Melantrys’ Page

Bear with me, dear friends, as I fear this will become a post filled with disjointed ramblings.

As a comment on current events it is certainly long overdue, but now, just like as when it all started, I am still at a loss for proper words.

So, the people have taken to the streets in various countries in the Middle East and North Africa, from Tunesia, over Egypt, Jemen, Jordan and Syria to Saudi Arabia. (Although I suppose it remains to be seen whether the 40 women protesters and the 200 and something online activists are going to stay isolated incidents or will be the start of something big in Saudi Arabia.)

And suddenly our politicians realize….. “My gosh, we have been actively supporting dictatorships all those years! How could that happen?! Let’s make sure we’ll find a way to combine our egotism and laziness with ethics and human rights - where possible. What’cha saying, Mr Representative from Saudi Arabia? No, no, of course we’re not talking about your country, hahaha, nothing wrong with the way you guys are handling things over there, eh?”

Oh, could this be any more pathetic?

Meanwhile, in Tunesia, the police shoots and kills 4 protesters. The good news is, they arrested the chief of police afterwards for it.

Meanwhile, in Egypt, Copts pray in Tahrir Square and not only hold up crosses, but also the Q’ran. “Hand in hand.”

Furthermore, Egyptian blogger Sandmonkey doesn’t appear to have been cowed by his arrest a couple of days ago and today not only analyses the possibilities that have been presenting itself from outside of the protest movement but comes up with ideas of his own as to how they themselves could bring about an efficient transition to democracy.

I wish all those countries all the luck in the world and will leave you with a simple, yet beautiful protest song from Tahrir Square. Apparently this has been recorded last Friday.

(link to video on youtube)

While kicking my heels in a hospital examination room today I overheard a conversation outside in the corridor somewhere.

male voice: (something about blood vessel troubles and also not being able to go “via the groin” about a patient)

first female voice: Well, why don’t you do the honours then?

male voice: Me? I don’t even know anymore how that’s done.

second female voice: He’s not allowed to.

first female voice: Why aren’t you allowed to??

second female voice: He has the norovirus.

male voice: Had.

second female voice: He’s not fit to work yet but he’s been faking it.

first female voice: Is he on the roster?

second female voice: No, he isn’t. Sorry, but I’m not gonna lie for you.

From what I then gathered, he got sent home, but seriously….. what kind of idiot was that?
Working in an area that all incoming patients go through, and that patients who have to come for the changing of a dressing and similar stuff also go to, while probably still distributing the norovirus? Thank you, fuck-tart.

…This is becoming a “season’s greetings” blog.
The next holiday is upon us.

Merry Christmas, everyone, and I hope you’ll enjoy the wintery photos I took around the house and neighbourhood.

*hugs everyone and throws some tinsel*

outdoor Christmas tree

icicles

winter sun

Eid mubarak to all my Muslim friends!

Eid mubarak, everyone!!!

Did you give money to a charity helping in Pakistan yet?
No? I think you should, then.

Hardly anyone is, and when I then see the islamophobic mob on a rightwing German blog celebrating this and stating that giving money to their blog owner or Geert Wilders (a Dutch far right politician whom they adore) would be a far better investment, then I get really, really….. I don’t think “angry” is quite the right word…..

If you’re German, here’s a list of respectable charities.

Give a Euro, a Dollar, a Pound.

I gave.

Thank you.

For a couple of years now people have been warning the population on and off of the common ragweed or Ambrosia artemisiifolia (more informative article here) which - although being a North American plant - has started to spread over here as well.

And why is it spreading? Because winter bird feed manufacturers put it into their feed mixes.
Very clever idea, that, putting the seeds of a plant whose pollen causes strong allergic reactions even in people who have never shown any signs of hay fever and the touching of which occasionally causes some really nasty rashes in people into most feed mixes…

They can’t seriously be thinking that the birdies are eating every single seed and not spreading ‘em around like the little table manner monsters that they are?

Well, anyway, I’ve been reading about it and bookmarking the odd “How to recognize Ambrosia” page as I am, well, not prone to hay fever as such (although I suspect I am suffering from a mild one by now) but have had my share of trouble with a nickel allergy that often affects what I can eat as well.
So a highly allergenic plant seemed something to be worth watching out for.

So.

I noticed those nice plants growing under the plum tree. The - not to put too fine a point on it - winter bird feeding tree.

I got this feeling I should have a look at my Ambrosia bookmarks again.

One pack of seed mix in addition to the sunflower seeds and - presto - ragweed plantation. Thankfully not in bloom…. yet.

I snapped some farewell photos, put on gloves and set to work.

They do look nice, don’t they?

budding flower….

most of the patch

the end of them

….

Ramadan kareem!!

Let’s take a break from the stones for a moment and take a look at the surroundings.
First we have…

… a typical kid.

We were waiting for him to fall into the lake, but got disappointed.
The youth of today - totally unreliable…

Ok, back to nature though.
I usually know deadnettles with white flowers, so this one (and its myriad cousins growing all around the place) delighted me no end.
As I now know it used to be considered as another deadnettle or lamium but now is seen only as being closely related. In German it is merely called a Goldnessel (gold nettle), but I like the common English name better. It’s so….. totally unrelated, lol.

Yellow Archangel (Lamiastrum galeobdolon)

And here’s Mr I Don’t Have a Macro Lense Yet, But Look at My Massive Zoom Lense taking photos of the same flower - from a bit further away.

paparazzi M.

flower growing close to the nettle¹

Back to the stones now though.

stone 3 as seen from the path to the grave

.

1. … which actually isn’t a nettle at all, but a member of the mint family. [back]

I sincerely apologize for not taking note of the exact location of the stones being featured in this photo; I’ll make sure to do that next time I go there.
And go there I must with some other friends to show them what we discovered in the woods….

(The tension just keeps on building up, hm?)

the other side…

view of lake behind the stones from stone 3

look back to stone 2

Note the guy pointing a (video?) camera at us in turn.

But let’s stay on solid ground for a moment.
For some reason the grottos that have been carved into the stones are off limits; except for one opening at the lake - which you should only try to reach armed with climbing gear - all entrances have been barred.

I have done some reading on the net, and all sources I have found so far only went on about the relief the church cut into the face of one stone. None mentioned a carving that looks a lot older and which seems to show a person holding some long handled weapon or some such. It is hard to tell because the carving is rather worn.
I promise that next time I will also take a better photo of the carving. For now you will have to make do with this one:

old statue/carving at the left of entrance to grotto

Upwards and onwards! Well, actually downwards towards the lake front.

Carved into a small stone and facing the lake is a grave. (Don’t ask me what they did with its original occupant.)

cave grave

These steps are leading onto the stone to the right of the grave:

stairs onto grave

And then you can stand atop the grave, gaze out across the lake or the tourists frolicking along the paths around you and wonder why you are standing there on top of an old grave in the first place.