secret passageways in the mud

Good Morning! It really is time for a new post- but my well of creativity (or whatever that murky hole is) has sort of dried up. It's raining- just a steady pour- not a downpour, just a pour... do you understand? I need to go out and find some sort of water filter (again)- and it's raining. So, I'll head out the door, go around the corner and wade through the first mud puddle. A hearty thanks to the neighbor who has fenced and cordoned off the only semi-dry path through that muck. Maybe I'll stop by and wipe my feet on his mat on the way home... or maybe not. It was just a fly-by thought, a drive-by shot in the cranial dark. Cut through more puddles, but with concrete underfoot this time. And then, teehee, through the secret passage. Really, this is one of the reasons it's such a trip to be here. There are all sorts of little nooks, hidey holes and tunnels you can go through- and many of them are unofficial- just narrow spaces between buildings or fences or whatever. When the bulk of the people get around on foot, then they will automatically seek out the shortest way everytime. A lot of times sidewalks are a waste- they don't go where you need to go- this explains all the well-worn paths through the grass... now covered in mud. Here's my secret passage for today:

the approach (this was taken on another muddy wet day a few weeks ago)

almost there in we go...

This is nothing like the one up north at Valya's- that one is wild. It give's me claustrophobia. It is between 2 apartment buildings that don't touch at the bottom...but they sure do further up. I'm not sure what that means exactly. All I know is it's the shortest way to the bus stop; you dive into a very narrow space- and look up and see nothing but building over your head. I just hope they never sort of lean over and tumble when I'm in that crack...

If you were wondering, alas and alack, we did not see Eleanor on Mon... nor did we see Fred and Sally- who are only here for a short while and whom I haven't seen for a couple years anyway. The best laid plans of mice and men (and schemers such as me) often go awry. I hear the Dew arrived anyway- awfully good of you, EL.

On a happier note- I have a skype-date with my mom after lunch (just before she heads off to work)! Yay!

What happens to unruly cupboard doors?

This is in the kitchen. See the cups, glasses plates (and other junk)? Well, the goofy thing got stuck open... yup. It has these supposedly cool hinges with a catch in them- open and lift alllll the way to the top- magically stays open while you jump around on your tiptoes shoving cups and glasses into the cupboard. Then, launch yourself into the air again, gently lifting the door up a tiny bit and *magic* it comes down and the door is closed. Only this time, no amount of cajoling, threatening, urging, whispering or other words ending in "ing" would convince it to close. I guess it got tired of its up and down life and decided to stay up... This is what happens:

We just remove it. Looks ultra cool, I know... but it no longer sticks out and annoys me. And if someone doesn't like it, well, my feelings sure won't get hurt if they sort of decide to fix it... I kind of like it this way, though. The whole cupboard is mounted so high up on the wall that I never could close it very easily. (Note: when Pat and Trude moved in here a year ago, they reportedly said to each other: Anita might live here someday, so let's mount this cupboard and this mirror somewhere low enough so that she can use them, too... ah hahahaha- a very sweet noble thought. I guess you actually have to be short to know how low is 'low enough'- all that shows in that mirror when I stand in front of it is just above the bottom of my nose and up...)

In closing- the tree outside the apt with all the wood-burning stoves. It's lovely!!!! (Yes, Laura, you can borrow this shot.... HA!)