Thursday, June 19, 2008


Yesterday I had a visitor in my garden. I had not seen Patrice Bilawka for about 8 years. Those 8 years have been more than kind to her. She is even more of a woman and in the right places, too. It seems she is back to stay in Canada. She says she is tired of the heat and constant sun of Los Angeles. Can that be possible? My roses are having a hard time with our long cool and wet spring. But there were enough roses open yesterday and I gave Patrice a tour. We then had grilled ham and
Swiss pannini and sliced tomatoes. We drank my recent favourite tea, Kalami Assam.

As we looked at the garden and I made Patrice smell the roses I told her that at this time of the year, I don't want to think of anything, including sex. All want to do is go outside in the early morning to look and smell the roses and to find which new rose is jut out to greet me.

Today I cut this specimen of the English Rose Abraham Darby. It is 5 inches across and the perfume is strong and intoxicating. It smells of a mixture of fruit including a hint of the granadine they used to put in my vanilla ice cream sodas in Buenos Aires when I was a boy. I looked at Patrice in the eye when I told her about my non interest in sex. Her smile was demure and I can only hope that this other sumptuous specimen of beauty that she is just might pose for my camera again.

I just might forget Abraham Darby and all the others. For a while.