Hovering

Recently, while taking a few random photos in the garden, hovering directly above some plants, I was suddenly reminded of my one-and-only helicopter ride many years ago. I enjoyed hovering back then, and I still do. As ever, click on the photos to make them bigger if you like.

You can see why they call it butter lettuce. Luscious, creamy and yummy.

Cos lettuce, on the other hand, is a snappier chap, crisper, destined to become Caesar.

Soft, curly leaf parsley looks positively pointy when you get up close.

French tarragon refuses to conform! "I will wander wherever it pleases me, monsieur."

From my helicopter, suddenly I was seeing whirligigs everywhere. Basil propellors.

Oh no – an unsuspecting photographer caught in a flying net of lemongrass.

Twin-engined turbo-prop curry trees ready for take-off.

Up, up and away and we're over the Amazon, or is that just Ajuga reptans up close?

An Italian firework, the spinning Crassula.

High over the lofty Salvia forest, the blue tipped spires are dusted with snow.

While out on the savannah, a lone orange Zinnia says 'land here, there's a party about to start'.

I really should go for another helicopter ride one of these days. My first and only one was about half an hour over Sydney Harbour and the city, a spectacular place on a sunny day, which it was. It must be close to 30 years ago and yet I still remember so many details of it vividly.

The whole experience was brilliant, but I did enjoy hovering. That was otherworldly fun, not really flying because you weren't going anywhere. Wave at the people in the tall skyscraper! Look down on the toy ocean liners on the harbour and the ants walking on the streets.

In the meantime I'll just keep on hovering with my camera every now and then, when I feel that whirring sensation in my brain taking over.