This and That

Local Street Walker

By Shirley O'Kealey

The Morning Egg: I usually boil two at a time and keep one in the fridge for the next morning believing it will save on the hydro bill. It being the next morning, I took the second egg and placed it in warm water. Something happened and it sat there for two days until I lifted the lid on it and decided to eat it. Now this was different. The egg was float- ing. I picked it up and it felt light. I twirled it on the counter and it wouldn't spin. I took a knife and sliced it open. It was half empty. I held it up to my nose and sniffed. Hmm, not good. You all know that rotten egg smell of sulphur. Into the compost bucket it went. I scooped it out first so I could keep the shell and do some damage to the snails and slugs outside, perhaps slow them down as they wend their way along my posies. Shan took out the compost quite soon that day and I didn't ask why.

On The Bus: Of all those people I thought were talking to themselves, all but one were speaking on cellphones.

Men: I say it again, "The men in Victoria are very courteous and gentle, holding doors open, smiling, letting me go first, picking up papers I have dropped. I don't think it is because it is because of my age. I don't look THAT old. THANK YOU!"

Blossoms: I boasted to my friend in Alberta as we chatted on the phone. I listed all the plants in Victoria blooming at the moment: daffodils, tulips, rhodos, azaleas, lilacs, hyacinths, dandelions, butter- cups, calendulas, dogwood, plum, apple and cherry. The cherry trees, many of them gifts from our sister city in Japan, are so beautiful. The blossoms, on or off the trees, are a delight. We walked or drove un- der arches of pink. Then I watched the breeze swirl them up into mini-twisters at intersections and in parking lots. Now they are lining the curbs and have turned to brown.

Lawns: My lawn looks so much better when it is mowed. There aren't many lawns left and that's okay with me. Sunday mornings used to be Mowing Mornings with every neighbour taking a turn. You discover what is no longer needed by what you see left on the sidewalks. I happily rolled home a push- mower last year. People are digging up their turf and planting shrubs or groundcover. It would be nice to have a small, private patio area in the front yard.

Cactus: Unwanted was the huge Scotch thistle that bedded down by my wee flowers last year and with avenging force pushed them aside. I, curious to see what had arrived in the wind, let it grow to a height of seven feet and three feet across; I watched as over 80 florets formed in the prettiest of pinks, each with hundreds of feather-topped seeds. I looked it up on Google to discover it was one of the ten worst plants in the world. It certainly was vicious. A friend put out her finger to test its sharpness and it attacked her. I decided to destroy it before it sent forth thousands of its disciples. I took the pruning shears, clipped off each of the blossoms, dropping them carefully into a large paper grocery bag, then began at the top, clipping off a couple of feet all the way down. I took the shovel and dug up the root which went way,way down. I dug until I was sure I'd got it all. Then I closed and carried the bag to the fireplace and shoved it in; set it alight. Good- bye, powerful and wicked thistle. Oh yes, I'd taken pictures of it earlier.
Well, what do you know? This spring, there it was again, about the size of a small healthy dandeli- on, fresh and ready to fly. I wasted no time, got it out of there, proud to be so properly useful to the planet. Guess what? I happened to walk around the unused side of the house and there was its cousin, looking healthy and confident. I had no shears but put it on my must-do list. Lucky for me, a young man took a mower and mowed it all down. Whew!

The Amazing Dandelion: We should be using the leaves in salads (just the young fresh leaves) and planting it in crops.

Have you seen the artfully painted hydro poles in Fernwood? They are lovely. Still, I'd rather there were no poles at all. But it is part of that saying, "If you have a lemon, make lemonade."

TV: I hear the Queen watches "Coronation Street." It has been on for decades and I have never seen it. It has a very loyal following. I think I'll check it out.
When Does It End? My kids are in their forties; I am in my seventies and they still want me to cook.

On Aging: Have you noticed that as men and women age, they begin to look alike? They both get paunchy, lose their teeth, hair disappears or gets thinner, (except for the hairs on the chin); they have trouble getting out of a chair or going up stairs; they get up several times in the middle of the night and it's not just to let the cat out; they need eyeglasses to see either up close or far away; they get shorter; their clothes are out of date. Not many are wearing makeup or high heels. Sweaters are handy. Is there a moral here? Yes, "Enjoy it while you have it."

Cyclists: I hold my breath when I am in a car and we overtake a young person on a bicycle.