Old Friend

I grew Nerine masonorum for almost twenty years but in 2010 the big pre-Christmas freeze which saw temperatures down to minus 10C during the day, killed off almost everything in my Norfolk greenhouse, including this nerine.  It's good to have it again and here on the mild west coast I'm expecting it to out-live me!   What this macro shot doesn't make clear is that it's a true miniature, the flower is about the size of my thumb-nail.

A quiet day, unsurprisingly.   I listened to the funeral service and watched some of the pageantry afterwards.  I'd like to have been in London, part of the crowd.  Sure, we get a better seat as TV voyeurs but we can't say "I was there."   A truly great human being.  Critics say royalty is a life of privilege but it's also a life in the spotlight, not a life you get to choose.  A double edged sword.   I'm happy to settle for a head of state who is born to serve.  The alternative, someone who has sought high office does not appeal at all.

Late afternoon Jamie and I set out on a bike ride to Bird Rock.  It's a while since he used the wheelchair trike and we were worried about the battery life but before that caused a problem he had a major puncture - a thorny twig from recent hedge cutting.  I had a faster than expected ride home to fetch the car - typically the problem happened at the furthest point from home.   I got a good work-out at least!