Footnotes to a Conversation, August 29, 2022
“There comes a stage when visibility is lost by age … I wonder, have you found your invisibility a blessing in truth, as freed from the onerous need to bother what you look like, you think of other ways of recapturing lost youth?” – Alexander McCall Smith
Cloak of Invisibility
For my part, I do appreciate the fact that, as an older person, I’m somewhat invisible. I find it easier to talk to strangers, for example. On the other hand, I don’t think of myself as old, so I’m shocked when someone refers to me that way. I don’t think I’m trying to recapture lost youth so much as to live fully every day knowing that my life span is limited. I do look back and wish I’d been braver when I was younger. What about you?
Expect the Unexpected
The hydrangeas have been flowering prolifically in Victoria – and there are so many varieties. Some are bushy; others are trees. Some have ball-shaped flower heads, while other flower heads are flat and broad or cone-shaped. I’ve been differentiating between lacecaps and mopheads, but that just describes two ways the hydrangea flowers can be arranged. Hydrangeas have two kinds of flowers – tiny florets that are fertile, larger florets that are showy and sterile. Lacecap hydrangeas have a large number of fertile florets, surrounded by a ring of sterile ones. Mopheads may put on a bigger floral display, but most of the flowers are sterile. [Hydrangea.com]
They Said It Couldn’t Be Done
I have so much respect for the mad geniuses of this world, for the people who take on what sounds like an impossible, quixotic task, ignoring totally the practicalities of time and money. I’m sure these people aren’t easy to live with, but I admire their willingness to march to a different drummer. 25 years ago, a group of people in France chose to build a replica of a 13th century castle using only the tools and methods available in the Middle Ages. Their skills are now being put to good use in rebuilding Notre Dame. [The Guardian]
It’s A Stretch
Doing a media interview is demanding at the best of times, but doubly so when it’s in French. I was, however, really pleased that EcoFriendly West and Nature Companion were receiving media attention. My brother Andrew and I have put considerable effort into creating and maintaining an online publication and a mobile app – 11 years overall and still ongoing. Radio-Canada refers to what we do as “media citoyen” [citizen radio as in citizen science] and I think that’s cool. [Radio-Canada]
Footnotes to a Conversation is a weekly Monday feature covering an assortment of topics that I’ve come across in the preceding week – books, art, travel, food, and whatever else strikes my fancy. I also post occasional articles on other dates, including frequent book reviews and travel tales.
If you share my love of nature, check out EcoFriendly West, an online publication encouraging environmental initiatives in Western Canada, and Nature Companion, a free nature app for Canada’s four western provinces.