Although the sun hadn’t yet risen at 6:00 this morning, there was enough light for me to see the back patio through the sliding glass door. It was wet. I couldn’t detect any rain coming down, so when I stepped outside with my little dog, I was surprised to feel the soft drizzle on my … Continue reading Wet Paws and Morning Magic: Walking in the Rain
Gardens & Parks
Footsteps Through Time: A London Diary of Discovery and Dust
September 21-22, 2019: Traveling After my flight from California landed in Salt Lake City, I had a 2-1/2 hour layover. Then I boarded the red-eye to Heathrow. We arrived about 11:00 a.m. on the 22nd. Jet-lagged and bleary-eyed, I checked into my Bloomsbury hotel—too drained for more than a foggy scout for supper. I had … Continue reading Footsteps Through Time: A London Diary of Discovery and Dust
A Changing World: Last Day in London
Less than a week after I returned home from London in March 2020, the covid travel restrictions hit. It had been strange to see my fellow readers in the National Archives slinking around, warily keeping their distance from one another. Women in the public restroom peered over their masks with glazed eyes, as they washed … Continue reading A Changing World: Last Day in London
Hello. Goodbye.
As I awaited a call back on an important matter, I felt jittery. Sitting on the couch, aimlessly scrolling through social media, wasn’t going to make my situation any better, so I turned to my dog and said, “Do you want to go outside?” Those words work like magic on him. His little ears perk … Continue reading Hello. Goodbye.
A Time and a Place
“Maybe she doesn’t speak English,” said a short, chubby, middle-aged woman. “Or maybe she’s deaf,” her friend observed. “Hello? Hello? Can you understand me?” shouted the first woman. I was just coming to the statue of Charles James Fox at the north end of Bloomsbury Square, when I stopped and turned my head to the … Continue reading A Time and a Place
Blooming and Bearing
All of the roses in my garden have been in full bloom for at least a couple of weeks, but it was just this morning that I noticed there were several red and white blossoms on the guava tree. The olive tree is loaded with tiny off-white buds, and one of my pomegranates has several … Continue reading Blooming and Bearing
Beauty in the Blunder
If I have set down roots, it was less from intention than from the combined forces of time, circumstance, and inertia. The spirit of a vagabond still resides within me. But somehow, the years have passed, and I find myself living in a house with a lush, mature garden that I alone designed, planted, and … Continue reading Beauty in the Blunder
The True Protest
Years ago, my experience as the senior designer at a theme-party production company led to a contract with an architectural firm that was developing a multimillion dollar resort for a client in Japan. It was up to me to direct a team in planning the function and decor of the interior common spaces, including everything … Continue reading The True Protest
The Approach of Winter
In late autumn, my garden requires a lot of care. Grape vines, roses, and pomegranates need drastic pruning, and the dense mat of fallen fig leaves cannot be ignored. Yet amidst all of these signs of degradation, there is a sparse crop of guavas and a bounty of lemons. The kumquats are still ripening on … Continue reading The Approach of Winter
Guavas on the Ground
It’s one of those cool, damp, dreary days that I might find delightful, if I was walking on the Cornwall coast. Botallack Mines, Cornwall However, when I am in my back yard, I only get inspired to return to the house and make a cup of tea. The garden is beautiful but overgrown. Any motivation … Continue reading Guavas on the Ground
Roxane Gilbert 