To Blog or Not To Blog?

This blog has more than 6 years. 6 years and 2 months, precisely. It's not a commercial blog and it has not other aims than tell about the events and things that were interesting for me.

This blog was important for me, you know. I met different friends from different countries here. Some of them closed their blogs and are in FB, others changed the "direction" and have commercial blogs now. Or simply do not blog more. I, myself, was very busy and did not have more time to visit others and even to write... and... I feel I'm alone here.

So, I decided to close my blogs.

I opened Blogger and looked at the statistics. There are about 100 views every day here.
I opened the page. I have 27 readers...
I wanted to know, who reads my blog? Maybe, you will not believe me but I've never seen statistics of this blog. So, I discovered that most visits come from Stumble Upon.

Ohhh... Stumble Upon... It was my first love in Internet. I liked to stumble it's sites randomly. I learned so many things there! It's still alive and is interesting - but I have not time to sit in internet for my pleasure more. I have to learn and I have to work...

I wanted to close my blogs today.
But I had not enough courage to do it...
Maybe I have to change my attitude towards blogging and blog so as I feel without trying to create "clever" articles, without trying to satisfy anybody? Without following advises of all those "illuminated" gurus? No, I did not follow them but the thought I don't blog so as it has to be ruined the pleasure of blogging for years - at least it was for me so...

I don't know.
I don't know if it's the last post here.
Maybe it's better to leave this question to the judgement of time.

Detective is my New Job

This expressway I've seen many and many times was not so as it was always before. It was different because I was driving and was alone in the car. Nothing bad - I became a very expert driver this year and, honestly, had to pass the "best" itineraries like Amalfitan Coast, Vesuvius, Naples...

This time the situation was different. I had to find an organization in a completely unknown town with only one-way directions. And the game was more interesting thanks to the forbidding weather conditions.

I found the place where to look for the organization I needed and imagined the direction - more or less. And - what a great fortune- I found it after not too much time. 

You would ask me: why, the hell, I go looking for who know which organizations in such places? You will never believe me, but I "play" a detective. God moves in a mysterious way, you know. I'm very VERY fare from any desire to become Sherlock Holmes or Nero Wolfe. It's my inability to say "No!" and the need to help sentient beings that takes me in all the disparate troubles.

So, what is it this time, you ask? A certain young man from Moscow contacted me by phone (where took he my number, I wanted to know????) and asked me to help him to find his fiance which fled in Italy from him, and he can't find her to say he is waiting for her and loves her...

Yes, a novel. He said, he has some bars and found this girl when she was 18 years old. A naive girl from an Ucrainian village near Chernobyl, she came in Moscow after she finished secondary school and wanted to work in one of his bars first, than they began to live together. And they lived in love and reciprocal respect for 7 years till -suddenly- she left him...

Yes, I understand now, too.

The problem was he sent me money and did not want to accept them back (I did not know where to send them since I knew only his name written in Russian). So, I said, I'll find this organization and it will be the last thing I do for you. 

Imagine that I had to listen to him every day for hours. He called me 2-3 times a day. I wanted to make him more calm and relaxed, trying to explain him that he is not right, first. But I'm not a psychologist. I'm not able to work this way every day for more than a week...

After hours I was making circles around this town (all the residents laughed and, I suspect, they indicated me the wrong ways especially), I finally found the expressway and a great commercial center near it. 

So, I decided to have a rest and to gift me something very beautiful (a warm woolen dress: I'm tired to wear always pants, I want to feel myself a woman). And, look, I found a clock I needed! So beautiful! And with Japanese clockwork!  

On my way home, in the dark and hard rain, I did not see a big truck entering the expressway.........
Well, fortunately, the driver had time and place to bypass me. That is why I can tell you this story personally.
But it was a very hard experience, you know.

I swear, I'll never do something like this more.

Love Story

Interesting in this life are the stories of sentient beings. There is not matter is it about the humans or other animals. We are equal in this sense. I practice "bird watching" in my hen house and, you can believe me, observe many more or less tragic destinies. Here is one of them.

We bought a couple of mandarin ducks this spring. There were two couples in the animal shop, and probably the shopkeeper gave us ducks from different pairs. The adaptation period was long and hard. The male did everything possible to create good relation but the female did not want to know anything about it. 

After some time she accepted his company but did not want to know about the family. So, we remained without ducklings this year. 

In summer, my husband suddenly bought an other male. He was sold for so little price... 

