Saturday, May 27, 2023

The Return of the Scabious


I discovered a blossom on our scabious plant this morning -- the one I salvaged from that huge floral arrangement from work earlier this spring. I thought it might be done blooming for the year, since it was already in flower when I got it, but I guess it's abandoning its hothouse roots and adapting to nature. More flowers to come, hopefully!

Speaking of nature, I think I figured out what was going on with those noisy magpies yesterday morning. Apparently magpies attack other bird nests (to eat the eggs and/or babies) and even kill adult birds, and we'd seen a wounded pigeon in the garden the day before. My guess is that pigeon was sitting on a nest and the magpies discovered it. A pigeon is no match for a magpie, never mind multiple magpies, and I think there were at least two. So I'm guessing there are now fewer baby pigeons in the world, and possibly one less adult -- which isn't a bad thing, as savage as that sounds. Wild Kingdom, as I said yesterday.


Here's where we are on the renovation project. As you can see, it's coming along, but there's still plenty to be done. The kitchen is also still entirely disconnected, even though the new floor is down. I don't know what we're waiting for there, unless a specific plumbing person has to come to reconnect all the appliances. I think everything is now paused until Tuesday, since Monday is a holiday.

It's a good thing Dave and I are getting out of here today. Not only do I need a real shower, as opposed to a sponge bath -- I also need a break from all this dust and chaos. Neither Dave nor I have tried to use the shower in the staff locker room at work, even though we could. I have a sort of mental block about that. Bathing at work seems weird to me. I suppose I should get over it.


Speaking of work, I saw yesterday in the staff lounge that there's a poster recognizing our team's quizzing victory back in February. It could have been up for weeks or months and I just now noticed it. Did we win that eagle trophy too? I can't remember!

22 comments:

  1. Enjoy your weekend away. You deserve it. I am pretty sure your colleagues wouldn't mind you showering at work considering the alternative!

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  2. Beautiful flower. It's a shame about the name that sounds like a skin disorder. So glad you're escaping the mess (and lack of plumbing) for the weekend. I definitely would have been showering at work. Of course the construction project is hit by a holiday weekend.

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  3. You have still not said where you and Dave are scooting off today. I hope it's in the countryside or on the coast. AS you say, it will be nice to get away from the dust and the discombobulation.

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  4. That's a horrible name for such a gorgeous flower. Gives me bad visions -- like when Rick's healing from a bike tumble (or, for that matter, when I'm healing from one!) Scabby knees.

    I'm glad you two are getting a bit of a break and a good shower. Have a great holiday.

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  5. Scabious is one of those beautiful flowers with horrible names. I've often wondered whose idea it was. A botanist who secretly hated plants?

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  6. I just checked and it seems it can be used to treat skin disorders like scabies, hence the name. I think lungwort has similar reasoning. I still think they could have done better!

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  7. Enjoy the weekend and the actual shower!!

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  8. Well, leave it to our Boud to find out the reason that such a lovely blossom has such an ugly name!
    Have a great weekend, Steve, and leave your worries behind.

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  9. enjoy your weekend and your shower. I don't think I'd want to shower at work either, like showering at the gym. um, no thanks.

    I see the owners went with plain white tile.

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  10. Have a wonderful restful weekend away and enjoy that delightful hot water shower waiting for you.
    We have scabiosa flowers blooming here. It's so interesting how I never associated that name with skin scabs. Now I will never forget. LOL.

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  11. Nasty things happen in the bird world. Magpies will harass an owl in the daytime and then crows will join them.

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  12. I hope you have a great holiday weekend! It's 66 degrees in our house AND outside right now - not the Memorial Day weekend I might have hoped for. Ha!

    Also, I think I would hesitate to use the shower at work too. It seems weird, not to mention all my anxiety about making sure I had all the stuff I needed.

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  13. I'm happy to hear you are escaping. Have fun.

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  14. Good move on leaving for a few days! A break from construction is always a good thing.

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  15. Have a great little get-away! You reminded me that on my last trip to London, I spent the first night in a hotel near St. Pancras station because I left for Paris the next morning. In that hotel, the tub/shower was so tall and steep I didn't attempt it, especially with jet lag. When I got to Paris, my hotel room had a huge rain shower. I loved it. I didn't want to get out of it.

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  16. I'd have to refer to that pretty little bloom as something other than Scabious. Like others here, all I can think of is scabies!

    Can't wait to find out where the three of you have taken off to!

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  17. I'm going to burn incense and candles in front of my many Buddha carvings, pleading that I never have to go through a home renovation like yours.

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  18. Magpies are territorial so perhaps the pigeon was in their usual nesting spot?

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  19. I love that unusual looking flower! Sorry for the home renovations dragging on; I know you're ready to get back to normal life and routines. Sponge baths, ugh. I remember the bucket showers in West Africa. Not a fan.

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  20. New bathroom. New kitchen. Woo hoo! I know what you're going through but you're going to be so happy when it's done. Cant wait for the reveal.

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