Connections

So many wonderful spider's web images have been posted here lately! It is the spider season, and also the time for gathering in and giving thanks for the fruits and grains.

I collected a few conkers the other day, and am storing them in the house to prevent spiders taking over the spare room. They seem to like our 1930s house. But, though the apples and conkers/horse chestnuts are not at all prolific this year, I am thinking of another kind of bounty, that of friendship.

The worldwide web brought my school friend Haidi and I together, and last year we met up for the first time since 1985! I vividly remember dancing at her wedding to the theme of Mad Max III. 'Search for the hero inside yourself...'

Last night it seemed we were searching for the genie at the bottom of the wine bottle. We sat up till 3, with long interludes in the garden under a full moon. The crickets were still chirping, and the cats were a-rustling in the hedgerows, or in Bomble's case, under the duvet with CleanSteve! Haidi lives in Reading now, and I have been trying to persuade her to come over for approximately six months, so it was a delight to welcome her to our home. We talked about life, and love, and medical/health issues, and work, what to do when the children have grown up (hers, not mine), and the her recent trip to the US of A. I did have to laugh when she told me she had booked an internal trip to San Diego from Dallas, via Minnesota!

My geography of the States used to be poor, but I read so many books by Anne Tyler and Natalie Goldberg that I made a conscious effort to learn the location of a few states and capitals, so I could have a vague idea of which area the authors were talking about.This knowledge may be useful if/when booking flights.

I woke at 9 today, dragged Haidi out of bed about 11, and was annoyingly cheerful for a few hours, during which time we breakfasted and went to the Prince Albert pub with CleanSteve to see an exhibition of posters. While there, we chanced upon some delicious pies, and I took a few shots of the posters, some of which were printed on coloured fabric and hanging on washing lines strung across the pub.

Back home, I began to droop, and was disappointed with all my poster images. While Haidi and I chatted, I took some shots of random things on the table, including this pretty basket which I found in the road one day, put out for trash. It sits by my laptop now and holds cables and chargers. Today, I put the conkers and a leatherjacket apple in it, and shot it against the window, with the garden foliage beyond. I was feeling quite rough by then, and I still reckon it is the best shot I will manage today. The light was DFO ( dull, flat and 'orrible, as TussockTales says) for most of the day.

So, visitors last weekend; another this weekend; and my sister TMLHereandThere and niece Immy arriving on Tuesday! A rich harvest, served with a liberal dram of Auld Lang Syne.