From time to time we find someone who goes against the flow and it stands out pretty sharply. But when that little black sheep, or in this case, red coat, black spotted ladybird is the stand out, well it isn’t quite so obvious. When I linger in the pool, I have a lot of time to do nothing, to stare at the mountain ranges both east and west, to look at the grass that needs cutting, to skim the water or like yesterday, to spy a ladybird actually sitting on a rose for once (see A cultural misunderstanding). Continue reading →

Perhaps he’s british: you haven’t remarked yet that you’ve crossed the channel?

I had completely forgotten that I’d ordered them when I went to the mailbox and retrieved the padded envelope.  Tearing it open and tipping out the small  transparent plastic container I was still in the dark; when I turned it over and found a few pieces of popcorn covered in specks I finally remembered. I burst out laughing at the absurdity of it, my ladybird larvae had arrived. Continue reading →