AGING SUCKS!

AGING WITH A SMILE!

RH PLAYING THE BLUES ON HIS "B-FLAT WALKING CANE" IN THE ROTUNDA  AT 'CHOSIN POTTERY.
PHOTO: LUTZ HAUFSCHILD

THEY SAY THAT BRITS, ESPECIALLY LONDON BRITS, ARE BORN WITH AN ADVANCED SENSE OF IRREVERENT HUMOUR. THAT'S WHAT GOT US THROUGH THE DARK DAYS OF WWII. IT IS ALSO WHAT BROUGHT US THE LIKES OF THE GOON SHOW, MONTY PYTHON, FAWLTY TOWERS AND A HOST OF OTHER ZANY COMEDY RADIO AND TELEVISION INSTITUTIONS. I INHERITED IT IN MY GENES. EVERYTHING HAS A FUNNY SIDE SOMEWHERE, ALTHOUGH IT IS SOMETIMES VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND IT. I DECIDED TO FIGHT THE AGING PROCESS WITH A COMBINATION OF HUMOUR AND THEATRICS.

I'M 73 AND WELL INTO THE AGING PROCESS. THE TIRED OLD BODY IS ROTTING FROM THE INSIDE AND CRUMBLING FROM THE OUTSIDE, A STATE THAT MOST OF US ARE IN SOME STAGE OF.  IT STARTS AT BIRTH AND IS ALMOST INEVITABLE. HAVING HAD SOME FALLS AS KNEES AND ANKLES GAVE OUT, MY MEDICAL ADVISORS RECOMMENDED THAT I GET A WALKING CANE. I HATED THE THOUGHT OF THIS AS, FOR ME, IT REPRESENTED A SYMBOL OF AGE AND AGING. I BOUGHT A SPIFFY, BRIGHT TURQUOISE, TUBULAR ALUMINIUM ONE, MANUFACTURED BY A COMPANY CALLED HUGO. I HAD JUST SEEN THE WONDERFUL FILM TITLED "HUGO", SO THAT ELEVATED IT A BIT.  

AT VARIOUS TIMES IN MY LENGTHY CAREER I HAVE BEEN OBSESSED WITH MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, COMING FROM BEING A TRUMPET, TROMBONE AND BUGLE PLAYER. MY EARLIEST TEENAGE CLAIM TO FAME WAS AS THE CHIEF BUGLER FOR THE CROYDON SEA CADETS FOR THREE OR FOUR YEARS. BRASS INSTRUMENTS ARE BASICALLY A METAL TUBE THAT YOU BLOW INTO THROUGH A MOUTHPIECE, LIKE A MINIATURE FUNNEL.  YOU BLOW THROUGH THE WIDE END AND CHANGE THE PRESSURE OF YOUR BLOW TO GET HIGHER AND LOWER NOTES. THIS IS DONE BY TIGHTENING OR LOOSENING THE LIPS, TIGHT FOR HIGHER, LOOSE FOR LOWER. A COMPETENT PLAYER CAN GET FIVE DIFFERENT NOTES BY PRESSURE ALONE. A GOOD PLAYER CAN GET SEVEN, AND A SUPER-GOOD PLAYER CAN GET NINE. ON A REGULAR DAY I GET BETWEEN FIVE AND SEVEN, BUT WHEN I'M WARMED UP I CAN GET BETWEEN SEVEN AND NINE.  I ALWAYS CARRY A TRUMPET MOUTHPIECE AS A TALISMAN OF GOOD LUCK. I'VE DONE IT FOR MANY YEARS.

AS SOON AS I SEE A TUBULAR ANYTHING, I KNOW I CAN PLAY IT AND MAKE ELEMENTARY MUSIC. I LOOKED AT THE CANE AND ASSESSED IT'S POTENTIAL. IF I DRILLED A LARGER HOLE TO FIT MY TRUMPET MOUTHPIECE IN ONE OF THE LENGTHENING POSITIONS, I COULD COME UP WITH A "B-FLAT" SOPRANO WALKING CANE. I DID IT AND THE NET RESULT ALLOWS ME TO PLAY TO MYSELF  WHEN I GET THE "AGING BLUES" OR OTHERS, JUST FOR THE HELL OR FUN OF IT. IT IS AN EXTENSION OF MY MUSICAL TEAPOT PHASE. MY FAVOURITE JAZZ REQUESTS ARE: "IN THE MOOD", "SUMMERTIME" 
AND "WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN".  I'M ALSO GOOD FOR THE MOZART HORN CONCERTOS!!
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THE ROTUNDA

