To Australia, Part 1

I've spent some time combing through the photo album that was kindly sent to me by a blog reader. As best I can tell, it follows the journey of a group of women from England to Australia aboard the RMS Otranto. I would guess the year to be about 1950.

It's hard to tell who our traveler is. There's a luggage tag in the name of "M. Oliver," and the woman at left above appears in many of the photos and is referred to on the back of one as "Mary." She may be the owner of the album, or perhaps a friend or relative.

The Otranto, which was built in Barrow-in-Furness in 1925, had a 32-year career as a passenger liner. It served as a troop transport during World War II. It was eventually scrapped in 1957.

It's possible to roughly trace the route of the ship based on the photos. First it stopped in Italy, near Naples. The women visited Pompeii (above), which I identified by uploading a photo of the distinctive ruins into Google Image Search...

...and they also visited some lush gardens in Sorrento. (Fortunately someone wrote "Sorrento" on the back of this photo.) It must have been chilly. Look at those coats!

From there the ship passed through the Suez Canal. The top photo was taken on the Suez, according to a note on the back, which I suppose is why the women were all wearing Fez-style hats. As blogger Gwynneth pointed out in a comment on yesterday's post, that also explains the Egyptian motif of the album itself -- it was probably purchased en route.

I was amused by the photo above, which I believe was taken in the canal, because Dave and I experienced this same phenomenon on the Nile when we went to Egypt several years ago. Vendors would pull small boats aside our passenger vessel to sell items to the travelers. In the boats above I see produce and what looks like luggage, among other things.

Shipboard shenanigans! These are clearly men in drag. Someone wrote on the back, "Note the beauty looking on!" I'm guessing it was a "beauty contest" and our traveler, or one of her friends, was captured in the background at left, looking over the shoulder of one of the male "beauties."

After passing through the Red Sea, the ship stopped in Aden, a port city on the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula and a British colony at the time. (It's now part of Yemen.) Our traveler took several photos of the street life. (Again, "Aden" is written on the back of some of the prints, which helped with locations.)

Then it was off to Colombo, in what was then known as Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). To figure out the location I had to put this photo into Google Image Search, which immediately identified that building as the Jami-ul-Alfar Mosque.

Eventually, our travelers arrived in Perth, in Western Australia. There are photos of black swans, a symbol of Western Australia, as well as the building above, Winthrop Hall at the University of Western Australia. (Thanks to Google Image Search once again!) I assume this is an indication that the ship docked in Perth.

From there, our traveler(s) made their way across Australia...and we will continue their journey tomorrow!

The Bowl, and a Surprise

Is this a Novemberish picture or what? I came across this scene while walking to work yesterday morning. It seems like all the leaves in the city plummeted to the ground over the weekend. The street sweepers have a lot to keep up with.

Some of you asked for a closer look at all the items in the bowl on my desk -- as well as the bowl itself. I did this once before, back in 2021, but some of the objects were different then! So yesterday I laid everything out on a piece of blue posterboard -- I'm sure the kids were wondering what the heck I was up to -- and took a photo.

As you can see, there are random game pieces, bits of jewelry, guitar picks, coins from Hungary and Romania, some friendship bracelets and one of those interlocking puzzles, among other things. The glass "candy" came from my previous boss, who brought it from Prague. When I leave next April, I'll keep that, as well as the plastic bee, which I found years ago while walking Olga on the high street.

I may save a few other items for my bowls of miscellany here at home -- that silver bird-shaped earring at the top, above the unicorn, is very cool and clearly handmade, and was also found on the street near our flat. (It wound up on my desk because I was walking to work at the time.) Everything else, including the bowl, will be passed on to my successor, in all likelihood.

Out of the blue, a mysterious package arrived for me yesterday. It had no return address and when I opened it I found this elaborate leather-bound album with an Egyptian motif. Inside were black-and-white photos and a card:

Dear Mr. Reed,
     I hope that all is well with you? Please find enclosed a photograph album that was rescued from a skip. There was a plan to research the photographs! As you are a patient man with vast knowledge and keenness, I thought you might be interested. If not, please feel free to recycle them as you wish. Your blog is a pleasure to read. Thank you. Regards, C.

