Tuesday 7 April 2020

No cockle shells, either

When life slows down, you tend to notice things.

I realize I'm only speaking for myself; life hasn't slowed down for those in essential services: nurses, doctors, care workers, pharmacists, grocery clerks, etc.

And in truth, being somewhat of an introvert, my life isn't particularly less busy; in fact, I'm bewildered by the frequent complaints on social media of being bored, or of having "run out of things to do".

Really? You have the entire internet at your fingertips, and you have nothing to do? Are you that on top of your housework and home maintenance? I never am. Even if I did get on top of everything, there would still be family research, which is endless.

However, part of my day involves walking with my mother, and since she uses a walker (zimmer in Britain), this takes a while, which means noticing things.

This week, I pointed out a cluster of what I took to be bluebells, and Demeter informed me that there are no true bluebells in North America. These are harebells*, and apparently, despite also being named "Scottish bluebells", they are a BC native plant.

I found this out because I have the internet at my fingertips.

*They look a bit small to be associated with hares, though.

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