Snow melting away little by little. I got up just before dawn to see if I could spot the shower of meteors called the Orionids, but all I could see was clouds and a thin crescent of moon half-lost in mist.
How raindrops weigh down the heads of roses, that delicate flopping downward. My apricot Crepuscule roses are all drooping and shedding their honey-warm petals. ‘Crepuscule‘, meaning ‘twilight’, is a Tea Noisette, introduced in France in 1904 by Francis Debreuil. I like the older roses that need less attention and flower away year after year despite heat and drought. My neighbour says he will give me a Veilchenblau rose, violet-coloured blooms that are streaked with white. Mouthwatering.
One of those days. The housemate ill but insisting on getting her nursing duties done. The small dog known as the Chub threw up semi-digested plant matter and bile all over the sofa: her nose is cold and her eyes bright so I am just keeping an eye on her. The Great Dane has tracked mud across the duvet covering the bed in the spare room, an area to which he has restricted access..
The gas cylinder has been quietly leaking away on the far side of the garage wall, so I now live with images of gas explosions and my limited repertoire of oven-baked recipes. No, I have an electric wok too, a Teflon monster that either simmers meekly or roars away like a furnace. I burned cinnamon rolls I was making with some good left-over pizza dough.
Some days I almost wish I could climb into bed and put a pillow over my head and let the world go to hell. But my neighbour called to say her electronic security gates have stopped working, trapping the family within, so she is sending her elderly husband to climb over our shared brick wall with the aid of a stepladder and a walking aid. She herself has severe knee pain after a knee replacement op and the surgeon said airily that the patella may be scraping against the metal joint in her knee Surely not? But she is cheerful in the face of all kinds of disasters and taking courage from her I wonder if I need kitchen chairs and ropes or extra blankets to help with the wall climbing expedition. The poor dog must stay in the kitchen and miss all the fun.
I haven’t caught the Orionids this year yet, either – and I’m always up before dawn and looking skyward. Hopefully, tomorrow morning they will peak. And be careful with that gas cylinder!
Love,
T in J
Careful is the right word! Nothing to be seen this morning either, just heavy dark cloud.
..although hmmm…I see Midrand, just a few km north of here, is having a deluge.
Love,
T in J
Some days are just that way–one things after another. But at least, I see a bit of amusement after it is all over. And I can start my day over at any time which is good.