Well, this is the BEST THING that has happened to me for a long time! Thank you, C., whoever you are, for passing along this treasure. I can't believe someone threw away such a beautiful old album full of memories. You greatly overestimate my knowledge and patience, but maybe not my keenness, and I will do my best to deliver some information about the contents in a future post. (Maybe as soon as tomorrow, if I manage to promptly scan the pictures.) Just glancing through, I can tell already that they involve travel to Australia -- so readers Down Under may be particularly interested. More to come!

Guy Fox Night

A pretty quiet day around the house yesterday. I got almost no reading done, once again, because I was too busy raking leaves in the garden and doing a million other little things. I swear I'm not going to finish this book until Christmas.

Yes, I did rake the leaves. I debated just leaving them on the lawn but they were quite thick and I didn't want the grass to suffer. I piled them in the back of the garden so they can break down, and maybe we can mulch with them in a month or two. I also cut down the rest of the dahlias and put them in the shed -- job done until next spring.

At lunchtime I had to walk up to Waitrose to buy some bread, and a woman and two stone-faced little boys were selling poppies outside the store for Remembrance Day. I asked if I could use a card and the woman said yes, but then when I pulled out the card she said, "Oh, not like that. It needs to be on your phone." (I had to scan a QR code.) The little boys remained expressionless. I said, "Leave it to me. I'll figure something out."

I picked up my bread and soup for lunch, and at the till I asked the cashier to charge me a pound extra and then give me a pound coin, if possible. She said she could only do that in ten-pound increments, so I said, "Fine, I'll take £10, and then give me a fiver and five pounds in coins, please."

Thus armed with cash, I re-emerged from the store and bought a poppy. I gave them £3, which I thought was pretty generous, but the boys still looked stone-faced, if not slightly belligerent. I never saw them crack a smile. Maybe it's part of their sales tactic? I'm sure they would rather be playing Nintendo, or whatever kids play nowadays.

Here's the latest garden-cam wildlife video. It's a short one this week -- I'm trying to spare you too many clips of cats aimlessly walking back and forth. But there's good footage of one of the foxes on Bonfire Night.

First, a squirrel portrait.
At 0:05, Q-Tip trots past, followed at 0:15 by Brownie (actually several hours apart).
At 0:20, Pale Cat comes right toward us.
At 0:37, Brownie goes the other way, followed later by Pale Cat, who stops for some quick grooming and to sniff some smells.
The best clip is at 1:10, when we see one of the foxes (behind some plants in the center of the screen) reacting to neighborhood fireworks on Bonfire Night. If you've ever wondered whether or not fireworks bother wild animals, this will show you! I think this is Brownie, who I'm debating renaming "Guy Fox."
At 1:28 we see two clips of Bell the Bengal, the only times he/she turned up on the camera this week.

(Top photo: An autumnal scene in South Hampstead, on Saturday.)

A Nighttime Stroll

Yesterday turned out to be very busy. I did a lot of stuff in the morning around the house, including some plant care and sponge-mopping the bathroom ceiling. Yes, you read that right! The ceiling above our shower tends to get a bit discolored by damp, so every year or so I sponge-mop it with a mild bleach solution. Difficult to do but good for upper-body strength!

I also vacuumed and did laundry, cleaned our bathrooms and hauled our sheets and towels to the laundromat, where I have them washed in larger machines than our washer at home.

After that busy morning, I read "The Old Curiosity Shop" for a while, had a light lunch and then made my way to the dentist, where I had to have a filling replaced. I told my dentist I'm surprised that some of the fillings I got in the mid- to late '90s seemed to be failing or wearing down, while my oldest filling -- the only metal amalgam filling in my mouth -- is still functioning perfectly well. The dentist said those old amalgam fillings are strong and it may well last me the rest of my life. (Now that I've said it, it probably won't.)

In the evening, I was meeting up with my friend Sally near Sloane Square for drinks and a concert. I decided to walk there, which meant meandering through Marylebone and Marble Arch, across Hyde Park and through Knightsbridge into Chelsea. It was a beautiful evening and perfect for walking. I passed Lee Simmons' sculpture "Circadian" at Marble Arch (above), like a giant calla lily sprouting from the pavement.

