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DIALOGUE WITH A DAISY

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WEDNESDAY 3rd JUNE 2020 ~ 

I thought I would resurrect an old post of mine from five years ago.

DIALOGUE WITH A DAISY

by John Yeo

 The garden was a mess, there had been an incredible North wind overnight that savagely blew everything to bits. I leaned on my spade and surveyed the damage, branches and leaves had been ripped from our trees and were lying everywhere.

  Then out of nowhere a tiny voice whispered ‘Please don’t tread on me!’

Shaken, as I knew I was totally alone, I wheeled around in surprise.

  ‘I’m down here! Next to your incredibly large foot.’

I looked down to find there was nothing there except Dandelions, Daisies and Grass.

   ‘I can’t see you! If you are real and not a figment of my imagination, make yourself visible!’ I declared.

At this point I seriously doubted my sanity.

  ‘Look again! I am the good looking one with the purest white petals and a yellow heart of gold’

Stunned, I was now certain madness loomed and I was headed for hospital, I made to get away from there fast.

   ‘No! Don’t go please, I would love to talk to you about many things. I have been watching you very closely. Why do you work so hard, and worry so much?’

I thought, Why should I be worried about one small insignificant voice claiming to be a natural being.

  ‘What do you mean by petals and a yellow heart? Do you mean to say you are a common Daisy? If so, I can’t tell one of you from another, you all look the same to me!’

The tiny Daisies voice reflected a note of annoyance as it politely stated.

  ‘Less of the common, Big-Feet. We have a unique way            of survival that excludes individuality and we are rooted here as one. Funny though, I can never differentiate the different clodhoppers that stomp around and squash our leaves and petals!’

   ‘Listen Daisy, if you actually are a talking flower how did you acquire the language I use, and how do you manage to express yourself? You ask me why I work so hard, I have to say the garden would quickly go to rack and ruin if I stood rooted to the spot like a daisy!’

  ‘My language skills are a result of much study of your people’s thought patterns and I am the result of much floral cross-breeding. We have very friendly relations with your newborn babies and we mingle our minds with them and learn your language as they learn language.’

  ‘That’s amazing!’ I shouted to the array of daisies around my feet,

I was desperately trying to identify which of the numerous daisies was actually responsible for the conversation. I wanted to dig it up and put it in a pot to take indoors and perhaps have many deep inter-species conversations.

 Then I heard a sound that was suspiciously like a giggle coming from the vicinity of my neighbours fence. Then a chuckle was clearly evident leading to an embarrassing roar of laughter, that led to enormous fits of laughter. My face became bright red as I realised the implication of these odious sounds.

 Realisation dawned as I remembered my neighbour was a ventriloquist and very skilled at throwing his voice.

Copyright © Written by John Yeo  ~ All rights reserved

WAITING FOR THE WEATHER TO TURN

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TUESDAY 2nd JUNE 2020

LA GOMERA

  The seas were extremely rough on a day our vessel was moored in the picturesque port of La Gomera, one of the Canary Islands.

  We were unable to proceed with our journey, due to high winds and rough waters, our Captain decided that caution was the best way forward. The Captain made an announcement informing everyone that we would be staying in this port for the night and heading straight for the port of Funchal, Madeira, not making the planned stop at Santa Cruz, La Palma. Our estimated time of departure would be 06.30am tomorrow. The waves shook  the ship from side to side and the sea swell was just too powerful to risk departure. The Captain had  decided to stay put for the night, and await a window of opportunity before attempting to leave this very picturesque harbour. Although the powerful wind shook and buffeted the vessel, there was a bright deceptive sunshine beaming through the windows and the ship’s stabilisers did their job. We were quite comfortable on board and I settled down and wrote a poem.

WAITING FOR THE WEATHER TO TURN

Waiting for the weather to turn.

Departure depends on the force of Nature 

Wind whips and swirls the wild water,

The big ship sits in port delayed.

Waiting for the weather to turn.

~

When the large ship turns to leave.

