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Bits and bobs about my life in my lovely home, Thatchwick Cottage, Pretoria, South Africa.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Monday, 15 September: Blue Monday ecetera

A ground cover in the garden welcomes Monday with its little blue flowers. The air is heady with perfume - flowering trees and shrubs are everywhere. Here on the Highveld, it is dry, dry, dry. We are more or less entirely dependent on rain to fill the dams and provide water. Yet the dusty landscape has just come alive, more or less, without a drop of rain since April.
First the syringas blossom - the lilac blooms enchant and give the allergy-prone folk the most awful hayfever.

Marais Street a block away from Thatchwick and part of my dogwalk route. The bare jakarandas touch branches. In just a week or two this grey canopy of twigs will be purple-mauve blossoms.

Ever seen buttercups growing on a tree? The tippuana tipu at Uncle Tim's. All these trees are non-indigeneous, unfortunately.

Thank you to all the great bloggers who visited me in the last week. I am hopelessly behind in answering blog comments. Will get there! But now for the poems promised. For Willow and Lavinia who confessed their quirks, two fun poems by Ogden Nash.

The porcupine

Any hound a porcupine nudges
Can't be blamed for harbouring grudges
I know one hound that laughed all winter
At a porcupine that sat on a splinter.

The shark
How many scientists have written
The shark is as gentle as a kitten!
Yet I know about the shark:
His bite is worser than his bark.

For Pamela and her princely Edward, Robert Louis Stevenson on invisible friends:

The unseen playmate
When children are playing alone on the green
In comes the playmate that never was seen.
When children are happy and lonely and good,
The Friend of the children comes out of the woood.
Nobody heard him and nobody saw,
His is a picture you never could draw,
But he's sure to be present, abroad or at home,
When children are happy and playing alone.

He loves to be little, he hates to be big,
Tis he that inhabits the caves that you dig;
'Tis he when you play with your soldiers of tin
That sides with the Frenchmen and never can win.

Tis he, when at night you go off to your bed
Bids you do to your sleep and not trouble your head
For wherever they're lying in cupboard or shelf,
'Tis he will take care of your playthings himself!

21 comments:

Lavinia said...

Eleanor, your neighbourhood is spectacular. THe dog-walking route is one that I know Bebbers and I would enjoy immensely. I love those old streets that are lined with trees between sidewalk and road! I grew up on a street like that...

Thanks for the quirky poem! That was sweet of you to do that... Ogden Nash has authored so many witty writings.

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

I love the poem, Eleanor! You are a dear to post it for me. Yes, Mr. Stevenson had it right, didn't he!

You have such a lovely place to walk, I can almost smell the fragrance in the air myself. No wonder you are an early riser.

And, I so would have loved attending that quilt show! Such inspiration. I am in the middle of a brand-new knitting class, or I might just have to pick up my quilting needle again!

Happy Blue Monday!

Carrie said...

What fun! I enjoyed the poems...also the views of your spring time.

Barbara Martin said...

Eleanor, thanks for the tour of your neighbourhood. Going for dog walks introduces one to new areas, and the dogs always appreciate finding new smells wherever they go.

Tess Kincaid said...

Your daily walk is marvelous, Eleanor!! Those majestic trees are absolutely glorious. I would be in heaven walking "on the street where you live"!

The two poems are adorable! They brightened my day which has been, up to this point, a little frustrating. The winds from Ike struck our area with 60 mph wind gusts yesterday (yes, all the way up here in central Ohio)and we have been without power for 24 hours!! Since we have a well, that means no water, either. But finally, all is back to normal. I'm making my way through the bloggyhood and running myself a nice hot bath! :)

Webradio said...

Hello Eleanor !

Pretty pictures !

Careful at the awful hayfever, the porcupine and the shark...

See You later...

Nola said...

Oh, please be sure and post a photo of the jakarandas'purple-mauve blossoms when they bloom! The trees are lovely, even with no leaves, I imagine they will be spectacular in bloom.

From the Attic said...

I can't wait for the jacarandas to bloom here in Queensland too. They are certainly magnificent. I am in awe of them every spring and the purple carpet they provide when they drop their flowers is so pretty too. My shadow, Ben, says hello to Sir Tristram and Sir Galahad :)

Eleanor said...

Thank you one and all for the comments! My PROJECT is to get back to everyone this week! Love Eleanor

Anonymous said...

Eleanor it's so very nice to meet you! I enjoyed reading your post. The pictures are beautiful. You have a way with words and I really loved the poems you posted. I hope you have a lovely day.

Theresa @ Take A Sentimental Journey said...

Please remember to show us Marais St . when it is in bloom . Have a blessed day Eleanor.

SmilingSally said...

I didn't see this post until Tuesday. You did not link in! Next Blue Monday will be better. ;-)

Pretty blue flowers.

Paula said...

Pragtig!

Muriel said...

Beautiful poems Eleanor! I can't wait for the Jacaranda's to bloom!!!

Grandma Faith said...

I'm so happy to meet you in Blogland. Your blog is lovely. I enjoyed the pretty pictures and the poems. Have a great day!

Mary said...

I just found your blog from Rose's blog and see a lot of beautiful things. I hope to wander in again! I've always enjoyed Ogden Nash's poems but didn't knwo that one....great! I see you are a quilter and so am I. Will have to search your blog for quilts when I get time.

Unknown said...

Oh Eleanor, I didn't think that Thatchwick Cottage could look more beautiful. But those flowers are stunning and they make your home breathtaking. I love your photographs and your words. Karen

SAPhotographs (Joan) said...

Hello Eleanor. Sounds like you are on the other side of town from me. :) I am in Montana. Lovely blog with so much of interest. I do mostly wildlife and macro (insects, butterflies)photography but love anything to do with nature.
Joan

Tracy said...

Hi, Eleanor! Just back from travels...and wonderful to catch up with you here...Such a fun poem! And love your photos. Hope yo're having a good week. I'll be back soon...once the jet lag has worn off--LOL! Happy Days ((HUGS))

brucesc said...

Hi Eleanor--I got here from Mary the quilter and see that Joan from saphotographs is here too. You two will have to get together. I almost lived in Pretoria 28 years ago. What a beautiful city. I can't wait to see Marais Street in bloom from you. The jacarandas were at their height the first time we came to SA and we stayed with a possible future employer up on Wasser-kloof, so the view was spectacular!
I'm going to put you on my blog list--such pretty photographs.

Pearl Maple said...

Thanks for your kind comments on my post earlier.

You do post lovely photos on your blog space and interesting in that it is a part of the world that many of us might like to travel there 'one day'.

Thanks for sharing.