In Hyde Park, the Winter Wonderland is about to open. I've never been to the Winter Wonderland. Maybe I can convince Dave to go!

The cafe at the east end of the Serpentine was busy in the twilight...

...and I stopped to watch bats fluttering over the water. (I had my AirPods in my ears at the time so I didn't realize when I made the video that a crying baby was nearby -- hence the added music track!)

In Chelsea, Peter Jones is all lit up for Christmas. I've never been in that store. I've always assumed it's too swank for me, being in the very swank neighborhood of Sloane Square, but it's owned by John Lewis and apparently it has a restaurant on the top floor. I should check it out sometime. So much to do!

Sally, her neighbor Chris and I met at the nearby Antelope pub, where we had a drink before making our way to the show. We saw a music group called Cloudbusting, which specializes in performing the music of Kate Bush -- in this case with the West London Sinfonia, at Cadogan Hall. Bush rarely performs her own music live, so this group has sort of stepped into the breach and they do it justice. We thoroughly enjoyed the show.

Afterwards, Sally and Chris headed for the tube and I decided to keep walking. Why don't I walk more at night? It was really enjoyable. I hope I'm demonstrating to all the MAGA Americans who think London is a giant no-go zone full of dangerous immigrants that it simply isn't true. I was out for hours after dark surrounded by people of every race and many nationalities and never felt any sense of threat or danger.

I put Kate Bush on my iTunes so I could listen to her music as I headed toward the Green Park tube station. I walked past Elizabeth Street in Belgravia (above)...

...and past the softly lit Buckingham Palace. As I crossed in front of the palace, coincidentally, Bush's song "Oh England My Lionheart" began to play from my iTunes:

Oh, England, my lionheart
I don't want to go

And that reminds me to tell you -- remember the Iceberg? That looming life change that looked like it might happen and that was giving me agita? Well, we have safely sailed past it, or so it appears. Basically, Dave was considering pursuing a job opportunity, but he has decided not to apply. It would have meant moving back to the United States, which neither of us are particularly eager to do -- and though there were several reasons he decided against it, we mainly don't want to tear out our life here by the roots. (I'm using a plant metaphor because the prospect of giving up all my plants was a major part of my stress!) I'm happy to report that we are staying put in England, My Lionheart.

Desk

Some of you asked about the stuff on my desk. It's an ever-changing collection of junque, but here's what things look like at the moment.

The pottery pencil cup has been in the library longer than I have, and I don't know who made it or how old it is. It's just always there.

The Stonehenge cup came from this trip I took with some high school classes back in 2022. One of the teachers bought some souvenirs to distribute to the kids, and the cup was left over, so it was mine by default. It usually has pencils in it too, but we seem to be momentarily low on our pencil supply.

The Beanie Baby parrot ("Jabber") I found among the holiday decorations in a cabinet in our conference room. I set it out on the desk so everyone could enjoy it. Hilariously, they are listed on eBay at prices ranging from £4.50 to £4,774.03! I'm pretty sure if that latter price was realistic Jabber would have been parrot-napped by now.

The wooden bird at left looks like a Latin American souvenir. I don't know where it came from -- again, I found it in a library cabinet. I used to have a little blue hippopotamus from the same cabinet but someone recently absconded with it. Hopefully it found a good home.

The gold cow is a game piece from the Hollywood edition of the game "Herd Mentality." I found it on the sidewalk while walking Olga.

The plaster "Happy!" face I found among some furniture being discarded by the school, and the artificial leaves and acorns are scattered around the library at the moment as a seasonal decoration.

Finally, the container of BYOMA (whatever that is!) was something a student left behind. I usually have a rotating collection of makeup, personal-care and school supplies sitting up there, depending on what's been recently lost. (Which is why the dinosaur pencil case was displayed there!) The BYOMA was reclaimed yesterday afternoon.

On the surface of my desk, underneath the ledge where all that stuff above sits, I keep pictures and some other random objects -- work-related books, my good pens that I don't want students to steal, and a bowl of debris I've picked up around the library over the years.

