when he gets home.
I dreamed the other night that Publix had a huge rack of flower seeds. Which they don't. But I was so happy to see that in my dream. Do I want to plant more seeds? I suppose some part of me must.
Your Olga and my Sammy have the same idea for cooling off when overheated---strettttcccchhh out on a cool surface. Mouth opened wide for full air-con effect. Smart puppies.
ReplyDeleteI always love how you remind me of long-forgotten flowers. Nicotiana. I would have never remembered that name or the plant. Years ago I wrote a poem that started:
ReplyDeleteI forgot the names of flowers
to remember the names of birds
I forgot the names of birds
to remember the names of clouds..
not only that but you drag them home when you find them on the street! plants I mean. people over here flocked, stormed the beaches and pools and lakes and parks and most acting like the whole thing is over. everyone's going stir crazy.
ReplyDeleteThe only store I know of that is doing this restricted entry is Trader Joe's. All the rest have been letting everyone in. I shop at two stores on a regular basis and neither have restricted entry. One of the stores, Safeway can get pretty busy but I'm pretty good at avoiding people while I'm there.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen any photos yet of crowds out and about yesterday here so I don't know if people crowded places or not. Usually our nearby lakes get pretty good crowds this time of year.
What would you guys do if you had a few acres to put plants in?
ReplyDeleteHow many would just not notice that beautiful swirl of light?
ReplyDeleteyour weather is like summer time, we are still in a winterish mode. Very cold this morning, heater kicks in- wooly slippers, hot coffee. Golden smoke and Olga, does not get much better than that, and Olga's curvy tongue and frog body delights , so cute! Glad Dave is being smart and staying home, this virus will not be over for a while though others seem to think it is. Plants!!! I know! They are little beings that require attention, gladly given.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to see those grocery shoppers practising social distancing. I wish more people would do that.
ReplyDeleteMy dog Bandit would lay in pose like Olga is doing and my vet told me that he would never have hip dysplasia because of the way his hip bones were displayed it is a sure sign that he didn't have anything wrong with his hips so it is wonderful to see Olga laying like that because hip problems are so very painful for our dogs.
ReplyDeletePeople here have given up with social distancing which is a sure sign that people don't care enough to try to protect their loved ones from bringing this deadly virus home to their families and if these people do not care about their elderly parents, siblings and even their children they certainly do not care about strangers. It is aggravating to see people disregard the seriousness of this virus but if our leader does not wear a mask, does not practice social distancing and basically calls this virus a hoax and not try to set an example then others will not either.
Getting off my soap box and laying down. I cannot believe just how drained I still am. Big Hugs!!!!
We are heading to normality albeit slowly x
ReplyDeleteI love that picture of Olga - and I can just picture Dave peering down into her mouth to see what's on the floor behind her - ha!
ReplyDeleteA wealth of Olga pictures - fabulous! She is so goofy :)
ReplyDeleteYP: Although it looks like he's looking at me, he's actually looking down the street behind me. I'm not sure he even noticed me taking the picture.
ReplyDeleteFrances: Thanks for the algae warning! The stuff in the pond is actually duckweed, not algae. And I don't think Olga eats any of it, although she does drink the water. (Bleah)
Ms Moon: Good point. I suppose if he coughed or sneezed the droplets would hit the shield rather than fly out into the open. Still, it was kind of a crazy get-up. (Not as crazy as some I have seen.)
Mary: Olga likes to get as much of her belly as possible in contact with a cool surface. It's amazing how flat she can get!
Robin: Those are great opening lines! Have you blogged that poem? I would love to read it!
Ellen: Yeah, Dave is very patient with my plant hospital!
Sharon: Interesting! So far, all the stores here are still enforcing social distancing and lines.
Red: Oh, lord. We'd fill 'em up, I'm sure.
GZ: It caught my eye right away -- so unusual!
Linda Sue: We are very much in summer mode here. Sunny skies and temps in the high 70s!
Catalyst: There's an orderly system for lining up and admission to the store. It's all very British.
Beth: Yeah, our fearless leader(s) haven't done much to stem the tide, have they?
John: I hope so, as long as we're doing so safely.
Bug: Ha! That's a good way to put it! LOL
Jenny-O: She IS goofy. In fact I often call her Goofball.
I love the photos of Olga. And it's good to see folks practicing distancing and wearing masks. If we all care for each other, we'll all get through this virus. Hugs, Edna B.
ReplyDeleteWe've noticed some people lately with the plastic shields and also wondered how effective they are without a mask. Masks are now required here unless you are outside with 2-meter distance guaranteed. It appears the plastic shields count as face masks. I'm so excited. We're going to the garden center tomorrow.
ReplyDelete