The old couple hit him all the time and we did not know what to do with them. In autumn, we bought a little female. The male-ducks began just to change their summer wear to nuptial suits. We were happy: now, the young duck will court the young female, and so all will be happy.

Unfortunately, the things go not so as we wanted.

The young male began to court the others male's wife. There was a long period when she did not know what to do with them. But at the end, she chose the young duck. This is more strong and aggressive. Now, these two occupy the pond and protect it. They do not allow all others enter in it. They sit on the border or swim. The second,old, male is always with them. Not accepted but dreaming to have back his "girl-friend".

My husband wants to move them in a new big open-air cage with my big beautiful pond that I did so much to create. That pond can't surely stand so many ducks and it will transform in dirty puddle...

But I wanted to tell you about the strange games of the destiny.
In the mean time, the young duck is allown...

Strange Hobbies and Inspired Persons

Hobbies are so strange thing, you know, you can find those passionate persons everywhere. Some days ago I wrote about the bird lovers. Now, I wanted to report you about the other kind of "thrill-seekers".

Yesterday, I was in Paestum. I wanted to collect all the possible books and brochures about the interesting for tourists places. Since I accompany tourists in their visits in Campania -it's our region, in Italy- and because I'm a history lover myself, I look always for something new in this field. In Paestum, there was the XV fair of archeological tourism. It's a strange event because they promise it's the last time, every year. But they continue year by year. Probably, they find enough organizations who wants to pay the place inside the 5 stars hotel.

So, I went there yesterday.
One hour in the car (fortunately, my husband wanted to come with me and I had not drive myself) and the nature changes from the hills around our house to the plain with the Apennines chain in the distance.

I was not the first but there were not too many persons at 9 in the morning, so it was possible to pass from one stand to other.

The interesting part of this event is concentrated in one room. Those are the organisations of history lovers who try to live so as the people in this or that epoch lived. Here you can meet very "mad" persons. They love what they do so much so that they can tell you about every single piece hours and hours. I would like to hear them, too, but my husband waited me and he had to go to work else.

Here you can find jewelry creators. Their brooches is possible to buy. But they cost  not less than 100 euros since they are from silver with precious stones.

Here you can learn how to create natural colors and use them in your life.

Many copies of archaeological finds created using the techniques of that times...

And that birdie in center is natural. It seemed very glad to participate...

The long tools in front of you on the right are the medieval keys 

...and Sardenia was represented with different mannequins

I collected so many books and brochures that could not move more after about an hour. My husband was really happy to regain me: he had to go to work at the 13 and we had at least one hour of expressway.

Ahhhh.... The mountains of Salerno... Home...

Mad Bird Lovers

There are many different hobbies in the world. One collects pictures, other can't see antiques without tears. You will remember that my husband is a birds lover. This year he had many species of birds: Virginia Quails (we still have 2 or 3 of them), Rock Partridges (father, mother and about 15 children probably will go away this week), Red-legged Partridges, Quails (15 males wait for their new destination), Grey Partridges, all they passed months of this year in our hen house. Today, except those I just mentioned here, we have different nanous hens and pheasants.

From time to time, I had ..."strange" thoughts about my husband. I was glad he has a hobby but I think, the birds have to enjoy great spaces, and I do not like these games with alive beings. You will remember the pond I helped him to create for his mandarin ducks (we have 2 couples and one white Carolina today). If I will show you the photo, you will laugh all the evening. It looked like this:

My husband needed other species of birds and had to sell those he had too many copies, so, he knows all the other bird lovers of the region and at least half of them in all the Italy. From time to time, we go to exchange birds, to buy them etc etc. Looking at those "zoos" I thought: poor wives... Here are some photos.
I do not know the names of most of these birds. Many of them have not price, as said one of the owners (like that azure-blue bird I do not know the name but I like it soooo much...), because they are unique in Italy and maybe in Europe.

So, here are two collections:

 

And this is the second one

Loneliness of Suffering

The photo I added here, somebody published it in Facebook recently. The idea of the loneliness was so intence that I saved it in my pc. Sometimes, specially after this summer when we had many nestlings and many -MANY!- of them died in terrible sufferings, naturally, and we could do nothing for them but we could not kill them to free them, too... So, after this terrible summer, you know, I do not understand the Creator whoever He is. 

I do not understand the sense of so many sufferings in all this world. I understand that it's how the things work. I understand that everything what is born will be buried. But was it impossible to create it in such way that the poor alive being can die suddenly, without suffering??????

