Sunday, April 14, 2024

Dahlia Time


Yesterday turned out to be amazing, weather-wise. The afternoon temperatures were about 70 degrees, the sun was out,  the sky was blue. Fantastic!

I spent the morning working in the garden. I pulled all the dahlias out of winter storage in our rear garden shed, and noticed that several of them already have sprouts -- slender pink or white stalks just barely out of the ground. We keep them in pots so we don't have to keep replanting them year after year, but I did repot two. Then I set them out among the other garden residents to do their thing.

I also weeded some other pots, cleaned the house, did laundry and ran errands in the morning.


After lunch I took Olga to the cemetery for a leisurely walk. This rose that we see on the way scents that whole corner with a sweet perfume. Maybe that's why Sweet Corner (the cafe on the next block) has that name? Oh, and yes, you'll notice that after months of sitting dormant, Sweet Corner has finally opened! I haven't been there yet -- it's hard with the dog, because I'd have to leave her outside unattended while I go in and order and she would hate that. (And probably would be vocal about it.) I'll have to wait until Dave can come too.


At the cemetery, I noticed that someone left yellow roses on the tomb of Grand Duke Michael of Russia and his wife Sophie, Countess de Torby. I wonder who? Are there any Russian monarchists left? They did have children and grandchildren -- including Mountbattens, members of the British royal family. So perhaps there are descendants still bringing them flowers for Easter.


We also found another one of Esley's rocks!


In the afternoon I headed into Central London to see Dave's students perform their spring concert. It was held at LSO St. Luke's, a performance space on Old Street that used to be a church. It was an ideal location and the performance went really well.

At one point, one of the jazz bands performed a medley of music from the film "The Blues Brothers." I was sitting next to the high school principal, and he turned to me and said, "I guarantee you, none of these kids have seen that movie." We had a good laugh about that.

Afterwards I walked westward to Farringdon station, admiring the street art along the way.


I'm not sure what's on the agenda for today. I know I need to catch up in blogland, and there's also more to do around the house. But I might also make time for a walk. We'll see!

25 comments:

  1. The Blues Brothers is one of my favourite movies and all my kids loved it too.
    The yellow roses are so beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  2. As always, wonderful photos to help tell your stories.

    “Otherwise we’re screwed!” That sums it up!

    ReplyDelete
  3. The nice weather seems to have lifted your spirits. The underlying tone of this blogpost is light and airy and I imagine you signing this as you skipped along:-
    Zip-a-dee-doo-dah zip-a-dee-a
    My oh my, what a wonderful day
    Plenty of sunshine headed my way
    Zip-a-dee-doo-dah zip-a-dee-a

    ReplyDelete
  4. That yellow rambling rose is lovely.
    A walk in the sun is just what we need now.
    The last photo?
    Agreed...but when was the last time we really had World Peace?

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love the rose and the idea of Sweet Corner but I hope that little dog is right, cuz otherwise ... ?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh god, Old Street, where we stayed a few years ago for one night in stifling summer heat as staff delivered brand new fans to hotel guests. Will Sagrada Familiar be finished before the works at Old Street roundabout? I think so.
    A nice post with nice photos.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich was a grandson of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Those roses!!!!
    I would love to teleport there to just stand and take in their glory. And then go get a coffee. I imagine it's very tiring to teleport, don't you? A cup of coffee would be helpful.

    ReplyDelete
  9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duke_Michael_Mikhailovich_of_Russia

    ReplyDelete
  10. I'm imagining that your Russians are visiting that grave. Possible?
    Those flowers! I have to think about getting busier in my yard this year so I can enjoy more flowers like yours, Steve. So amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Is that a cloud of forget me not? It's lovely. You're an awesome gardener.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Those yellow roses are lovely! Wish I could walk by & smell them.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I sure do wish world peace would be coming, but I have my pessimistic doubts on that.

    ReplyDelete
  14. look at all those forget-me-nots! weather here has been really nice the last few days. enjoying it while I can.

    ReplyDelete
  15. That last photo speaks the truth.

    Those roses are amazing. What are those little blue flowers in the first photo? Forget me nots?

    ReplyDelete
  16. The yellow rambling rose is beautiful. Is the scent overpowering or just a bit strong as you walk by. I would love a rose like that in my garden. Maybe not to close to the house if the scent is overpowering. Dave's concert sounds wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I LOVE the Blues Brothers!! (movies AND music!)

    ReplyDelete
  18. I couldn't help thinking of your neighbors for the flowers. ;) I LOVE trying out new cafes although I'm often disappointed. We Washingtonians can be picky about our coffee.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I love that sign and I wish it were true. Sweet Corner looks like a sweet spot. I'd stop in to check it out. Your weather sounds fantastic. A perfect time for being outdoors.

    ReplyDelete
  20. your garden photo is so beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  21. That lemon chiffon building behind the peace pooch is charming!
    Blues Bros music, can[t go wrong, even if one is a baby child hearing for the first time.
    Looks like a lovely sunshiny day in London!

    ReplyDelete
  22. One of my crosswords this morning had a clue that said: Arlene's favorite flower. The answer, of course, was Dahlia. And could it be your upstairs neighbors leaving those flowers? Love the poster in your last picture!

    ReplyDelete
  23. School concerts are always exciting. So for Dave to give more background to the music, show the movie!

    ReplyDelete
  24. River: I haven't seen it in years. Maybe it's time to watch it again?!

    Mitchell: Pretty much!

    YP: That was basically my mood, despite the "otherwise we're screwed" threat hanging over us.

    GZ: Isn't that an amazing rose? I'd love one like that.

    Bob: Yeah, the otherwise is not good but sadly more probable.

    Andrew: Ha! I should have taken photos at the roundabout so you could see what it looks like now.

    Colette: Yes! I actually linked to that Wikipedia bio from my post -- but thanks for passing it along nonetheless. :)

    Ms Moon: Ha! I've never thought about the personal energy that teleporting may require. It's probably easier than flying coach!

    Ellen D: It would be quite coincidental if it were OUR Russians, but it's probably SOME Russians.

    Boud: The forget-me-nots basically grow themselves. They require almost no intervention from us!

    Bug: Aren't they great?!

    Michael: Ha! Yeah, me too. I think human nature sadly precludes world peace.

    Ellen: We really hit the jackpot on forget-me-nots this year!

    Pixie: Yes! I gave a better view in the following post.

    Susan: It's not overpowering at all -- just a light scent as I passed.

    Kelly: Me too! Time for a re-watch!

    Margaret: Yeah, you're pretty much the epicenter of modern coffee culture, aren't you?

    Sharon: Saturday really was a beautiful day. Sunday was much cooler.

    Wilma: Thank you!

    Linda Sue: Isn't that a great building? It used to be a pub called the Hat & Feathers. Not sure it's still open, though.

    Catalyst: Wow, that is a throwback question!! How many people even know who Arlene Dahl is these days?

    Red: Ha! They should have made a video montage -- that's a great idea. Maybe a copyright issue, though!

    ReplyDelete
  25. That sounds like a productive day, a fun one and a good one. Love that yellow rose bush -- of course it is a sweet concert. I had to laugh about the Blues Brothers -- you're right!

    ReplyDelete