Botanics

This week for the FutureLearn course I need to make another video plus a still image, the subjects need to be related to each other and dealt with photographically in a similar way. In the first week of the course we needed to think about our own preferences in photography and the botanical site of flowers and plants, their details, their hearts, their seeds is what interests me the most at the moment. So botanics is my subject and I think this plant Sandersonia Aurantiaca, a Southern Hemisphere plant, also known as  Christmas bells, Golden lily of the valley, Chinese lantern lily or Chinese lantern bulb is going to feature in my video. I love the way the newest buds are semitransparent. The florist is selling branches of these for Easter.

I had a bit of an adventure today, though not a very nice one. Drove son no 2 to Zaventem airport so he could catch the train to Holland there. Parked in the parking at the airport. The spot on my left was still free when we had parked. When I returned  form the train station somebody had parked in that remaining spot in such a way that there was no way I could open the driver's door and get in. There was less than 20 cm space between the cars ! And today was not my best day muscle and joints-wise and at first there was no way I could slide to the driver's seat from the passenger seat. A man on his phone looking quite slim walked towards me, so I asked him if he could help me, by asking him both in French and in Dutch if he could help me, that I wasn't able to get into my car? He just said rudely : 'I can't either' in Dutch while walking on. I stood there totally hopeless for a while, then sat on the passenger seat again and tried again until I finally made it over the console. Lost for words about the rudeness in traffic  and other situations over here, which just seems to get worse. Anyway, even if hurt and with several muscles overstretched I got home ok  and then had fun with my flowers. 

Thanks so much for your comments, stars and even a fave for yesterday's Nigella seed head !