Thursday, October 22, 2020

Crabapples and a Rainy Walk


I found a little grove of these trees when I was at Gladstone Park with Olga. I think they're crabapples, but I'm no expert!

Today and tomorrow will be quiet days at work. It's parent-teacher conference time, so while Mom and Dad learn via Zoom about little Susie and Jimmy's performance at school, I'll be in the quiet library organizing the shelves. (Actually, they're more likely to be Olivia and Zach, or Ethan and Emma, or Maya and Alex.)

I'm doing more weeding in the nonfiction section, and probably shifting books, which is not my favorite job but alas, it must be done. Certain parts of the collection (science) age more quickly than others, and some (LGBTQ, women's studies, race studies) have grown quite a bit, so we need to make some room. That doesn't just mean moving books but also remaking shelf signage.

I love days like this, when I can work on my own in the stacks in silence! Dave doesn't even have to go in -- he's Zooming with parents from home.

Yesterday was very rainy -- I had a rainy walk to work and a rainy walk home. Here's a snippet of what it was like yesterday afternoon:


Pretty leaves, but lousy weather!

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

The wet leaves look very slippery. The video was fun to watch. Add a commentary next time.

David said...

Loved the little video - grey and damp, just as I remember when I lived in the UK. What do the different coloured bins represent? I saw black and brown, as well as the more familiar green. Where I live, all bins are green, but the lids are different colours - green for garden waste, yellow for mixed paper, cardboard and approved plastics, and red for general rubbish for the tip.

Moving with Mitchell said...

Wow. Fun video. And I didn't even get motion sick. Raining here today. So exciting. That does look like a type of crab apple. We had one when I was a kid. I loved it. My father hated it; he was the one who had to mow the lawn amid that mess.

ellen abbott said...

I wish we'd get some rain. the moisture hangs in the air. and yeah pretty trees.

Ms. Moon said...

I'm with Ellen- I wish our moisture would come together into something more helpful than just making us feel like it's ten degrees hotter than it is. What a lovely neighborhood!
It occurred to me that it would not be impossible for a teacher to confuse one student's parents with another student's parents, to get through a Zoom meeting about their child only to realize that instead of Arthur, he had actually been discussing Timmy. Hilarity ensues! (Not.)

Susan said...

Such 'perfect' autumn weather! I would love to stumble upon a crab apple tree - especially if owned by a generous soul who would let me pick a bushel! As a kid, I loved crab apple jelly. I miss the old days - when there wasn't a computer in sight in the library. You could go in and spend hours of delicious quiet time. Good god. I'm getting old!

Red said...

Blows my mind that parent interviews are conducted via zoom. This is one thing about covid that will be a permanent change.

Anonymous said...

A lovely walk in the rain with you, Steve. I love seeing the colorful leaves falling in the breeze there.

Edna B said...

They definitely look like crabapples. (they make great jelly!) This was just the right amount of rain to be walking in. What a lovely walk you have. Enjoy your day, hugs, Edna B.

Linda Sue said...

LOVE the walk, feels like home.

The Bug said...

I love that video - very soothing. Also, I thought you said "I'm doing more WEEPING in the nonfiction section..." Hahahaha!

John Going Gently said...

The colours in the photo are sublime

Ellen D. said...

I love to see the leaves floating down like that in your video. I worked in public and school libraries for a total of about 20 years and I loved weeding, sweeping and putting the shelves in order. Such a nice quiet job and the shelves look so nice neat it is all done.

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Next time you make a walking video like that could you please sing as you walk along? It's always nice to have some background music. This one would have better of you had sung:-
In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence

Jennifer said...

I don't know...I kind of like rainy, overcast days in autumn. :)

Himawan Sant said...

I like the atmosphere in the video. Looks cool ...
Now my country is also starting to enter the rainy season.
Regards

Debby said...

I love these little glimpses of everyday life.

Alphie Soup said...

Weeding in the garden and weeding in the library. Is there no end to it all?
Susie and Jimmy would be now known as Susan and James and their children would be Ethan and Emma.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it...
Alphie

Steve Reed said...

Andrew: But then you couldn't hear the rain! And you don't need me babbling in your ear.

David: Yes, it's very English weather! Green bins are recycling, gray are rubbish, and I'm not sure what the big brown ones are. Rubbish too, maybe? We have white bags for garden waste, and small brown caddies for food waste.

Mitchell: I can see how it would be a messy tree, but given those colors, I'd forgive the mess!

Ellen: I wish I could send you some! Although we're still enjoying it after our dry summer.

Ms Moon: Surprisingly, I haven't heard of that happening. Maybe they verify at the very beginning which kid they're talking about.

Susan: See, I think of them as purely ornamental. It never would occur to me to eat them.

Red: I hope so! Dave much prefers the Zoom interviews, and it's easier on parents, too.

Robin: I love watching them fall, too!

Edna: It was actually raining a little more heavily at some points. My walk is about half an hour so I was pretty wet by the time I got home, at least below my knees.

Linda Sue: I'm glad!

Bug: I feel like weeping sometimes, believe me. LOL

John: Aren't they? Such a vivid tree.

EllenD: I think these must be job requirements for librarians -- an ability to work alone and to enjoy creating order out of chaos!

YP: I love that song! Somebody alluded to Simon & Garfunkel the other day, too -- was that you? Do you have that CD on rotation now? :)

Jennifer: It's only lousy when you have to walk home half an hour in it!

Himawan: I'm guessing your rain is a lot warmer than ours!

Debby: I'm glad! I almost didn't use the video because I thought it might be too boring.

Alphie: You're right about the names -- in fact Susan and Jimmy might even be the grandparents. I'm weeding all the time!

My life so far said...

I really like your walk to work. It's a glimpse into someone else's everyday life.

Life is dull right now. Home Depot is wildly exciting. I've been painting which I always enjoy. My sewing basement is coming together and best of all, it's clean and fresh. I hate dirty and dull.