chroniques d’une fraise

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Photo of today’s lunar eclipse when it was total, as seen from my balcony. More of my eclipse photos, though this one is my personal favorite. All were taken with my Nikon D40 body and Imado 135mm f/2.8 prime lens; this one is […]

An incredible article by Lesley Downer was published in the Times today: The caged concubines. Those who know the flower and willow world have certainly recognized Downer’s name, as she is one of the foremost non-Japanese experts on geisha (I have loads of books on Japanese culture, kimono and geisha, but her book Women of […]

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This is the vicious feline attacker who pounced on me after an intercom buzz, causing a scratched eyelid, throbbing headache, a visit to my opthalmologist and untold emotional scarring. It is clear from his beady, calculating eyes, threatening ears and bushy tail that […]

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This is my eye. My left eye with a reflection through my balcony French doors, to be precise, and bloodshot because this morning my cat pulled a stunt somewhat like this cartoon. Instead of a baseball bat, it was one of his hind […]

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The same building as photographed last week, again while on my way to the post office, because I’m still at home with the flu, ugh. The yellow tree is mimosa, which bloom this time of year. This photo was taken in the late […]

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I’m still recovering from my nasty flu bug, thus the reason for contemplating the plants on my balcony yet again. Also called stone pine, these trees are abundant in this part of France. Thanks to a commenter on my previous stone pine attempt, […]

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This is the apartment building I live in — those who pay close attention to photos of my balcony may recognize the pattern on the iron bars.
I’ve had the flu since Friday and needed to mail my arrêt maladie. On the way to […]

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Earth laughs in flowers, to see her boastful boys
Earth-proud, proud of the earth which is not theirs;
Who steer the plough, but cannot steer their feet
Clear of the grave.
- Excerpt from Hamatreya, Ralph Waldo Emerson
This is a flower from one of my cyclamens. I’ve […]