Titanarum

Flowers are so sexual. That must be the connection between romance and flowers in Western cultures. But let’s face it flowers don’t care about our love lives. All a flower is concerned with is to get the plant laid. And like us animals they come in all shapes, colours and sizes. I love flowers. Most of them, anyway. They only ones I don’t like are sun yellow and brown orange. As for blue flowers, they make me go weak at the knees. The one I’ve posted belongs to a cactus. I can’t tell you what kind of cactus as I’m too lazy to do any research. (Well, at least I’m honest, what with it being Monday morning and all). But back to the sex. The sex organs of flowers are far more complex than a woman’s fanny and a man’s willy. I did try to understand it all but, frankly, I don’t. There’s an ovary (yes, we know that one), a style and a stigma. Eh? And as for the male organs we are talking stamen, anther and filament. I know. Me too. Sometimes knowledge is not useful at all. But still, we can watch while they go about their business (with a little help from a willing bee).

The starlings have gathered in the leafless tree at the back of our block. I hate them. Noisy, greedy gangs of flying pests. But they are a protected species so I must curb my instincts to poison the lot of them. It took me months to get the hole under the eaves blocked last year. Had I not seen to that they would have been in by now, building nests and extensions and what not. Been wondering about offspring in general. What are they for? Is there a way to signal that the house is full? Are we humans going to start slowing down our breeding? And if yes, when? And can we set targets for each species based upon an idealised ecological system? 500000000000000000000000000000000 gazillions ants and 100.000 polar bears, say? And can we decide that some species, on reflection, need not be? I’m thinking of slugs here. But such thoughts could take us down the slippery slope of cruel arrogance. A return to eugenics at worst, or Maoesque population control at second worst. But I’m gonna risk it. If slugs were no more I wouldn’t grieve. As for starlings I’ll just be a NUME (not under my eaves).