The only (substitute for) "spring flowers" I have to show so far are the African Violets on the window sill in my kitchen. The weekend was rainy, grey and partly also quite windy. My memory is already a bit blurry about the order of things, but one morning when I got up (I think it must have been on Saturday) I found that during the night, the wind had moved the wooden bench on my balcony, which all winter has stood patiently still against the wall beneath my living room window, wrapped in a plastic tarp. Now it suddenly stood across the floor...! I managed to move it to a corner and secured it (I hope) with an extra strap to the railing there. I can only hope that the wind playing with it didn't wake and frighten any neighbours in the middle of the night. (It did not wake me, but my bedroom is on the opposite side of the apartment...)
I think I stayed in all Friday because of rain and wind. On Saturday I managed a short and pretty much rain-free walk to the nearest corner shop to buy some bananas. Sunday was a bit better but still grey. I was out walking for about half an hour, using both walking poles, but did not go very far from home, and did not take any photos. And today has been an indoors day again, with no more exciting activity than doing laundry...
Waiting to see what the sky looks like tomorrow before I decide if perhaps that may be a good day to try and somehow get myself into town for an errand or two again. (Got a message from the photography shop on Friday, that the photos I wanted transferred from old slides to a USB stick are waiting for me...)
Good grief! That must have been some wind to move a wooden chair! Good thing you didn't hear it; it may have given you such a fright. Your African Violets look so gorgeous that they look fake!! And the color is heavenly.
ReplyDeleteGinny, it really cheered me up that they decided to go into bloom just now. No florist's shop nearby so haven't been able to buy any new plants in a while.
DeleteThe violets are beautiful, I haven't seen blue ones before, people here have either pink or white. That wind must have been an extra strong gust to move the bench.
ReplyDeleteRiver, I've had more blue ones than other colours. Bought these two perhaps 2-3-4 years ago, I think.
DeleteWe had strong winds here too so can well imagine how they could move a bench. The weather isnso changeable. We have had lovely sunshine the last few days. Your African violets are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThanks Addy. I was surprised to find the bench moved. I knew it was windy but there hadn't been any "extreme" weather warnings of the kind to make sure you secure loose objects etc...
DeleteIt was very windy to the point of stormy here, too. I always worry about the many, many things my Mum has on her balcony, but so far in the decades she's been living in that flat she has only once lost a plant pot to the wind, as far as I know.
ReplyDeleteI hope your trip into town is possible and feasible today (or tomorrow), and you'll be happy with the work of the photography shop.
Meike, I'm guessing the fact that the bench is as usual wrapped in a plastic protective sheet for winter BUT this year for the first time did not have any hibernating heavy strawberry plant boxes underneath it to hold it down probably played a role... (The old strawberry plants did not survive last winter and I did not replace them...)
DeleteEven with the grey skies and restless wind, those African Violets bring a quiet touch of spring indoors, and hopefully tomorrow’s weather will give you a chance to venture out and collect your photos.
ReplyDeleteRo, while waiting for the outdoors to spring into bloom, I'm happy to have a couple of indoors plants with flowers reminding a bit of hepaticas :)
Deletewe are having high winds, not quiet hard enough to move a bench but strong and we dropped from mid 80's to mid 40's over night. odd for us
ReplyDeleteSandra, I hope you don't have too many other loose objects for the wind to play with either!
DeleteYour African violets are such a pretty colour. I keep meaning to buy a couple, but then forget.
ReplyDeleteIt's odd that the bench should suddenly move - I hope it stays put now.
It will be exciting to see your digitised photographs. That's another task safely accomplished.
Janice, I think some "whirlwind" kind of winds must have got in from the side under the plastic tarp covering the bench. While that protects the surface of the bench from snow and rain, it probably rather functions a bit as a sail instead if winds actually manage to get "inside"...
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