THE ROTUNDA IS PART OF THE "TONGUE IN CHEEK" GRECO-ROMAN GARDEN, AND RELATES TO THAT PART OF MY LIFE WHEN I WAS A EUROPEAN TOUR GUIDE. I DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IT IN MY EARLIER EXTENSIVE GARDEN DESCRIPTIONS AS IT MAINLY COMES TO LIFE IN THE SUMMER AND FALL.

"MARCUS TIPTON TUNNEL" - SERPENTINE WALKWAY INTO "THE GRECO-ROMAN PERFUMED GARDEN".

"THE ROTUNDA" - MADE BY DAVID SEAGER FROM LOGS FOUND ON THE BEACH AND CAPPED WITH A TV SATELLITE DISH. IT IS THE MUSICAL AND POETRY ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE OF THE GARDEN. 

THE "ROTUNDA" HAS A PEBBLE MOSAIC FLOOR IN THE FORM OF A TEN-PETALLED FLOWER AND 9 FAN-SHAPED SEATS. THE "PEBBLES" ARE HANDMADE PORCELAIN AND COLOURED PORCELAIN, RANGING FROM WHITE THROUGH BLUES, GREENS AND INTO BROWN IN THE CENTRE. THE ACOUSTICS ARE TERRIFIC, AND THE ROTUNDA HAS BECOME A FAVOURITE REHEARSAL AREA FOR A LOCAL PROFESSIONAL OPERA SINGER. WHEN SHE IS SINGING, IT WAFTS AROUND THE GARDEN IN A MOST SURREAL WAY. THE ROOF IS NOW COVERED WITH THREE HIGH-PERFUME HONEYSUCKLE PLANTS AND IS SURROUNDED WITH HIGH PERFUMED, TOUGH AS NAILS, RUGOSA ROSES.


NEXT TO THE ROTUNDA IS THE "MAD-DOG" PERGOLA. IT IS COVERED WITH CLEMATIS AND CLIMBING ROSES AND SURROUNDED BY SELF OWN SHASTA DAISIES OVER THE SEPTIC FIELD. THERE ARE ALSO A LOT OF DIFFERENT LARGE DECORATIVE GRASSES THAT LOOK GREAT THROUGH THE FALL AND WINTER. CLOSE BY IS ANOTHER PERGOLA THAT SUPPORTS A VERY OLD HAWTHORN TREE WHICH IS HOST TO A WHITE WISTERIA THAT CLAMBERS UP TO 50' INTO INDIGENOUS CEDAR TREES.  THE TEN "PILLARS" OF THIS PERGOLA EACH HAVE 2 CLEMATIS PLANTS, ONE FOR FLOWERING IN SPRING AND DIFFERENT ONES FOR LATE SUMMER AND FALL.

THE FOLLOWING IMAGES ARE SOME OF WHAT IS IN BLOOM IN THIS SECTION OF THE GARDEN RIGHT NOW. I HAVE SO MANY IMAGES THAT WILL DO AN ADDITIONAL GARDEN BLOG IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.

CLERODENDRON TRICHOTOMUM

HEMEROCALLIS KWANZO - DAYLILY 

DILL FLOWERS

DESERT KING EDIBLE FIG - WITH STILTON, GORGONZOLA OR CAMBOZOLA CHEESE
WITH SHERRY, PORT OR MARSALA FORTIFIED WINES ARE THE ULTIMATE TASTE COMBINATION 

FUCHSIA MAGELLANICA

ROMNEA COULTERII

CLEMATIS  MIX - TANGUTICA, POLISH SPIRIT WITH WISTERIA VENUSTA AND CROCOSMIA

CLEMATIS - VILLE DE LYON

THAT'S IT FOR TODAY!

NEXT POSTING WILL BE ON BRUSHES AND BRUSHWORK.  MEANWHILE LOOK CAREFULLY AT THESE IMAGES AND IMAGINE TRANSLATING THEM INTO A SERIES OF BRUSHMARKS.

SEE YOU LATER. RH