Ohhh yes, I know that it's stupid that I ask this question. I know. It is so... but...

WHYYYY????? GOD!!!! WHY?...

And than, this morning, this other photo...

It was in 1963, I can't remember it because i was too little at that time. But I remember the photo -probably, I've seen it later, when I was just big enough. 

This time it was in Facebook, too. And here is the comment 

On June 11, 1963, Thich Quang Duc, a Buddhist monk from Vietnam, burned himself to death at a busy intersection in Saigon as a protest against repressive policies of the Catholic Diem regime. Buddhist monks asked the regime to lift its ban on flying the traditional Buddhist flag, to grant Buddhism the same rights as Catholicism, to stop detaining Buddhists and to give Buddhist monks and nuns the right to practice and spread their religion.

While burning, the monk Thich Quang Duc showed no signs of discomfort, pain or fear. He was at peace. It is said he was not intoxicated at the time.

...And all those persons looked at him...

Oh no, I have not doubts: Life is surely a great error of the Creator. I can't suppose He can enjoy all these amount of suffering...

Is it possible to die for one letter?

Looking for news in internet, I noticed an announce of a site about suicides. The title was something like this: don't you know how to suicide? As a teacher I'm very contrary the provoking bad thoughts advertising. Persons are too strange today. It's enough to see something in TV and there are many persons who repeat any gesture.

The site despite my worse foresight was about the ways to prevent stress and suicide thoughts. It was nice. But the theme remembered me one story from the times of Stalin. There is not need to explain who was this character. Everybody knows that he was able to send thousands of persons in GULAG etc.

But one story was special.

One journalist was send on "executioner's block" for only ONE letter.

The journalist wrote an article about the achievements of the Soviet people building the light future and about the leading role of the Father of the Nation in reaching all the picks on this way. In the only word Stalin, there was a misprint: not t but r. The misprint however changed the meaning of the word completely. Not "Made from Iron" but something like Shittipants.

Stalin could not stand such an insult, and the journalist paid his misprint with his life. I don't think the man did that mistake consciously. And, it's possible that he even did not notice it. So, all we, bloggers, know how is easy the print one letter for an other. Specially, if we are distracted.
Well, we are fortunate that the times change and we live in an other period...

Dragonflies of my Childhood's Memories

This summer I met the memories of my childhood.

When I was a little girl, we lived in Lithuania. There were forests and a river under our town situated on the high bank of it.

We, children, passed all our time near that river. In the places, where the forest was near the river, there were many romantic corners. There, you could see aquatic and paludal plants and flowers, there were little -and, maybe, not too little- fishes, too, since all the bank was always occupied by numerous fishers with their rods and spinnings.

And, there was very special smell, near the river. That smell, when I sniff it, awakes particular feelings in my soul. My heart contracts and I begin to look for SOMETHNG... And then I undertand that it's only the smell of the river I grew up nearby.

I loved to observe the life of the creatures that lived near the river. Among them, there were different kinds of dragonflies. They were a part of the river. Inseparable part of it.

Now, for 17 years, I live in the South of Italy. This place is hot. Too hot for my tastes. And this summer was particularly dry. Just in July, the shepherds began to burn the dry grass of the hills. There was not high wind maybe, so our poor hill was set on fire even two times this year.

I went for a walk with my "fille" to our "lake" and I told her how fortunate we are to have the possibility to stay near the water in this hot afternoon.

Suddenly, I saw it. A big dragonfly.It was flying here and there over our pond. If you look on the photo where is the fountain, you can see it - big and azure. I was excited. I did not see them for so long time! The feelings, the memories of my childhood rushed into my mind.

The dragonfly went away. Than turned back. It was not alone. They were two, than three, than more...
I was delighted to see them. Where came they from???

Then, I understood what were they doing there, near my "lake". They wanted to place their eggs! And there were real air battles over the pond.The battles for those two clumps of herb situating in a proper position. Who knows, how they choose the right one??? For me all the leaves were equal...

Sitting on a stone and observing them, absorbed by my memories, I forgot my "duties". We have a great herd of wild hens now. :-))) They do not want to recognize anybody and live absolutely for their own. Sometimes, we can't even see them: they are little and light and fly very well. So, they like to sit on the trees and, when you near the tree, you can see hens falling down from the crown...

Don't you think, it's strange that our memory has so surprising ways to turn us back to our origins?

