Yesterday was about as nice a day as we could possibly want. A bit cold, perhaps, but sunny and bright. It drew everyone outdoors like a magnet. This was the high street in the early afternoon, when I took a walk around the neighborhood for some exercise.
I walked down a nearby street where, in February 2018, a house collapsed while it was under renovation. What didn't collapse was eventually torn down, and although I believe there were plans to rebuild (which I haven't heard anything about in years), so far there's still just a big gap in the street, with the two adjacent buildings supported by some temporary beams. Here's the original story on a local news blog, with links to more photos and coverage.
Free chairs, anyone? Kind of fun! If we needed chairs I might have taken them. They're a bit battered but they have character.
Some brilliant tulips were growing along this fence on the street, along with some euphorbia.
Fair warning -- this is probably what my blog is going to be from here on out, now that I'm retiring: "Here's what I saw on the street today." Do not expect any deep philosophizing.
I forgot to mention that I did get some seeds planted on Sunday. I planted six sunflowers in a seed tray, and five more in some big pots at the side of the house. (Probably too many for those pots, which already contain a few other things, to be honest.) I also planted a tray of zinnias and some cosmos. I'm keeping the cosmos indoors on the windowsill for now, but I'm hoping the others will sprout just fine outdoors, despite our chilly nights. (It's 47º F out there now, or 8.3º C, at almost 8 a.m.)
I've almost finished "Flashlight" -- I should polish it off today, finally. I also archived all my photos yesterday, which always takes time -- culling the ones I don't want and saving the rest to my portable disk drive. It's nice to have it done.
I can tell the world is waking up because I've already begun my summer ritual of rescuing insects that blunder into the house. I keep a little drinking glass and a notecard on the end table next to the couch, and when a bee or hoverfly comes in and I hear them buzzing and thumping against the windows, I pop the glass over the insect and slide the card beneath it, and transport the critter back outside. I had to do it twice yesterday already!
Sad to see that happen to the house. Either something structurral rotted or somebody removed something vital during the building work...but houses should never. be left empty for that long.
ReplyDeleteIt is even a pleasant day here so far too!! Starting by watching the moon set through a pink and apricot coloured sky as the sun rose
I suspect a builder knocked out a support wall, but who knows. I'm amazed it was left empty, given the price of rental property around here.
DeleteWhat you need is another dog to write about along with the street scenes!!
ReplyDeleteI agree! And that is the plan, eventually!
DeleteI do enjoy your urban scenes and things you stumble across, I do love we can pop things in our front garden we not longer want, and some will take it for free.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the garden-giveaway tradition here is pretty great!
DeleteThe house collapse is quite interesting, and it is hard to imagine any other cause than something the machinery operator did in the basement.
ReplyDeleteWest Hampstead Life is an unusual newspaper title. I am surprised there weren't any comments on the story but sometimes it is just too hard to leave comments on newspaper articles.
I like those abandoned chairs, not that I would want them in my home.
Yeah, I suspect that backhoe in the basement (visible in some of the pictures) knocked out a support wall. West Hampstead Life was actually a blog, not a newspaper. I think it's defunct now.
Delete"...a bit battered but they have character". Therefore the chairs would have been perfect for you and Dave. As for what you will write when you are retired...
ReplyDelete"April 7th 2029...It's my second hip replacement operation tomorrow. I have to write everything down on the calendar these days - in case I forget. Last night Dave told me that I was once a school librarian here in London. I knew he was joking but he insisted, "Yes you were!" As if I would do anything like that! I know for sure that I was an astronaut with NASA and I was the first to step foot on Mars."
You may be entirely correct in your prediction, but I hope not as soon as 2029!
DeleteAll creatures great and small. You are so kind. I find those chairs interesting, too. I’m surprised you managed to control yourself. I have a feeling you’ll still be philosophizing. There will be a hole new world in front of you. The house collapse story is sad, but amazing no one was hurt. I guess someone forgot to support the structure during the renovation. Oops! The tulips and euphorbia are stunning.
ReplyDeleteI often feel like I should be philosophizing more -- saying something deeper -- but does anyone want to hear that? LOL!
DeleteOoh, just noticed my typo. I wonder what is meant by a hole new world.
DeleteI love those city landscapes. A "bit battered but they have character" reminds me of my favorite people.
ReplyDeleteYes, they are good qualities in people and furniture. :)
DeleteMy hometown, at least the one closest to the farm, had a Main Street that was two blocks long and full of two story brick buildings in my youth. Not a single one was torn down but yet not a single one remains now. They have all fallen down at some point, probably the last one more than a couple decades ago now. I remember one year when there were three areas of Main with protective barriers around the piles of bricks that had spilled out onto the street.
ReplyDeleteWow, that's so sad. It's hard for me to conceive of perfectly useful buildings being left to crumble, but I know in many depopulated small towns that's what happens.
DeleteWe had cosmos and cleome in our garden for years. Both self seeded prolifically. I love flowers that come back. So this is common to put something out on the sidewalk that's free to anyone? My late husband loved to forage for things this way.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I see it a lot in London -- stuff left on the garden wall or on the sidewalk, often with a "free" sign.
DeleteI'm with you on bug removal. Was reading in bed the other night when suddenly a small spider raced over my duvet (granddog had been staying with me...think he brought this one in). I jumped out of bed, threw a tissue over it and deposited the spider outside. Cold transfer, but better than a quick end. :)
ReplyDeleteI often wonder how spiders fare when they're put outside, but if it came from there in the first place I'm sure it did OK. (Some spiders are house creatures and probably don't do as well outdoors.)
