I know it’s a weed, but I am always fascinated by dandelions. They are such an aggressive colonizer that puts up a flower with such a pretty yellow splotch of colour…that then becomes a globe of little parachutes waiting for a good breeze to carry them off to a lawn to colonize anew. The little ball of seeds is waiting to disperse…. quite the opposite of all of us these days. We dispersed weeks ago…and as much as I am a social introvert of the strongest sort…I’m about ready to congregate again. I didn’t think that I’d ever really mind isolation, I usually crave it.
But I think I am finally finding the edges of my envelope. I will welcome the eventual coming-together.
We went out for a short walk before dinner, and before the rains set in. we walked down by the Capilano Suspension Bridge, just a block over and a block down. Usually at this time of year we are already starting to curse the tourists (local and not) that come to North Vancouver and create a parking lot of the neighbourhood. It was so strange to peer into the windows and see everything locked up and quiet. The world feels weirdly empty and abandoned.
There are two townhouse complexes, small ones, that are boarded up and devoid of human lives They are to be torn down to create parking for the Suspension Bridge parkers. Again….it felt like the world had just stopped. I guess it sort of has in many ways. Those of us who can, are staying home to reduce the transmission rate. Those who are out there on the front lines of the pathological war zone are taking the enemy fire for us, and we are grateful for their efforts.
But in the absence of humans, the flowers still bloom. They don’t put their show on for our pleasure, it’s a biological imperative for them, part of their reproductive life cycle and they couldn’t care less that we are susceptible to a virus rampaging around the world, through our populations. They are probably better off without us.
On the final stretch home we walked by a neighbour’s house where last week we’d encountered a cute little painted ladybug rock sitting on a rock. I was worried that someone might take it because it was so cute. Not only did no one take it…but this week it has a new friend.
This made me smile. And I need things to smile about these days. So I hope it makes you smile too.
(115/365)