this and that

I love the sound of the word, Cymbidium.

I must be way behind the times. I just learned (saw it on CBC TV) there is competitive synchronized skating. In fact, when I watched our Canadian team perform at the world synchronized skating championships in Hamilton, Ontario their performance was mesmerizing.

Do you remember the film Schindler’s List by Steven Spielberg? It was filmed entirely in black and white. And, although I had entirely forgotten about this one little aspect, there was a scene with a little girl walking through the ghetto and she was wearing a red coat. I wonder what the symbolism was in showing her coat in red? A symbol of hope? But the red colour is obviously important. The red could represent the blood of all the Jews slaughtered. Unfortunately, there is another war being waged across the world even after the atrocities chronicled by Schindler’s List.

The sweet, yet spicy scent in the air these past weeks is from various deciduous trees as their buds and inflorescence breaks open. Some of the buds are sap-laden and others release sap. Nostrils aflare, it’s a fragrance I can’t seem to get enough of.

Although spring brings all the song birds and their beautiful chorus to our yards and neighbourhoods, probably my favourite tune is by the common house Wren, with the mighty Robin a close second.

On April 8th, I witnessed a true rarity. I too have read about the benefits of swimming in cold water. But that afternoon, wearing my parka while looking out to the beach, I witnessed a man (very pink I might add) spending a great deal of time out there in the cold Salish Sea. He’d get down right into the water, later emerging with his torso above water, and do it all again and again. I watched until I was certain he was safely on his way back towards the beach.

Have you been working on anything exciting lately? Or noticed anything particularly interesting recently?