Friday 8 April 2011

Impossibly cute

Look who moved in just down the road!





This gorgeous little crew lives just outside our neighbourhood; they have a beautifully uncomplicated daily ritual, which starts with them up by the green and white barn (standing about the doorway, or lined up in a row staring through the bars of the side fence waiting for the breakfast-bringer), then playing about in the larger field - which is when you can visit them and pat the lovely soft noses through the fence - and ends with them back in the barn in the dusky light; we think they have soft little hay nests, and curl up with a good book and a mug of cocoa.




Our favourite is the stumpy baby, who is even sweeter than the rest, but we love them all... they have become part of our morning and evening spotting rituals; on our way to and from work, we look out for the same things, sometimes with the same commentary. It reminds me of being a child and going to my grandparents' house; my family will remember such gems as 'look at the little cubby' (correct response: 'I did already'), and 'that's where the children played'; there was also the chant 'look at the coloured wiiiindows, and the blue one is cracked', which, after the owners did some repairs, had to change to the ludicrous 'look at the coloured wiiiindows, and the blue one is-not cracked!'

Our spottings are all animals - the mini-donkeys; some even stumpier and shaggier ponies who live in a tiny bit of forest by the side of the road, and even some llamas, one of whom has ridiculously fluffy legs. There may be photos later; in the meantime use your imagination...

Sunday 3 April 2011

The magic windowsill

Dave's parents gave me a beautiful orchid for my last birthday; it bloomed for a few weeks, and then all the flowers dropped off and it turned into a bare stick with some leaves at the base. I researched 'care of orchids' on the internet, and found it a place with indirect light, as instructed, and watered it a little once a week, as instructed... still, I had bare sticks. I kept watering it regularly but gave up hoping it would ever do anything more.

But one evening I noticed that it had developed some buds - over weeks, they grew larger - and finally, they started to bloom!


Once it had a few flowers on it I moved it into the entry to show it off - and yesterday, the final bud opened. Over the last 6 weeks, 19 flowers have opened. And the oldest one is still as beautiful as the newest!




I have moved my second orchid (also no more than a green stick for months) onto the magic windowsill, which suited the first one so perfectly - so far it has 10 buds...