Tuesday, 25 May 2010

How To Pass The Time On A Boring Drive

As most of you know, I live in rural England, far from modern amenities, including shops. Every major refill of larder and store cupboard requires a round trip of two hours' duration, if we want to use the large supermarkets for the purpose. Sometimes we talk, at other times we just sit and wish we lived somewhere else, nearer to a big town. We do this about every three to four weeks, which means that  these trips provide us with the opportunity to study the effects of the changing seasons.

Yesterday we talked, we were in a slow-moving stream of traffic and there was plenty of time to admire the pretty countryside. The hawthorn hedges were in full bloom.




"Spring this year has been a bit like a performance at the Music Halls".

"Oh yes? How come?"

"Well, Spring has been late and it seems that each act has been on for just five minutes, trying to hog the stage;  while the next act's already waiting in the wings,  pushing and shoving to get centre stage".




" Just look at the hedgerows. The cow parsley could be the chorus line".

" Yes, I can see that. All frothy and frou-frou".

"The dandelions have had their spectacular five minutes in the sun, now they've gone faded and blowsy and their glory days are over.




Look at them, their hair's already turned white, there are far too many of them, gone to seed and turned out to grass. Nobody wants an old dame, everybody runs for cover when they see them coming, Sad, really".




"Look at that hedge over there; broom, lilac and hawthorn all jostling for space at the same time. Perhaps they are the can can dancers, petticoats flashing, legs kicking".




"We must be coming up to the main attraction, here come the chorines, a whole field of them, dancing and swaying in the breeze, each pretty little thing beaming and turning to the sun,  each trying to attract our attention".





"Ah, here she is, the one we've all been waiting for, teasing and twirling, tantalizing and tempting".

"The Stripper!"



o-o-o-o-o-o


We seem to have got our metaphors slightly mangled during the drive and blithely swept from music hall, to vaudeville, to strip joint. Never having experienced any of them, I think we may be forgiven.
On the way home we left the delights of nature to get on with it and had a splendid lunch instead.


18 comments:

  1. Hah!! I'm first!!!

    Beautiful poppy (is it a poppy?) on your header, Friko. Happy-ily, blows-ily, vividly cheeky.

    I enjoyed this. Very clever people, you are, to be passing your traffic jam time like that. Just think what you would have missed had you lived closer to town...

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  2. Where did you spot that poppy, Friko - it's gorgeous. I haven't noticed any out here yet. I think the ride along the countryside to the supermarket is a lot more enjoyable than the actual shopping.

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  3. Hi Friko
    the colours of your blog page are so peaceful and the new poppy header just perfect. I named one of my girls Poppy and while she is not a stripper she is a very lively bright young woman.

    I loved the trip to town and the springtime display.

    happy days

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  4. Love the progression of acts on your nature stage show. The poppy was a little sultry.

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  5. Charming post, lovely photos. Love the metaphors which I have been told to avoid...you do it so nicely.

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  6. I enjoy that kind of silliness with the one I love - don't know if I'd feel as secure being silly like this with anyone else. I like the progression all the way down the line - our poppy strippers aren't doing much yet, just one lone dancer in a very sunny spot and the rest are all fully zipped up.

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  7. hey friko you've carved yourself a very sweet space here. i really enjoyed the nature as theatre piece - that makes us the audience ... i wonder what these performers have to say about their audience after the show! steven

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  8. Wonderful header! And I'd happily go for a long drive with you and your Beloved -- what fun!

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  9. you are splendid company!




    Aloha, friend!


    Comfort Spiral

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  10. Loved the little tour of your spring time. Ours is still not quite sprung - yet. :-(

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  11. Deborah - yes, it's a hedgerow poppy. from the same clump as the stripper. We are very good at the nonsense chat, you should hear us when reading the paper or some such : "It says here . . . " and off we go.

    mollygolver - it certainly is, I hate shopping in supermarkets!
    the poppy is from a hedgerow, I expect it was a garden escapee long ago. my Welsh poppies are fully out.

    Delwyn - poppies are such spectacular show-offs. My garden poppies are about to burst open too.
    Happy Days, Delwyn.

    Paul C - As behoves a stripper.

    Tabor - why must you avoid metaphors? I love playing with words, even if they get mangled in the process. My B and I wouldn't have half as much fun if we didn't amuse ourselves that way.

    Pondside - you are right, not everyone can join in, but if TGD does, what more do you want.

    steven - " a right bunch of daisies, did you see that silly woman in the front row?"

    Vicki Lane - thanks Vicki, You'd have to join in if you came.

    Cloudia - thanks for the compliment.
    Aloha Friend.

    Nancy - Golly, that's late. I aam so glad spring has sprung here.

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  12. You sound a very entertaining couple!!

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  13. You say that it might be better to live closer to a large town, but if you did you might not see all these flowers and what would you talk about then? If I wish to go to the big international market here I need to cross Atlanta and it takes an hour, each way, just like you, but the only thing I see are SUVs, huge trucks and traffic rushing 4 or 5 lanes each way on the freeway. I like your ride a lot better.

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  14. very witty I enjoyed the drive through your world!

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  15. Are you sure your last photo is not of an alien life form, bristling with fear at the click of your camera?!

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  16. I really enjoyed this post. It wouldn't seem such a hardship to drive with those views. I like your visual metaphor. If it was windy, the swaying would be even more pronounced!

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  17. What a fun post. You've given your changing countryside a personality. I love that last photo of the emerging poppy. And your header looks just great.

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  18. Violetsky - you could say, that we are easily satisfied.

    Vagabonde - yeees, perhaps I do too, when you say it like that.

    her at home - thanks, hah

    jinksy - now you mention it, it might well be. On the other hand, it might be about to take a swing at me?

    Amy - It is a fairly easy ride but it does get a bit tedious after a while.

    Hilary - The countryside round here is very pretty and lends itself to fantasy.

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