Flowers in the Garden

This summer was really terrible and all the efforts to maintain the garden more or less green were wain. My roses, my beautiful roses... all those I planted in April are dry... Thinking about it, I wanted to find some advises what to do with the plants. The collection seems interesting  enough:

If you plant flowers in a container make sure that you water them and feed them regularly, and that the pots have adequate drainage. Because there is limited soil in the pot, you need to pay more attention to the soil conditions. If the drainage is not adequate your plants will result in root rot.

Attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden. Certain plants are highly attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds due to their nectar. Hummingbirds tend to favor any flower that is shaped like a trumpet, especially if it is pink, red or purple. Examples of these are honeysuckle, fuchsia and monarda. Butterflies like flat, daisy-like flowers, such as chrysanthemums, asters and coneflowers. Choose a sunny position, as both butterflies and hummingbirds appreciate the warmth.

Divide up your perennials while they still look healthy.  It's best to divide a perennial at the end of the growing season during which it hits its peak.  As the plant starts to overgrow, the center of the plant will start to have dying stalks and weaker flowers.  Allowing perennials to grow too long may also lead to them overtaking neighboring plants.

Avoid chemicals for pest control. Chemicals are effective but can also damage your plants. You should look for natural methods instead. For instance, you can buy jars of ladybugs and release them on your plants. Ladybugs are natural predators for a variety of smaller insects that eat flowers and other plants.

If you like to plant flowers that produce a lot of fragrance, consider planting them close to your house. One reason is that you can enjoy the scent whether you are inside or outside your house. Another reason is that the heat from the walls of your house can intensify the scent from your flowers, making them more fragrant.

Start a compost bin, and enjoy nutrient-rich fertilizer that you can use for your vegetable plants, herbs, flowers and more. Food scraps and peels, coffee grounds, eggshells, newspaper, paperboard, yard waste and other organic matter are perfect additions to your compost bin. Keep a small bucket or bag in your freezer as an odor-free way to collect kitchen waste, and empty the container into the outdoor bin when it is full.

When your summer blooms have bloomed and faded away, remember to dead-head the flowers. This means pinching off the flower heads. This will encourage new flowers to bloom longer next year, and it will also strengthen the plant. Since the flower heads have seeds, you can also save the flower heads that you have pinched off for planting at another time.

Plant bulbs in your garden if you want flowers through spring and summer. Bulbs are usually very hearty and very easy to grow, and bulbs will grow year after year. Different types of bulbs bloom at different times, so if you choose appropriately, you can have blooms from early spring to late summer.

Grow from seeds. In garden centers, it is usually much cheaper to purchase a packet of seeds than to buy the equivalent number of grown plants. Remember, if you sow some seeds before the summer, you can get a garden full of bright, colorful flowers for a very cheap price.

A Little Pool For Our Ducks

This summer was dedicated to the creation of a pool for mandarina ducks we bought this spring. We have 3 ducks now: two males and one female. They are very very nice but did not want to make eggs. Who knows, why.

The problem is that the ducks need water to be happy.

As you can see, I bought them this little pool that contains about 150 l of water. And, to have a good natural environment, I ordered different special aquatic plants. Since the pool was just installed in the ducks' part of the henhouse, I thought to plant my aquatic plants in special bowls.

The bowls are on the terrace, and it was clear that there will grow mosquitos. So, I bought little fishes Gambusia which adore mosquitos to prevent malaria in the house. :-)))

The plants began to grow very well and I could transfer some of them in the pool of the ducks soon. The ducks... destroyed all the plants I put there to create a natural environment for them...

The water in the pool became rotten in a few days and we had to change it different times a week. Not so easy, I have to tell you. This situation was not good, clearly, so I had to buy a pomp with filter for very dirty pools to help us to solve the problem. It's a German pomp that does not consume too much energy but...

But the water becomes rotten at least once a week.

It's clear that the 150 l pool is not enough for 3 ducks.

Nothing to do, we had to think about a bigger pool. My husband wants to buy other 3 ducks, you know.

We began to create that new pool. Now, we act more smart. We bought a special, for pools, plastic towel and ...

...I put my aquatic plants from my nursery a week after the hole was ready...

Now, it became so:

There are many oxygenating plants but the water needs a pomp and a filter anyway. And it's impossible to have the elecricity always on... So, I had to buy a solar pomp with a fountain.

Here is the last view of the new pool...
There is a proverb in Russian: the woman had not troubles, so she bought a pig...