I've actually shown you the contents of this bowl before, though the collection grows and changes over time. Every once in a while I get motivated to find a home for the various game pieces or puzzle pieces that accumulate there, and then I inevitably find new stuff. It never ends.

So there you have it. Wasn't that FASCINATING?! I'm not taking any of this stuff with me when I leave in April, except the pictures. I bequeath everything else to my fellow librarians.

Time Management and Raw Pie

Our Japanese maple has lost most of its leaves, as you can see above. It still makes for a very autumnal scene, although we do not have weather to match. I walked to school yesterday in short sleeves with no jacket and was perfectly comfortable.

I don't know what has happened to my time management skills. I never used to feel harried or pressed for time, but lately I'm having trouble getting everything done. If I laid out a timetable of my day it would look something like this:

5:30-7 a.m.: Coffee, unpack dishwasher, write blog post
7-8: Get ready for work, household stuff (make bed, etc)
8-8:30: Walk to work
8:30-12: Work
12-1: Lunch, answer blog comments
1-4:30: Work
4:30-5: Walk home
5-7: Catch up with Dave, read blogs
7-9: TV
9-9:30: Bed

Now, obviously some down time will occur periodically during the day. That's when I'll grab time to read the news -- and reading is how I absorb the bulk of my information about current events. But "work" is much busier than it used to be, given that the other assistant is only half-time now. And when do I read books? This is why it takes me forever to read a novel nowadays. I pretty much only read on weekends.

I could cut out TV, but that's what Dave and I share in the evenings -- watching our shows. In other words, it's not just TV. It's bonding time for us.

I guess I shouldn't lament all this too much, since in six months I'll become unemployed and although I'll be poorer, my time will open up considerably.

At the risk of overkill, here are some more shots of our Thanksgiving cacti:

I would not say I'm the cactus whisperer, by any means, but they're doing better this year than they have in a while.

A couple of days ago we had sixth-grade classes come into the library for lessons on how to find non-fiction books. The Dewey Decimal System is a mystery to most kids -- and many adults, as well -- so they need some help navigating that. The lessons are a good idea, but these kids are a whirlwind. This is how they left one shelf:

As my former co-worker Tabatha used to say, "You gotta laugh to keep from cryin'!"

In comments on a recent post, some of you questioned the wisdom of eating week-old pasta sauce. Well, here's another food-safety dilemma for you. Dave ordered a pre-made apple pie from Waitrose and had it delivered with the rest of our groceries. He left the pie on the kitchen counter for three or four days -- he figured it would be fine since it was already baked.

But when I went to cut it last night, it seemed very soggy, and I realized that although the top looked browned, the dough was basically raw. I looked more closely at the box, and the pie was supposed to be refrigerated and then baked for another 30 minutes before serving! Oops.

Needless to say, we threw it out. I wonder how many people make that mistake.

A Prehistoric Mystery

The other day I found this pencil case abandoned on the floor in the library. I set it on my desk in the hopes that whoever lost it would see it and reclaim it, and in the meantime it became an object of curiosity. Is that a dinosaur? And what is the dinosaur doing?

It looked to me like the dinosaur was either smoking or shooting a gun. As a fellow teacher remarked, "Either one would be inappropriate."

Lo and behold, a few days later, a high schooler walking by saw it and grabbed it. I asked if it was hers and she said yes, and I asked for the story behind the dinosaur. Was it smoking or shooting? "I don't even know," she said, looking at it quizzically.

More research being warranted, I loaded the closeup above into Google. It took me a while to wade through the results, a slew of dinosaur cartoons -- including one of a dinosaur smoking a joint, which is an option I hadn't even considered. (But which would explain feigned ignorance on the part of the teenager.)

But forget about that because I finally found the exact image, a product of a cheerful Korean outfit called Joguman Studio. The caption reads, "I am a herbivore. But that doesn't mean I can't kill you."

Aha. Gun it is.

I'm sure that probably violates some school policy, but it's a tiny image and as I found, not readily decipherable. I'm letting it slide, especially since I now can't remember whose pencil case it is. Looking at my top picture again, I see that the pencil case has a manufacturer's tag, so why I didn't just look at that rather than going through all the rigmarole above, I'm not sure.