hibiscus, to look at, out of season

The hibiscus started life in a pot, but in a flower bed, it has matured into a substantial shrub, just now coming into flower.


A birthday present, which I permit myself to open in advance as we are going away, looks like a book. Not another book to read I say to myself and think of Proust - a long way to go yet - and a stack of holiday reading. Through the cellophane I read On Reading. A book about reading when there is so much to read! Then, relief! It is a book of photographs of people reading. The photographs are by Andre Kertesz and it was first published 34 years ago. The collection is widely celebrated, which explains why some of the photographs in it are familiar to me. They are restful to contemplate and stimulating at the same time.

In the High Street I look up. On adjacent chimney pots sits a white dove and a wood pigeon. I am about to photograph them, when they take off. The reason for their departure is a crow, which lands on one of the chimney pots. I photograph the crow instead.