My amaryllis is making a wonderful show this year. I bought it in December last year and watched it grow until it flowered some time at the beginning of January. It was a beautiful flower, but all good things come to an end, and eventually the flower died. I decided this time to leave it and noticed the dead flowers had formed large seed pods behind the flower. I had a quick look in Internet and there are some amaryllis specialists that know what to do wih your dead amaryllis – not quite dead, you just have to know how to keep it alive for a year to enable it to flower again.
And so I noted the advice of what to do and left the amaryllis for a while to do its own thing. I noticed leaves were appearing and something else in the middle. Of course, amaryllis do not flower once, but twice and slowly but surely the second bud began to develop and grow, but this time accompanied by nice long leaves. I took a photo this morning with my telephone camera for a quick upload and this is the result. The second flower has even surpassed the first in its beauty. It is now end February and this plant is still brightening up my living room. I have now begun to give it fertiliser once a week and will probably put it outside during the summer. I do not know how it will work, but I love these surprises.
In the meanwhile I have noticed that my second avocado pit has made a root. I have had it sitting on an egg cup filled with water since January covered by an upturned cup to keep it in the dark to encourage root growing. The top of the pit has also split and everything going well its first shoot will appear soon. When it gets bigger, I will plant it in a pot to see how it develops. I began to grow one at the beginning of last year, but have kept it inside during the Winter. It has now made more leaves and is growing quite well. Something else to put outside when the warmer weather arrives. Who knows, one day I might have the first Swiss grown avocados. Yes things are growing in my part of the world, now how does that go with the Indian hemp seeds? I just love experiments, although I had a small plantation in the garden a few years ago, but seeds spread and are not always welcome elsewhere.
Yesterday I arranged buying my new iPad and will pick it up tomorrow on the day of the great special dividends in the supermarket. This time I have gone the whole hog with 228 byte power, so I will have enough room for at least 100 apps – I hope. The only problem will be organising it, in the famous words of Mr. Swiss. No problem, been there done it before. I have all my passwords lined up. The iPad I have at the moment is actually functioning quite well, but is an older model. I even organised the cyrillic and as well as the “normal” keyboard on my present iPad and hope I can remember how to do it with the new one. Mr. Swiss finds it will be no problem, I am not so sure.
I have had an iPad since they arrived, but never really wrote very much on them, because i find touch screen writing is awkward. Now after so many years I have discovered it is the easiest thing in the world. It reacts quickly and suggests the words before you know you want them youself. I just have to organise english language on the iPad as they are automatically german language here. It means just a touch and you have it. I saved a lot of time this morning answering my various comments on WP by iPad from my bed. Oh, the life of a cyber golden oldie is a wonderful thing when you are online. I took my old iPad with me yesterday to the store when I organised buying a new one. The young guy (yes he was probably old enough to be my almost grandson) made the astonishing remark “oh, it’s in english” as he was checking through something on my old iPad. I told him he can change it to German if it would be easier for him, but of course he left it as it was – after all everyone can speak english today.
You see I have saved almost half an hour this morning, and I even helped Mr. Swiss to strip the beds to make room for new bed linen. The sun is shining and life looks good outside, although I am still inside eating breakfast at the computer. This morning is window cleaning morning, but all being well that job will be completed in an hour. This afternoon I plan an excursion into the unknown with my camera and my walking cane.
Wishing everyone a great day from the middle of Europe.
Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss 
I had to put on new bed linen yesterday, as my tomcat decided he wanted to wee on the bed – and not just a drop or two, but the full bladder got completely emptied. I washed the first of the two quilt covers and the outer cover immediately and will wash the second tonight, when the rest is dry. I am glad I have a replacement quilt cover so I could just get out a new set of covers, put them on the other quilt cover and be done .. after letting the little wet patch on the mattress dry (I used Febreze on the spot, to cover the scent – but there is no way you can clean the mattress).
