But Is It Safe?

I've just risked hitting the "Next Blog" link on Blogger.
Some of the most weird experiences on the Net in the past
have been brought courtesy of my curiosity and desire to learn.
I stopped hitting this button over a year ago, as it did not seem
to have a sensible filter system.

Today's experience has been encouraging.
I've found a new graphics blog that seems to be
in Norwegian... my knowledge of Nordic languages
is almost non-existent, so I should look a bit more
closely from now on.

Must take risks more often...

Ars Domestica

The educational system that directs my thought processes
no longer exists. The classical formation considered
essential to survival in the past is now a vague memory.

Five years of intensive Latin tuition remains a bit of a puzzle
to this day, though it does make botany much easier to study.
Livy, up to this precise moment, was of absolutely no use for the
life that lay ahead, though I suppose I should not be prejudiced
and give him another try.

Why I should suddenly start wondering about the gender
of the noun "ars" is one of life's mysteries.

Hope I got the
adjective right.

A World of Bread

World Bread Day is running along nicely.
I started last evening by soaking dried fruit in tea
and today saw me very busy indeed.

The photos I took with the Fuji e500 web camera
came out quite sparkly, thanks to the October
sun streaming into the kitchen.

As the World turns on its axis I like to think
of all the bakers who are rising to the occasion.

No Pond in Our Garden, but the Frogs Keep Coming Back

An enquiry about the water lily on Photographe à Dublin
set me thinking about why we removed our pond last year.
It was a home to a family of frogs who seemed very angry when
they were deprived of a watery hiding place, but this Summer
found them returning, no hard feelings, it seems.

The recent changes in the garden were due to the fact
that a large pond can be a security issue and we needed
the space it took up. I think that the white water lily
I planted about fifteen years ago flowered once and then
kept up a moribund presence for a few years, finally dying
off in the middle of a frosty Winter. It's possible that
the water was too shallow. I had studied the various choices
for weeks before buying, and for quite some time after its demise
the red planter remained half afloat, a sad reminder of failure.

The people who made the water garden in Emo Court this Summer
made none of my mistakes and the photos of their pink water
lilies are a treasure. I've taken to zapping up the saturation
levels, which makes them look like images from an exotic Bollywood Movie,
but it seems to work. The originals were a gentle blush and were surprisingly
numerous considering the wet Summer we have had. The photos were taken
at the end of August.

Our two trips to Emo were incredibly successful.
The wind during the August visit caused many of
the photos to have a dizzying effect.
I'm still working on them.