The rear will swing to the rocky shore,

Wind whips and swirls the wild water.

Hour by hour, waiting for a lull,

A break of calmness and windless waves,

Waiting for the weather to turn.

~

The powerless vessel calmly waiting.

Paying homage to powerful forces 

The Captain with patience, calmly waits

For a window of opportunity

Wind whips and swirls the wild water.

Waiting for the weather to turn.

Copyright by John Yeo © All rights reserved

    There was a round of applause the next morning when the Captain announced over the tannoy speaker system, he was about to attempt to turn our ship and leave Gomera harbour. There was a moment of silence and general relief as the ship slowly turned and  pulled away from the dockside then headed out to the open sea.

© Written by John Yeo

‘La Gomera, the second-smallest of the main islands in Spain’s Canary Island chain, is marked by craggy volcanic mountains crisscrossed with hiking trails. In higher altitudes, dense forests of ferns and moss-covered trees grow in the mists of Garajonay National Park.  The upper reaches of this densely wooded region are almost permanently shrouded in clouds and mist, and as a result are covered in lush and diverse vegetation: they form the protected environment of Spain’s Garajonay National Park, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. The slopes are criss-crossed by paths that present varying levels of difficulty to visitors, and stunning views to seasoned hikers.
  The central mountains catch the moisture from the trade wind clouds and yield a dense jungle climate in the cooler air, which contrasts with the warmer, sun-baked cliffs near sea level.
    Between these extremes one finds a fascinating gamut of microclimates; for centuries, the inhabitants of La Gomera have farmed the lower levels by channelling runoff water to irrigate their vineyards, orchards and banana groves.’

(Information from Wikipedia)

FRESH PERSPECTIVES

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MONDAY 1st JUNE 2020

FRESH PERSPECTIVES

   Today we ventured out from our self-imposed lockdown and visited Felbrigg Hall, a National Trust property. The Hall buildings and the lovely walled garden were closed, due to the Coronavirus pandemic. However, the beautiful grounds were open and Margaret prepared a picnic lunch and we made our way to the estate. We had to book and reserve a parking slot online, as the management had limited the number of parking spaces available, to prevent overcrowding.

   We found a lovely spot near the car park, overlooking some panoramic sweeping fields, full of sheep and lambs. There were also cattle in a distant neighbouring field. We set up our chairs and began to enjoy our picnic.

 Margaret spotted a hare dashing through the grass and a couple of pheasants in the distance. There was a continuous cacophony of rooks and crows cawing in a nearby stand of trees and a few wood pigeons visible. Quite a number of other visitors were strolling around, but everyone was keeping their distance from one another and religiously observing the social distancing guidelines.

   After our lunch, we followed a footpath and wandered through the field containing the sheep and took many photographs of the lambs on the way.

  Several people were wandering through this field with well behaved dogs, on leads but the sheep paid no attention.

   We walked to St. Margaret’s church where we stopped to take yet more photographs, the church building was closed. We made our way back to our car where we sat and enjoyed a last cup of tea and admired the view. 

  This was a lovely way to tentatively break the repetitive routine of the last few weeks and start to come out of social isolation.

I had to photograph the notice on the church gates. One cannot allow cattle or sheep to interrupt the church service.

© Witten by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

THE JOURNEY’S END

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THE JOURNEY’S END

by John Yeo

  Gupta and Jai were fellow travellers who travelled over 10,000 miles from Northern India to reach Panama, leaving behind their families and friends. They had endured damp steaming dense tropical jungles between Colombia and Panama. Linking Central and South America, the Darién Gap is one of the most dangerous jungles in the world, filled with deadly wildlife and guerrilla fighters. It is between 100 km and 160 km of lawless, hazardous wilderness. Gupta had a black belt in Karate, a useful skill, especially when they had fought with a small group of bandits as they crossed through the infamous gap. Jai, an officer in the Indian army, was a technology expert. They were now in the centre of Panama City enjoying coffee with some friendly Panamanian students. The good life beckoned. 