DeleteWe planted zinnias on Saturday! And there are already tiny little sprouts (which seems unlikely to me - isn't that too soon?). We're very excited about them.
ReplyDeleteZinnias are very cheerful flowers!
DeleteI always use the glass and card method of rehoming insects frantically trying to get through windows. Except some spiders I leave alone, to help if a mosquito gets in. I wouldn't mind a blog about city strolls with Steve, complete with foraging.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I generally leave our spiders alone. We have spindly little house spiders in some corners of the ceiling but they can stay there.
DeleteIt might have been a ,load to carry, but I'd have taken the chairs!!
ReplyDeleteI thought about it! Dave would have killed me, though.
DeleteAnother Day And Thanx For The Retirement Warning - Dig These Photos As Always - Keep Walking About And I Will Keep Reading
ReplyDeleteYou Rock ,
Cheers
There will be walking, soon hopefully with canine companionship!
DeleteFan Flipping Tastic !!
DeleteI do the same thing, only it's an empty ricotta cheese container and a piece of thin cardboard. Yesterday was a June bug but I just grabbed it and tossed it out.
ReplyDeleteWhose responsibility was it to but the support beams in place?
Probably the property owner, whoever that is/was. If I'm reading correctly the property was recently resold, so maybe someone is about to build something there.
DeleteWe don't mind coming along on your walks!
ReplyDeleteThank goodness!
DeleteI can tell you are really looking forward to retirement.
ReplyDeleteIt seems unreal, even now, with just three days left to work next week!
DeleteStreet photos and flowers are just fine with me. I love the red of those tulips.
ReplyDeleteAren't they great? There were purple ones next to them too, so a nice mix of colors, but I thought the red really stood out.
DeleteThat street scene looks so inviting. It's hard to believe that vacant lot has been like that for 8 years. If I lived in one of the two braced houses I'd be a bit nervous.
ReplyDeleteSo would I! I'm sure they're not happy. And eventually they're going to have to put up with construction on that lot.
DeleteI have a feeling that you will find lots to write about. I never tire of viewing your street scenes of London!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad!
DeleteYou have already shown me places I would never see in real life ... your walks will do the same thing! You are saving me tons of money💰!
ReplyDeleteHa! Well, that's good. Feel free to send me donations. :)
DeleteThat house collapse must have been very dramatic, and to think I was concerned about our falling interior wall. :-)
ReplyDeleteI too have an 'insect rescue kit' available and it's been put to use a few times recently already. They can find their way in but not out ... I should have some EXIT signs made.!!
Yeah, most bugs seem hopeless when it comes to getting OUT of a house. You'd think they could read the air currents or something to find an open window.
DeleteYour street photos are always wonderful. You have a great eye and capture the essence better than most people. The wildlife and garden photos and stories are equally well enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteA house collapse during a renovation has to be devastating for the homeowner. The neighbors can't be all that happy about having metal braces to keep their homes standing.
I agree xxxx
DeleteThanks, Susan and John! I always think I write too much about the garden but it is the focus of our lives here in the warmer months.
DeleteTake all the walks you want, as far as I'm concerned, as long as you share the photos! (After I saw your top one, I did a little google walk down West End Lane with fond memories!) Well done on the seed starting. And I loved those chairs!
ReplyDeleteYes, the restaurant where we had dinner was just a little ways farther along that side of the street!
DeleteI planted moonflowers and got some basil. Considering my brown thumb, we'll see how it all goes. I'm trying to determine the era of that pattern on the chair seats. They look vinyl? I kinda like them.
ReplyDeleteI had to look up moonflowers. I don't think those grow here, but I have seen morning glories. The seats look very '50s to me, or maybe just retro style. I think they are vinyl, yes.
DeleteMore than happy for you to take us on walks
ReplyDeleteI'm glad! I try to make them interesting!
DeleteThe photographs you've shared are good ... I especially like the first one.
ReplyDeleteHappy walking.
All the best Jan
Glad you enjoy the pics! That first one hopefully gives a sense of what it was like to be there.
DeleteI am constantly saving bees and even wasps who can somehow make their way into the screen porch, but not out.
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking to myself here that today is quite possibly the most beautiful day of the year so far.
It is a spectacular time of year!
DeleteFinding things on the street takes on a theme! There is this guy on instagram who spends his day looking for a real diamond. He finds tiny beads, ear rings, rhinestones, collects his findings for a photo shoot and ends by saying what he found but" no diamond today". It is a sweet thing, he has a quiet poetic voice and that makes one appreciate the found tiny objects even more.
ReplyDeleteThose chairs have such potential! I love them!
Oh, that's a cool idea for an Instagram channel. I could certainly do one on "Found in London"!
Delete(Except that I hate Instagram.)
DeleteI enjoy observations, book reviews, philosophizing, ranting and all sorts of blog posts. Keep it up, Steve!
ReplyDeleteOK, good!
DeleteBees don't make it into my home but if any did I would do the same. All other bugs get squished and flushed. Cockroaches, earwigs, millipedes.
ReplyDeleteCrawly bugs are harder to catch. I'd probably kill a cockroach, too. Earwigs are actually beneficial insects, though -- they eat other bugs.
Delete