Today and yesterday's count

Yesterday in the afternoon sunshine seven brightly coloured children, pink and green and turquoise, bravely in the sun in their hats, did what children have always done if allowed, invented a game using what comes available.  These seven had found a large-ish branch off a poplar tree and used it as a pony on which most could ride, to charge up the slope, then it changed into a toboggan and they slide down again.  The sky was blue, the day was warmly hot, and I was able to pick crabapples from my favourite  tree after all.  A pie is in the offing.  Today I went to the far side of the crabapple grove and entered the path to the Education prairie garden.  There a large brown and green dragonfly landed on my leg.  But it tickled and I started, and he flew away.

Today's count

photo by Ron Oriti 2007

Hot, but not too hot.  Blue, with clouds accenting the sky.  A cool wind which is most pleasing.  And I walked among the blue and orange dragonflies in the crabapple grove.  The blue dragons have a wing span of about five inches and are a joy to watch hovering and turning, and once flipping over backwards as they eat the dreaded mosquito.  The orange dragons are smaller and spend more time close to the grass.  The apples on the trees are just starting to turn.  But sadly the ones on the yummy tree have some kind of blight, so there will be no crabapple pie again this year. Sigh.

today's count

A perfect Saskatchewan summer day.  Sunshine, warm, dry, windy.  Shorts, barefoot in the grass, straw hat.  Two gophers, one in a hole a few feet from where I sat who began to get used to the idea I was there.  A big orange bumblebee.  A dragonfly.  The daycare kids in bright colours like flowers.  Blades of grass showing lime green in the sunlight. The leaves budding out, turning the trees a hazy green. The smell of them, still sticky and sweet.

Watched crabapples never rippen: today's count

Millions of half rippened crabapples.  Just a wee bit tart.  That is just a wee bit tarter than normally tart crabapples.  But I have hope.  Two white butterflies cavorting, two red gold dragon flies taking a break and sunning themselves on a stick.  They are very sensitive to movement.  I was sorry to disturb their break, they have been working so hard, there are almost now mosquitos left.  Blue sky, huge fluffy clouds, warm air.  Quiet.

Holiday 2

Unexpected holidays are wonderful.  I went on one this morning.  I was walking along on my morningly morning walk and found myself suddenly in Paris, walking along the shaded streets with a view of the Eiffel Tower.  A lovely blue in the morning light.  As I sauntered along enjoying the sights and smells of Paris, I found I had moved across the channel and was now in London.  Oh, look, the bridge.  How marvellous.  And the underground.  Mind the Gap. 

 I remember the London underground.  I experienced it in the company of my sister-in-law's aunts and two wildly entertaining eleven year old twin cousins.  We were on our way to see the Queen:  which we duly did.  She didn't see us though.  Poor her.  We were having a hoot, but don't think she was.  After London I boarded a large dragon fly, one of the hundreds of big blue ones who have launched in the last twenty-four hours to eat the mosquitoes, and ended up in New York.  It's as close to the Statue of Liberty as I have been in may years.  I arrived home refreshed from my holiday.  As one should.