Then the ironic announcement….

   ‘Due to the medical emergency, the borders are now sealed, travel is strictly forbidden.’

(150 WORDS)

Panama City skyline

© Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

Word count: 150. Written for this week’s What Pegman Saw  writing challenge. Every week, Pegman takes us to a new place on Google maps, and we get to search around for whatever sights catch our fancy. 

This week Pegman takes us to the isthmus of Panama,

Information from the web

  The estimated number of migrants is thought to be 100,000 per year. Half of the migrants come from India, and many others come from Cuba, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Eritrea. In 2017, migrants crossing into Panama also included people from Iraq, Sierra Leone, Yemen, Angola, and around 30 other countries.

Panama  has taken some of the toughest measures in the region to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The country has banned all domestic and international travel. It has shut down airports and — after a March 22 deadline — prevented even Panamanian citizens from traveling to the country.

MARIGOLDS AND TOMATOES

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SATURDAY 30th MAY 2020

  I worked extremely hard today potting our tomato plants into their final pots. I have 30 really healthy plants sited in our back garden. I can never believe the size these large healthy plants have grown, when I look back and consider the tiny black seeds I planted. Although Margaret is unable to eat tomatoes as she’s developed an allergy to them we both enjoy growing them.

  Our geraniums are looking splendid this year, I always find these wonderful standby plants so easy to grow. Geraniums require the absolute minimum of attention and they come in some glorious colours.

There is a suggestion that geraniums are a beneficial companion plant to tomatoes. I got this information from  https://modernsurvivalblog.com>

Companion plants for tomatoes include Basil, Oregano, Parsley, Carrots, Marigold, Geraniums, Petunias, Borage, any type of Onion or Chives.

When ‘companion plants’ are applied throughout the garden, they can be an effective form of pest management, allowing nature to do its job.

‘Companion planting can discourage harmful insects and pests in your garden without harming the beneficial ones.

Many plants have natural substances in their roots, flowers, and leaves that can repel or attract insects and can enhance the growth and flavour of other varieties of plants.’

Written by John Yeo

MARGARET’S BLUE ROSE

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FRIDAY 29th MAY 2020

MARGARET’S BLUE ROSE

These photographs show our beautiful blue tea rose. I bought this rosebush as a present for Margaret 12 years ago and it has rewarded us with a multitude of magnificent blooms, year after year. This is certainly the most successful floral present I have ever bought for her. The blooms get bigger and better as the years go by. The blooms have an extremely delicate perfume, so fresh and enticing to easily intoxicate any passing bees and insects to promote pollination.

   However in my experience, roses are one of the hardest plants to grow in the garden and need a great deal of tender care and protection. In Spring the shrubs need to be pruned and all the dead wooden branches removed and a good measure of rose food needs to be applied around the roots. They need careful, regular examination to detect any attacks by pests, in the shape of greenfly, black fly or aphids. A good quality bug spray needs to be applied at the first sign and regularly throughout the season. Then there is the dreaded rust-like fungal disease that looks unsightly and causes the leaves to discolour and drop off. A regular spraying with a fungal deterrent is the only method I know to counteract this. 

Regular watering in the dry spells is essential to encourage the buds to swell to produce new wonderful blooms. Another measure of rose food should be applied halfway through the Summer.

Sometimes spurs pop out from well down below the bush, I always remove these as they take energy from the bush that could go towards promoting the flowers. Finally at the end of the flowering season, which can last through to the years end, I have to prune the branches right back to prevent wind-rock. The winter wind blows fiercely and rocks the plant, loosening the roots in the soil, causing weakness or in extreme cases, death.

  In my mind looking after my roses is simply a replacement for taking care of small children, keeping the roses fed, watered and protecting them from predators. The reward of my labour is the smile on Margaret’s face when she picks a perfect rose to photograph and view again year after year.

    I took this brief paragraph of the origin of roses from Wikipedia, there is a lot of information, myths and information there.

