Here's some amusing graffiti I found on my walk to work yesterday morning. The note beside the drawing says, "To you who prefer a blank wall, I pity you."
We had some excitement yesterday morning. One of the old elder trees in the back of our garden -- which you may remember I went through a lot of stress to have trimmed a couple of years ago -- broke off and collapsed onto the back garden wall. I have no idea when this happened. I was out in the garden yesterday morning, but it's possible that I just didn't notice it. Anyway, while I was at work I got a text about it from the caretaker of the apartments behind us, and I told him we'd report it and I'd try to get it taken care of as soon as possible.
The branch is too big for us to remove ourselves -- we'd need a chainsaw, for one thing -- so the management company will have to handle it. I'm sure the apartment caretaker is annoyed because this is exactly what he was concerned about when he pressured us to have those trees trimmed.
Oh well. I did my best, and meanwhile the birds and other critters got to enjoy it for two more years.
Speaking of trees, remember when Dave and I went to Penzance last October? We went to the Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, a forested ravine full of artworks and lush plantings, and we had a view of St. Michael's Mount off the coast. Well, apparently that area got decimated when Storm Goretti passed through last week. St. Michael's Mount lost 80 percent of its trees, and the sculpture garden lost many too. They had 112 mph winds!
I don't think Storm Goretti is responsible for our tree falling. I think I'd have noticed it before now if it happened last week, but I could be wrong.
Apropos of nothing, here are a few more photos from yesterday. First, I found these little handmade pottery vessels sitting on a garden wall, waiting for someone to adopt them. I left them there because I was headed to work, and they were gone when I passed that evening, so someone took them home.
Here's a fun pillow in the window of a futon store on Finchley Road...
...and a mysterious critter in the Lost & Found at school. (I think it's a hat?)
Yesterday I spent an hour in a meeting with my department to choose our final statement of purpose. Remember how I went to a meeting several weeks ago to help wordsmith that? Well, this time we were presented with two options and asked to choose the one we preferred. They were both very similar, and I still struggle with the need for a statement of purpose anyway. As I told my co-worker, yesterday's exercise was like being asked whether I preferred a white marshmallow or an ivory-colored one. Ultimately, we all chose the same option, which made the meeting easier than it might have been, I suppose.
I also got two Christmas cards in the mail last night, including one from former blogger Vivian, who painted Olga's portrait several years back. She mailed her card a month ago and it's only just now arrived -- but nonetheless we appreciate the thought, Vivian!
Elder trees do get brittle as they age. Like fuschias you can cut them back hard and they will regrow.
ReplyDeleteIf you are thinking of food for the birds judicious trimming is useful, and stops them being "leggy" so more shelter...and you get fruit on wood that is two years old or older
That's rather sad about what happened at the sculpture garden.
ReplyDeleteRoyal Mail seems to be doing as well as Australia Post, not well at all.
Farmers didn't like to have an Elder in their hedges as the are so easily broken and left a gap for animals to get out .
ReplyDeleteI love them as they protect from witches!!
I heard about the 80% trees gone - that is so sad.
That fox does look like a hat. Sorry about the tree branch and the trouble now needed to cut it up and dispose of it.
ReplyDeleteI have just watched a news video about those trees. Looks terrible.
ReplyDeleteTree's here are all OK, it is so sad to lose so many trees in one go, hopefully some will be replaced.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the purpose of a library?
ReplyDeletea) A place where you go to talk with your mates at lunchtime.
b) Where you go when you want to play the fun game of "Bate the Librarian".
c) A sanctuary from the hullabaloo in the rest of the school.
d) Somewhere where you can snack or chew gum.
e) A place where the Head Librarian can write endless drafts of the library's mission statement and hold a string of meetings about it before rewriting it a year later.
A mission statement for a school library is a bit much in my opinion. A waste of time and resources that will make no difference in operations. In terms of graffiti, I do tend to prefer a blank wall, but no this time. I would have lugged those pottery vessels to work with me. Surprised? A shame about the tree. Hope the caretaker doesn’t give you a headache about it. How awful about the damage done by Goretti.
ReplyDelete