Month: July 2023

Yet another inferno

I don’t want to go into details about the fires raging in Greece, since these can be found in all the papers and news streams. They are too awful to contemplate, as are the fires in Canada, California, and elsewhere. Nor do I want to start a discussion of what, or who, is to blame—arson, climate change, negligence… It is too painful.

Ireelevant photo of a soothing Japanese garden

All I want is to spare a thought for the people affected, who have lost holidays, possessions, properties and sometimes their lives. And another for the people fighting those fires, with immeasurable courage. Having witnessed a few myself, I know there are few things more frightening than an out-of-control blaze. Horrible for people on the ground, but perhaps even worse for the pilots, who have to fill up with water from a raging sea (it is strong winds that drive the blazes) and then fly blind through the smoke to dump it on houses and woods.

The gardens of the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild in the south of France

And finally a thought for nature, which will be depleted for years to come, and might never recover.

I have posted peaceful pictures because we see enough violent ones in the news.

Rosemary

Good post from @agreekmatinee. Greeks use a lot of rosemary in cooking, and always have a bush growing outside the kitchen door in the country. I put sprigs inside whole fish, and in baking trays of potatoes.

agreekmatinee's avatarElizabeth F Woodfield - A Greek Matinee

From my garden I pluck rosemary leaves to add to my steaming hot tea. Now mid June, that is, our Winter, blooms grin, attract ants.

‘Are rosemary blooms edible too?’ I wondered.

Daughter says, ‘Yes you can eat rosemary blooms. You could crystallise and put in sugar for subtle flavouring. Also you could freeze in ice cubes to add to gin!’

Son says, ‘You could also make some kind of hair serum with the rosemary.’

‘I’ll pass on the crystallised rosemary flowers due to sugar. However, in icecubes for gin sounds good. Should practice for travelling Scotland, ha ha haa!’

‘You’ll love some of the craft gin in the UK also the zero alcohol gin. Worth a try.’

My 12 year old granddaughter’s ‘hair serum’ is super simple to make Son says. ‘She simply took fresh rosemary and placed it in a saucepan of water (not too much water), brought…

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