Uncertain times

 

I heard someone say that she will not leave her bedroom window open because of what might come in at night. She did not mean a burglar. She meant creatures., she kept her window tight shut just in case any creepy crawly came into the house. Well, there are lots of them flying around at night. We have a light box to trap moths and, in the mornings, we can see what has flown into the container and hidden. Last night we had three elephant hawk moths.

It is a luminous hairy moth with shocking pink markings on a gold background. It is not a bit like an elephant, but its caterpillar does look like an elephant’s trunk. It eats willow herb and the chrysalis hides in the soil all winter and must have just emerged as this beautiful adult.

I have not waited all winter for my doctor’s appointment, but it seems so long ago since I booked it. Online you have to write what your appointment is for but now the original complaint has diminished and another is in its place. The dilemma is, do I ring an already busy receptionist, and let her know that I will be talking about something else? I decided to leave it. It was a phone appointment. How difficult it is describing symptoms on the phone pointing to something the doctor cannot see. But you can take a photo and upload to them. It all seems so complicated now and how different from popping in for a quick check.

Strange too is the fact that we are already eating summer crops from the garden. Every year I get used to one season and then we are quickly on to another. The new potatoes are ready. To get the full flavour you must dig them up and then run with the container to the kitchen where a pan of water is already boiling. The broad beans and the French beans are ready too and it is a job to keep up with all the eating we must do. It will soon be time to freeze some. We also must have strawberries for tea every day as they are coming thick and fast, I do not think you can freeze them. But the days of plenty will not last.

Bringing that point home was a Ukrainian visitor who came to see us yesterday. She stood outside our door waiting patiently with her host, my friend. She shook hands and told us that her parents were still in Ukraine she had to leave them behind. She looked at us politely without expression.

How much more uncertain our world seems these days.

(taken from my column in the Shropshire Star)