Us Seniors

Elder et Soeur Arn & Jody

Saturday, November 29

STOP THE CRASSE

Here in Mons there are no garbage cans allowed on the street. You buy special bags from the grocery store and have to use those or they will not pick up your trash. You set them out on the street. They pick up the trash around 8:30 in the evening on Mondays and Thursdays. For plastic recycles you have to use a special blue bag and that is only picked up on Thursday nights. No glass is allowed in the bags. You have to take glass to a special bin. These are located around the city. There is one for clear glass and another for colored glass. I guess they have a lot of wine bottles to dispose of this way.
Usually after a little while someone comes and takes care of the trash that has been put out without following the rules. Once they refused to pick up any trash that was not done correctly. For about 3 weeks these just kept accumulating on the streets. They put large round red stickers on them that said “Stop a la Crasse” which means stop the filth. We didn’t understand this, because anyone who was disposing of their trash the wrong way certainly were not the kind that would say, “Oh, I guess I had better go pick up my trash and dispose of it elsewhere” just because there was a red sticker on it.

Friday, November 28

FLOWERS

France and Belgium have the most beautiful flowers we have ever seen. There seems to be something here that brings out the vibrant colors of all kinds of vegetation. We joke that it is because they have so many nuclear power plants here that the flowers have a glow from the radiation. Whatever it is, here are some of the pictures we took that show off this glorious part of our mission.
FLOWERS AS CROPS

Hill of sunflowers
Beautiful and the seeds are so tasty.
Lavender Fields Forever - they use them for fragrance and seasonings.

Not sure what the red is, maybe poppies grown for poppy seeds to go on bagels, etc.
These yellow flowers are grown as feed for cattle.

They often plant grape vines as decoration in the city, here they are in autumn red,but we were so startled to see this stalk of corn growing along the sidewalk not too far from our apartment in Bordeaux.

DECORATION ON OUTSIDE OF BUILDINGS (WINDOW BOXES, ETC.) Arnold with Mon's monkey outside of City Hall with window boxes.
FLOWERS PLANTED ALONG THE WATER
FLOWERS IN YARDS
The brilliant blue of these Iris' must have inspired Van Gogh.
In front of our apartment in Cauderan (Bordeaux) In front of the archive building in Bordeaux.

FLOWERS PLANTED ON GRAVES
FLOWERS IN CENTER MEDIAN ON STREETS
Hydrangeas in Bordeaux


FLOWERS IN ROUNDABOUTS
The roundabouts are each unique and some areas seem to try to outdo their neighbors.

WILDFLOWERS


Along the road ouside of Bordeaux.
Poppies will grow anywhere
Small red specks are poppies growing on wall.

A PLETHORA OF PARK POSIES

The following were taken in the park about 3 blocks from our apartment in Bordeaux.

PLANTS IN THE MALL

Orchids are very plentiful here. They seem to be easy to grow.

The following were found in the middle aisle of the mall in Mons.



SPRING BLOSSOMS
In the spring these yellow blossoms cover huge trees. One Sunday someone brought a large container full to decorate the chapel in Bordeaux. The whole building smelled wonderful. (Note the woman is typical of how women here dress up to go shopping, to the grocery store, anywhere outside of their apartments. You very seldom see a woman out wearing pants rather than a dress.)

EVEN THE GRASS HAS FLOWERS
PLANTERS ON THE SIDEWALKS IN FRONT OF BUSINESSES


FLOWERS IN FRONT OF MONUMENTS Black tulips in front of this war memorial in Bordeaux.





Monument in Bordeaux wine country.

Flowers by statute of Baudoin in Mons.

FLOWER SHOP FLOWERS
FLOWER AT WOMEN'S PRISON IN CADILLAC, FRANCE.
The symbolism in this simple pink wild flower by a chain.
EVEN THE VINEYARDS HAVE THEIR OWN FLOWERS

We think they plant different colors of roses to signify different kinds of grapes. These probably make red wine - white ones for white wine, etc.
MTC FLOWERS
STRUCTURED GARDENS

These are near Sarlat, France.

NO CATEGORY JUST PRETTY






PLANTS TO EAT
Our herb garden - basil (Bert - short for Herbert), rosemary (Rosey) and chives (Ernie).