I put one of our three cat toilets into the bedroom so he was encouraged to use that when returning from his water bowl and he did so there was no further accident. Never had that before, will have to look out if it occurs more often – then it will be a trip to the vet.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sounds like a case of territory marking although our tomcat usually marked outside. Perhaps it is an age thing. My neighbor had a problem with her cat marking in the wrong places but the cat was going blind and could not find the tray. Tabby is no problem up to now, but who knows? It is annoying when you have to redo the complete bed linen. I have Tabby’s tray in the hall. Otherwise she is an outdoor cat in the warmer weather. I also have Febreze for such surprises.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, I gave the mattress a healthy dose of Febreze, too. I do not think it was territorial, he would not have emptied his whole bladder then, just a few drops would have been enough. But he peed quite profusely. I think it was a case of “Oh, I NEED to go – NOW AND HERE!” …
LikeLike
Good morning, Pat, from the most westerly part of Europe. Congratulations on your avocado plant. I love avocados, Pat, but at €2.90 a kilo I buy them very rarely. Great that you have ordered a new iPad, Pat. You could have bought one for me at the same time. We have 14c here at 8:37 am and bright sunshine but the forecast is for only 18c today so it will be cool. I have to walk up the hill to the local municipal office to continue my battle with the bureaucracy. Have a pleasant day, Pat.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My avocado is more an experiment. I quite like them, but just now and again. They are also expensive here. We have wonderful pre spring weather and today is also the beginning of the carnival season so we were awakened by canon noise, loud whistles and explosions this morning at 5 a.m. Not my sort of thing. Have a nice day.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Those explosions are definitely not my thing either, Pat.
LikeLike
Previously, I also don’t like the touchscreen but as it is said ” Practice makes man perfect”, same is in my case. Now it is best. I love planting small plants in the living area.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t mind the touch screen fot short messages like now, but if I have to write a lot of text then i prefer a keyboard. I love experimenting with plants to see how they develop.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am in agreement with your not liking the touch type on the Ipads. I have long read on it, but rarely tried to type as I disliked it so. Then recently I got a bluetooth keyboard for it. I love it. I type on it all the time. You can still use the suggested words if you like. The keyboard has many great features. Plus while mine was more than Ron’s his was very reasonable and seems to do the same things. The keyboard is part of the protective case. Just a thought. Hugs
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do not mind the touch iPad, for short comments, but not for writing a complete blog. I have a blue tooth mouse with my Apple computer which I quite like. I have now found a big advantage with the suggested words, and that is also a great help when writing. I do not need the extra keyboard to my iPad, as I have two computers. One a microsoft which I have to use with an electric source, and my apple which has about 10 hours with no connection which is perfect and which I can also use when comfortable on a chair and do not need to sit at a desk. However, I am prepared for all variations.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I understand. My problem is when out I use the IPad and I get behind on what I want to say. Now with the keyboard if I am sitting at a doctor’s office or such I can type away to contentment. Hugs
LikeLike
I’m impressed! I used to save seeds from the previous year of growing to form a second year. I got two years for each single year, but I never got a third year. I think there may be the need for a bee to come and fertilize the seeds so it can grow more years. I’m not sure about that, but it’s a pretty good guess. Obviously, the hothouses where they create these beauties have to allow them to mix with each other and stay alive, right?
It’s almost summer here today. I mean… it’s GORGEOUS. There’s still snow lying around, especially in place (like the bottom of our driveway!) where a lot of snow has been packed tight and that will take a while to fully melt, but the rest of the world? It’s totally GLORIOUS and my husband has promised we shall go a photographing today. These warm “earlier then spring” days are special because nothing is growing except a few crocus, but the feeling of spring in the air is delicious.
We’ll only get a few days of this, then the temps will drop back into regular late winter for a while. Meanwhile, these few days are a special treat! I’m at a loss between wearing shoes (cooler) … or boots because it’s MUDDY out there 🙂
Happy almost spring!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The bee has to fertilise the flowers so that the flowers produce seeds. However, there are seeds and seeds, Some have to pass through an animal to get to the stage where they will grow when planted. Others will never grow, but suddenly in the middle of the garden you find something growing that you never planted – wonders always happen in nature. The hot houses have the right temperatures and people that are paid to look after the growing plants. With me it is more luck than judgement.
We have fantastic weather at the moment. When I returned from my walk I was really warm and felt overdressed in my winter jacket. I have been wearing my short pants today at home and have not felt cold at all. We have now snowdrops in the garden and the first crocus and the other plants are now showing fresh leaves at the basis. I came home with 80 photos on the camera today, although 10 were thrown out. There were crows everywhere pecking around where the farmer had spread the mulch and red kites in the sky. It was a wonderful Spring day today. There were few people walking on the paths, which made it all the better – exept for the tractor pulling the muck 🙂
At the moment it seems the weather will remain until next week. Then we have March and April will just be around the corner. I feel like I have been in hibernation all Winter. I can move and breathe again.
LikeLike