  ‘Ornamental roses have been cultivated for millennia, with the earliest known cultivation known to date from at least 500 BC in Mediterranean countries, Persia, and China. It is estimated that 30 to 35 thousand rose hybrids and cultivars have been bred and selected for garden use as flowering plants. Most are double-flowered with many or all of the stamens having morphed into additional petals.’

© Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

SPORT

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THURSDAY 28th MAY 2020

SPORT 

by John Yeo

 Freedom to do as one likes is a hard-won state of mind.  

Freedom to enjoy life with the diversification that is Sport.

Support the team, follow the trials of athletics. 

Sportsmen and Sportswomen displaying incredible feats of sporting prowess.

~

Many levels of entertainment come under the title of sport.

A beautiful creature torn to pieces by a pack of snarling dogs.

Such is the fate of some beautiful Stags.

 ‘All in the name of Sport, you know.’

~

Then there are Pheasants,

A male bird has a colourful plumage, that can only be described as magnificent.

Sadly they are shot in their millions. 

‘All in the name of Sport, you know.

No harm done, they are bred to be shot.’

~

Wild Ducks are killed by the sporting hunters. 

Killed for food and pleasure 

The exhilarating thrill of the hunt. 

‘All in the name of Sport you know, culling is essential sometimes.’

~

The Fox can be a nuisance, randomly killing for the sake of it 

Leaving dead carcasses all over the place.

Traditionally Fox Hunters wear a smart red outfit,

Mount splendid Horses and follow the Hounds, 

~

Revelling in bloodshed as a Fox is torn to pieces.

‘All in the name of Sport, you know.

No harm done, their death is all part of the fun.

The hunt is an established tradition.’  

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

NOT HOMELESS, JUST HOUSELESS

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WEDNESDAY 27th MAY 2020

NOT HOMELESS ~ JUST HOUSELESS

by John Yeo

   Saturday night, the stores in the mall put the shutters up for the night. The last shoppers made their way to the exits, joined by the last of the mall staff. The night security staff arrived and manned the CCTV cameras continuously filming the whole of the shopping area. Joe and Pete were night security men who did regular foot patrols outside the mall.
    The Saturday midnight patrol was always eventful, many a time they came across drunks arguing with each other or young lovers canoodling in the rear doorways and entrances to the mall. This Saturday was different, one Joe would remember for the rest of his life. The two men came upon, what looked like a bundle of rags heaped in a shop doorway.
    Pete, a large stocky man with a shaved head, and a tattoo on his right cheek  noticed it first.

       “Hey Joe, look at that! Someone has dumped a heap of rags in the doorway. No, wait, it’s moving, someone is asleep under there. We will have to wake them up, we aren’t allowed to let people sleep on the mall property.”

     “You’re right Pete, I will just shake the bundle with my foot, to get a response!” Then without thinking he kicked the edges of the rags gently. Joe was the shorter of the two men with dark, greasy hair, he was the most aggressive of the two.
    Both men stepped back, extremely wary, as the bundle of rags came to life with a squeal and a thin, unkempt woman, began furiously attacking them with a tatty umbrella.

    “Please leave me alone you ignorant sex-starved animals, I have no money and I am afflicted with an STD, that will infect you instantly.” The lady screamed.

   “Now hold on,” said Pete. “What are you doing here? You can’t sleep here, you should go home and sleep! We are security officers, doing our job. What’s your name?”

    “Mary,” said the lady, now noticeably calmer. “I have tried all the night shelters and hostels, even the Salvation Army hostel is full. I knocked and the duty security man just said.   “Sorry we have a full-house, there are no beds available.”

      Joe said, “You can’t sleep here, it is more than our jobs are worth to allow that!”
    Mary started sobbing uncontrollably. The two men were both taken aback at this turn of events.

