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This, again, is the wide gutter that runs across the front of three brownstones. Mine in the middle, two neighbours. At least one inhabited by a raccoon. The only drainage is a little opening to the right of my terrace, on the edge. The daily downpours have left my moat brimming every time. I like it - it's pretty. But I also have to poke a stick into the opening to get water going again. This involves climbing onto my barbecue/braai - a broad copper bowl with grid, on legs, and leaning precariously over the fig tree. I wish this building had a super in more than name alone.
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Vince will teach me to fold a little paper boat for the moat. He taught me once, over Skype, but there is no way I will remember how, again.
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This water looks so clean. I caught rainwater, all of an inch, in one of my Woodstock glasses and drank it this morning. Acid rain or not, it made me feel lighter.
I was waiting for it, because it was the right time of day, with the sun hitting from the west...a faint rainbow for a few minutes, around 7pm.
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Seconds after the tropically heavy rain had stopped, some critters came out and went about their business on the terrace.
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Every evening this spider weaves a web on the right side of the terrace, between the New Dawn on high and the heirloom mini tomatoes on the BBQ (which have to be moved when I unblock the gutter).
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A pretty-antennaed beetle, marching along a lily stem.
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A tired fly...
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The best view of the turkscap-style lilies: Seafarer.
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This fig crop - technically the second one, the first lot fell off - maturing.
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Miniature green tomatoes.
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Clearing up. Sun forecast tomorrow.
You could try this, then, when Beence arrives, a whole flotilla can greet him. (If it rains!)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mathematische-basteleien.de/paper_ship.htm
Sounds a bit precarious leaning out to clear the drain!
ReplyDeleteHere's a fascinating site about paper boats being made to raise funds for the restoration of a historic cottage in Scotland, with ties to New Zealand
http://www.joannebkaarpaperboats.blogspot.com/ There's a link to half a dozen sites on how to make paper boats, including 3 videos. (None so fun as learning directly from Beence, i'm sure!)
Love the first pic; the perspective makes the gutter look like a canal in Venice...
ReplyDeleteAAAARGH!! Your terrace makes me really, really jealous... How big is your fig tree? Am gonna get one of those when I move back to town...
ReplyDeleteYour blog is really an inspiration.
I'm with Beence on the Venetian look. What it needs is a teeny black paper gondola, with a teeny, surly, snarly gondolier.
ReplyDelete