PREPARING....

 Not Belgrade, as you can probably guess. I have forgotten the name of this heritate hotel, a former palace, somewhere in Rajasthan, I believe... I need to go through my jillions of photos from India to find it.

This fellow was setting up tables, chairs, and tons of flowers for an upcoming wedding.

I'll be going back to India for a month in October.

WE KNEW YOU WHEN.....

NOVAK DJOKOVIC hardly needs any introduction to those familiar with the world tennis scene. Most recently he won the Olympic Gold Medal for tennis. 

My family met Novak long ago. in 2005 (and my daughter in the lower right met him in 2013). I can't say we are close friends or even if he would recognize us. In 2005, I had just finished 8 rounds of chemotherapy for Non-Hodgkins' Lymphoma and Novak, a rising star, was selected to give us survivors a 'diploma'.  These were presented in Kalemegdan Park beside the statue called The Victor and, unlike now, not too many people other than relatives and friends were there, unlike now when crowds follow him everywhere.

I put together here a very bad collage....need to do better.

SERBIAN DESERT PART 2

 The other day I showed your a local schoolyard's young pine trees planted as a class project.....and never adequately watered. Brittle, dry as bone; so sad. Here is a field not far from me. Also very dry, but grass always has a way of coming back. This field, right smack in an urban area, is home to hedgehogs, rabbits, and strangely enough even pheasants. I fear that the field will not be around long. Urbanization, trying to eliminate green areas everywhere, has been working top speed.

SKYWATCH -rooftop

 

Another shot frim my friend's roofstop terrace.

See other skies on SKYWATCH.

SHAMEFUL

For several years, and perhaps even longer, my children's ex-primary school (and now the one where my grandchildren go), has had various projects to teach children respect for nature, beautifying the environment, and similar. Most of these have failed miserably.

In the above photo you can see that pine trees were planted before the summer holiday, with the intention that each class would care for, i.e. water during the holidays and after. 

The failure of this particular project broke my heart for several reasons:  No teacher/school authority/environmental adviser seems to have paid any attention to the fact that sandy dry soil (and this part of New Belgrade was built  on sand and marsh (buildings still standing since the early Sixties) is NOT where pine trees grow in nature. Just as bad, they were planted in full sun, and we know how hot and dry this summer was. Also, it is not enough to ask children to faithfully water the trees; someone needs to supervise this project, especially since these were planted not long before the summer holiday when people go on vacation. 

Every day I pass by the schoolyard on my dog walks. Yesterday (and school begins today) I wrote a  letter to the director of the school summing up my thoughts and reprimanding the school for apparently 'just fulfilling a duty' and not following up.

I will give them two weeks to answer, and then a modified version goes to the public newspaper. I don't expect miracles, but at least I know I have in some small way made the authorities aware of the problem. I also plan  on sending by mail a letter to the school...someone may have just pressed 'delete'. And yes, they could toss the paper letter too.
 

SEPTEMBER THEME DAY--BRIDGES

 A view from New Belgrade toward the old town, which isn't visible here. French President Macron has come and gone, hence the French flags.

See other bridges on CITY DAILY PHOTO THEME DAY.

THE GREAT SERBIAN DESERT

 

Not yet a desert, but if the current climate holds for a few more years, I may never wear heavy clothes here again. Temperatures have been in the 90s for a long time now.

TRACES...

 Smoking is alive and well here and its traces linger on this coffee shop tablecloth.

PAMPERED PUSS

 This kitty is making a fashion statement.

WELCOME!

 Had lunch with my son yesterday at a local restaurant. The greeter was happy to see us. No idea of the story behind this unfortunate wolf.

MUCH-LOVED, BUT FORGOTTEN

 A much-loved (by its appearance) teddy sits on a bench in the park....loved, but forgotten.