       Pete turned to Joe and said, “We may be jobsworths, but we are not made of concrete.” Then he turned to Mary and said, “Come and have a cup of tea with us, we have a storeroom you can use, for tonight!”
      Photographs Mary carried, revealed she was Maria Popova, a famous ballerina who had been missing for weeks. Joe gained her confidence and informed the authorities. It turned out Maria had suffered memory loss, becoming isolated from her family.
  Joe and Pete became her personal security guards, both men were substantially better off for their kindness to a stranger in distress.


Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~All rights reserved

UNITED IN MERCY ~ DIVIDED IN FEAR

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IMG_8701.JPG

TUESDAY 26th MAY 2020

UNITED IN MERCY ~ DIVIDED IN FEAR

by John Yeo

    My picture today reflects the turbulent sea. I recently became aware of the still prevalent problem of refugees and people- smuggling, that is still happening, in spite of the current pandemic that is raging around the four corners of the globe. I’m sure the last thing that springs to mind when one is frightened and desperately searching for a new life in a new land, is social distancing. These unfortunate travellers are crammed together in small dirty boats, or sealed into the backs of lorries using every inch of available space. Many of these people are caught and escorted back to where they came from. Sadly a high number die on the journey. The hidden,  unknown, almost unthinkable side of this ongoing situation, is the thought of the uncountable number of people who actually get through and melt into the population. The incalculable risk of the spread of Coronavirus by this means is something that can never be included in the Scientific data.

UNITED IN MERCY ~ DIVIDED IN FEAR 

by John Yeo

Many  official vessels from different navies

United in a common cause, 

To stem a very sad tide. 

A tidal wave of unfortunate people.

Fleeing their homelands 

Through fear and persecution.

~

The United forces of the comfortable world, 

Come together to save the lives

Of the refugees from oppression.

Crammed into unsafe vessels 

Preyed on for profit by cheats and thieves.

Led to Death by drowning in cruel rough seas. 

~

Divided by cause, culture and strife,

The refugees from hard pressed lands

Arrive to find salvation in a makeshift camp.

To ask for asylum and begin a new life

The saviours argue the point, 

Divided by the situation of overpopulation.

~

United in mercy and compassion.

They discuss going to war to stem the tide. 

Of hopeless humanity on the cruel rough seas.

Divided by the morality of taking life

To save the lives of the unfortunate few.

The disunited, divided impossible solution.

Can this worldwide situation really be true?   

Copyright © Written by John Yeo  ~ All rights reserved 

AN ELEPHANTINE DILEMMA.

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Photograph © John and Margaret

AN ELEPHANTINE DILEMMA.

by John Yeo

  The two Asian elephants  in this photograph are from Thailand. For the purposes of this blog post I will call them Sava and Sabina, and just in the corner of the photograph little Shaheen can be seen, trying her hardest to get a taste of some of the tender bamboo shoots. It’s obvious though that Sava and Sabina have their trunks firmly in the trough and Shaheen as usual, will just get the leftovers.

 Sava and Sabina are part of a large herd of governing elephants that ruled over all the Thailand elephant population. Indeed Sava has an important job as chief adviser to the President Elephant.

At present all the herd are under strict quarantine rules due to the outbreak of a mysterious, mosquito-borne virus that seems to strike the elephants in the part of the anatomy where their tail protrudes. Sava and Sabina are in danger of total exclusion from the herd as they have broken the rules and wandered off to have fun with some relatives at a distant waterhole. Sava was spotted by some roving Indian Elephants who were on a visit with a circus from Delhi.  All hell broke out among the whole pachyderm population. Sava must be forced to pay for his impudent disregard of the regulations and be sent back into the furthest reaches of exile where he originated. However the President Elephant was a personal friend of Sava and lifted his trunk and trumpeted out, loudly claiming the rest of the world were all mistaken and Sava and Sabina made the journey simply to protect little Shaheen from the dreaded mosquito virus. This whole situation became not just a nationwide example of elephantine hypocrisy but a worldwide reflection of how not to handle a crisis. As one elephant in one area trumpeted his thoughts to another elephant, the Trumpet Major himself, the most powerful elephant in the world declined to trumpet a comment.

 ©  Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved.