IMAGINING A REPLY

 Another bus shot. This young woman had just read a text. It looks like she's trying to come up with a response.

LADY IN THE BUS

 Another pensive soul in the bus.

CAN'T SEE THE FOREST FOR THE TREES

 Grove in a nearby park. Not a real forest, but as close as I'll get within city limits.

NOT A SERBIAN CUSTOM

 Well....during COVID I stayed with an Irish friend in a suburban part of Belgrade. She has a lovely old house, and both our dogs appreciated the yard and each other's company. My friend, who was about 90 then, and I appreciated keeping each other company, too, and improved our Scrabble skills.

We took turns cooking. I had always noticed that she had a wash basin in her sink where she put her dishes before she washed them. I had never seen anybody do this before, but I have since learned that many cultures do this, and I have adopted the habit. I stack my dishes during the day, run hot water and add dishwashing liquid (which of course my friend called 'washing up liquid', washed them, returned them to the basin, then rinsed them under the faucet and stacked them in a rack. Above is my set-up.

I was pleased to notice that the hot water stays hot longer since the plastic of the bin doesn't absorb the heat as a metal sink would, and I actually end up using less water.

NEVER DO THIS...OR ALMOST NEVER

 It is not a good idea to leave a small dog, even safely fastened, alone in front of a store.

So I didn't. My dog was inside the entrance in plain sight of me when I dashed in to buy something close to the exit. We kept a close watch on each other!

COLD TOOTSIES?

 As temperatures drop, I am always curious about water birds' feet. I finally looked up the reason why they don't just get their feet frozen, if not very cold. You wouldn't catch me floating blissfully on the water in the winter. This pair though seems to have opted for a piece of driftwood.

Here' the reason: Birds in general  have specialized scales on their feet and legs that help minimize heat loss. Many ducks, geese, pelicans, gulls and swans further conserve body heat by standing on one leg or even sitting down.

ZEMUN FACADE

 

Another photo of a facade in Zemun (ZAY-moon), a close municipality of Belgrade, known for its cafes, late-night bars ,and fish restaurants along its riverside (Danube) promenade. Zemun once belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire and its arhitecture reflects the then-popular SECESSIONIST ART STYLE.

LOST, BUT 'TWAS FUN

 After a smashing lunch at my favorite Indian restaurant, son and family took me bowling, something we had not done since just before COVID, when I beat everyone. No luck this year, sadly, but it was fun. These are bowling shoes to rent, marked in European sizes.

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN

 I love this photo and don't think I have posted it before. I ran a few search words on my blog and nothing came up, so here it is.

This is a phone (and not an iPhone) shot. Last April I was walking with my granddaughter and spotted these sheets. They called to me saying, "Take out photo!" so I did. I have recently had the photo enlarged and framed. Better yet, a local photo professor of mine a number of years back goes to the same framer. When I picked up the photo a few days ago, the framer told me that Prof X had come  in with some of his photos to  frame, and he admired my photo. Whee!

It's my birthday today and his compliment made my day, albeit a a few days early!

FEBRUARY THEME DAY: MOTORS

 Not the entire motor nor is this Belgrade!  Here is my favorite tuk-tuk driver in Delhi. I stepped out of my hotel one morning and was about to flag down a tuk-tuk, when Sonny zipped up and shouted, "Madame, you are back!" Hard to believe that in such a huge city he found me, but I knew he lived in the area near my hotel.

Sonny is hard-working and honest. Tuk-tuks are my favorite way to get around and if I had my way, I'd ship one back. I did learn however that they are not sold to anyone who is not a tuk-tuk driver, so I guess I may have to move and pass a driving test. Tuk-tuks have either a two-stroke or four-stroke engine, which is Greek to me. I just learned this through the Internet.

See other MOTORS on THEME DAY.

THE MIMOSA SELLER

 There are apparently 600 kinds of mimosa ranging from trees to shrubs. Here in Serbia these yellow flowers, symbols of spring, are imported from the coast. They cheer people up with their bright yellow color.

It may not be so close to spring yet by the calendar, but our changing climate says differently.