🎶 Walkin’, yes indeed I’m walking...🎶

We went for a ride in the forest this afternoon, and I was on a flower 🌺 photo mission. When I was a kid I used to read Enid Blyton books, and they were all about fairies, gnomes, elves and other magical woodland creatures. The fairies always wore dresses made of flower petals and hats made of bluebells. Well, I assumed they were bluebells....they were blue and bell shaped, so why not? I recently learned that these are actually called “hare-bells” and bluebells are entirely different.

That discouraged me so much. It also made me realize that I tend to make things up. I hear or read a description of something and then when I see something that looks like what I saw in my mind, I just decide that’s what it is. If that makes sense....(ie) I saw a blue, bell-shaped flower and thus it’s a “bluebell’. Botany be damned.


So be aware that these beautiful flowers may or may not be whatI think they are. I believe that this is a “purple globe”, and if not, well, it should be.

I think this is a type of orchid. I’ve actually never seen one of these before, but this year this is a lot of them in the open fields.

And this little beauty is an aster, that I know for sure.

 And these, I’m not sure, but isn’t it interesting that all the flowers out right now are purple?

As well, the fields are full of foxtail barley, which I have always called cattails. They look so soft and gloomy, bu they are surprisingly sharp and evil if you walk through the field and crouch over to get a good picture.

Loss of a travel buddy...

You know how it feels when you have to get rid of a good pair of shoes? It feels like losing a friend. My travel buddies have left the building, or will soon. *sigh*. It’s really very depressing.

These shoes have been the one constant in many holidays. They’ve been through Europe, they’ve been to East Africa and wandered through the Serengeti, and they’ve been to India, although they didn't see much over there, the weather was so hot that they hung out in the hotels most of the time and their cousins, the Keene Sandals did most of the sight-seeing. They did some impressive hiking in Peru, and they also saw the highest navigable lake in the world as well as trampled the reed islands in Uros. Lucky shoes! They’ve seen 5 of the 7 continents. Sadly, they will never see the last two. Their time has come to an end

I think I will take their shoelaces out and maybe lace their new replacements with them.

Some people take a lucky charm with them when they travel, or a favourite backpack or suitcase, but I’ve always taken my lucky shoes. I was going to toss them in the garbage, but that seems like a cruel ending. I think I will store them in my suitcase closet. Don’t judge me.