Do you know the story of Burglar Bill by Alan and Janet Ahlberg? When Burglar Bill goes into a house to steal, he takes more or less anything his eye falls on. "That's a nice toothbrush," he says. "I'll have that." As he dips in and out of other people's houses, liking the things he sees, he gathers up not only a toothbrush and a tin of beans but a box - with a baby inside. Never mind if you're seventy. You'll enjoy it.
Sometimes, when I go out with my camera, I have a similar approach. "That's a nice flower," I say to myself. "I think I'll have that!" Snap! Today, 'having that' turned up a surprising surprise.
Off I went.
That's a nice Convolvulus flower, I think I'll have that. Oh, look, there's an oak leaf, the ripening burrs of goose grass, blackberry leaves too.
After all, it is the prettiest of flowers.
Plod, plod, plod. If the Council hadn't cut the verge when it did, there would have been lots. Never mind, here's a small crowd.
Here's a nice fly. I think I'll have that!
Here's a nice snail. I think I'll have that too!
Here are some nice flags . . . here are rather a lot of flags!
 |
| Beyond the Blackberries |
I don't just take pictures of flowers, I like the colours and shapes of other things too. Boats and wires and sea and blackberry bushes and . . . flags!
I'm not an Olympic kind of person. The nearest I've got is to try, three times, to find out if the Olympic Torch will pass the Elderberry Bush we are following. Still not clear about this. It may . . . but, if it does, I think it might be in a van. Doesn't seem quite right - carting it about in a van. We'll see. Van . . .
 |
| Beyond the flowers of Rape Plants |
. . . The Greek Olympic Sailing Team. (Above)
 |
| The Alexanders are going to seed . . . beyond them . . . |
One of the German Olympic Sailing Team cars on the left.
And the Turkish Olympic Sailing Team are here too. (The white van.)
For a reason I can't explain, I can feel excitement rising. A row of flags. Vans and cars parked by the sea. Is it possible that the sight of these is making me look forward to it just a little?
The Olympians were visiting a local sailing club. The Sailing Academy, home base for the Sailing Olympics is over there, below the big lump of land which is Portland.
But Loose and Leafy is a nature blog so I'd probably better bung in . . . what's nice . . . Comfrey?
 |
| June 2nd |
Yes, I think I'll have that!
