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A Window On My World

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Posts will be published on occasion and irregularly as I am able.
Some of these posts are from my web site The Garden At Crocker Croft.
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Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Sports - Not the Vegetative Type

We are having the usual series of Winter's returns that are locally referred to as: Redbud Winter, Dogwood Winter,and now Black Locust Winter, with Blackberry Winter just around the corner. Most folks hope Winter won't tarry too long; they do not like it when Winter comes back to visit Spring. Here's hoping Spring sends Winter (in all her snowy ermines) packing for good. This one will be a wild winter to remember, as they used to say: "One for the books." I wonder... did that mean for the records - a record breaker?

I have never been a sports fan. So, it is ironic how many sports events I watched on television this past winter into spring. You know I am surely sick if I watch them, and I was.

First there was the head and sinus cold. Several weeks later there was a flu-like virus (Yes, I had both flu shots which kept me out of the hospital, I think.) that hung on and on and on; as one blogger labeled it "the bad cold from 'the hot place'". I don't like being bored, but when I feel rotten, I tend to collapse, unable to do much, if anything. It is rather bad when one has to depend on television to stay sane, but that is where I turned. Sports was the only thing worth watching, and I don't even care for sports! I even watched one of our local university's football games; it took for evvvvvver! (We are better known for our basketball. I use that "we" very loosely - remember, I don't follow sports.)

Then basketball season was upon us. The University of Kentucky main campus is here in town. It rules the town. Newly arrived citizens are quizzed as to what color they bleed. The correct answer is: blue, Kentucky blue. Rather silly, don't you think, but the locals (and not so local) get a lot of fun and entertainment from it. The hype and competition is outrageous. The place goes wild!

The Olympic games were a life safer. From the opening ceremony through the closing ceremony, I watched every day and every night; I even watched hockey - both men's and women's - I still can't believe I did that. I learned about curling. I became conversant with which team played which teams. I learned athletes by name, first names, too! I cried when they cried. I laughed when they laughed. What would I have done without them all those days and nights.

Let me make a small correction: there were two nights in February that I did not watch Olympic games. Every year we watch the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show which is staged in Madison Square Gardens in New York City. It is televised for two nights, and is an historic sporting event reputed to be second oldest in the U.S., second only to the Kentucky Derby.

After the Olympic games, it was back to basketball for distraction. Both our women's and men's teams were having an outstanding year and went into final games which were frequently cliff-hangers. I do not know enough about it to write more. I got the impression they did very, very well, almost making it to the final game. Or, maybe they did, I can't remember. You can tell how impressed I was. But, everyone else was really excited.

And now, here we are back around. Football players and coaches are back in the news. And the holy day in Kentucky is upon us. The Kentucky Derby is always held the first Saturday in May. Is anything else happening in the world?! Hard to know around here. Keeneland Racetrack here in town runs first. Then, it is on to Louisville for the Derby.

Guess what! In September this year, Lexington is host town to the World Equestrian Games. Shades of the Olympics! Here we go again, and nothing, absolutely nothing! will be normal around here until that is over.

So much for sports. Here are some pretty pictures from the early spring garden. Now THAT, I do like.

Looks like University colors.
(They were really purple, not blue.)

A Sweet Thing

Helleborus "Lenten Rose"

Chionodoxa "Glory of the Snow"
Stars among the Muscari "Grape Hyacinths"

Toad house (hopefully)

Puschkinia "Striped Squill"
Floating in a sea of maturing Eranthis foliage.

Three photos of miniature Narcissus "Minnow"



The big guys looking south as usual.
Normal size "Daffodil" Narcissus.


An early crocus

Helleborus foetidus "Bear Claw"




11 comments:

Grumpy1 said...

Barbee - I sympathise with you, being 'sick' is the pits!

After having played sport, for over 40 years, and now having to watch it, on TV, to 'keep in touch', I'd prefer to surf to your wonderful garden, any time, and just vegetate at the marvel of nature.

Thanks.

debsgarden said...

If you think Kentucky fans are fanatics, you ought to live in Alabama! We all bleed Crimson here! (except for those orange and blue Auburn folk, and they don't count.)

I thought our winter was long gone, but tonight temps are going into the 30s. And it's almost May. Why, my son use to swim outside with his swim team in May! What's happened to global warming?

I enjoyed visiting your blog. You have some lovely plants. I love your header!

Sunita Mohan said...

How horrible! Feeling sick and dependant on sports on TV has to be the absolute worst! I know exactly how you feel ... I have cricket (the sport, not the insect!) coming out of my ears right now with the men in my family being glued to it :P
Ummm.... Barbee, you still have winter where you live? Can we trade? I'm in the middle of the most miserably hot summer days right now in Mumbai :P :P :P
But oh those blooms really make up for it. So very pretty!

Dog Trot Farm said...

Becoming sick one Sunday, I turned on the television and the Nascar Race was being televised. I was to ill to find the remote to channel surf. I watched the four plus hours of that darn race and now I've become a fan. Go #48

Sammy Thorley said...

Hay, You probably noticed I have been gone a while but now I am back & Have been adding a lot of photos to my Photography blog, I love the plants.

Roses and Lilacs said...

Just wanted to stop by and say hi. Knock on wood, I went the entire winter without getting a cold. Hope you are completely well and can enjoy the spring weather.

It is too bad we live so far apart. Toby would be very happy to visit and take care of the critters digging up your yard. Yesterday when I got home, there was a dead vole and a dead mouse waiting on the back porch for me. Isn't he a great cat? He brings me dinner:)
Marnie

Inger said...

I'm sorry to hear you have been feeling sick for so long. I sympathize with you about the TV!! The other day,my type 1 diabetes made me really, really ill and all I could do was watch TV. And it was sooo boring. I recorded everything so I could skip those commercials, but even so, it was no fun! Love your gorgeous photos and hope you are feeling better now. -- Inger

alexis nicole said...

LOVELY pictures!
You mentioned the Kentucky Durby and I have always dreamed of going someday.

Balisha said...

I watched the Kentucky Derby yesterday.What a mess...I wish the rain could have held off until after the event.
I was sorry to hear about your being sick and not having anything good on TV.
We enjoyed the Olympics too...wish they were on every year.
I forgot to tell you that I do scratch the wildflower seeds in the ground, in the fall. Just a little so that they nestle into the earth.
Balisha

Anonymous said...

I was hospitalized for 10 days during the 2006 winter games. The Olympics kept me going. And honestly, looking back, I think that experience is the one that really got me into food and gardening.

Sammy Thorley said...

Hay I just wanted to say that my photography blog is now being marked by the examiners for my As photography so I can't use that blog any more but I have started a new blog which you can see at http://photographysammy.blogspot.com/