Achoo!!!

Covid masks are on the wane hereabouts. They are not compulsory anymore when shopping but one MAY wear them. I do and I can see that fewer and fewer people wear them.

I on the other hand have taken to wearing a mask when I’m outside, working in the garden, cycling, walking … and I’m getting these weird looks. “It’s not the virus,” I like to shout, “it’s the pollen!” I’ve considered writing “ALLERGY” with a sharpie on my forehead (or possibly on the masks).

My allergy to grass pollen is a lot worse than in previous years. I take tablets, blow spray up my nose, and trickle drops in my eyes. I still sneeze, and sniffle, and tear up. But masks definitely make a difference. So I will keep them on. And probably glide seamlessly into autumn when the next COVID wave is going to hit.

The Ragtag Daily Prompt: Allergy

The Water Tower in Mannheim-Wallstadt

Built in 1904, it was operational from 1905 and secured the water supply for the independent town of Wallstadt (it became part of Mannheim 1929).

Today these old water towers are privately owned and inhabited. The living quarters are usually downstairs but the top floors are accessible. Imagine sitting up high in your own private tower and overlooking the whole of the Rhine valley, from the hills of the Odenwald to the hills of the Palatinate Forest.

Ironically, I only took photos of the upper storey windows.

Monday Window

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I’m a Fan of Cosmos

These are not new photos, most of them are from last autumn. I looked at them for a collage for the Sunday colour collage challenge called Värikollaasit in which I participate. And I really thought these flowers needed to be showcased a bit more. For me, cosmos spell homesickness to the South African highveld where they abound in autumn. They are not native to South Africa but came there with contaminated horsefeed during the Boer War.

They look best either from far – just pink and dark and light pink shades over the Highveld, which I cannot have here in Germany – or from close up.

I’m a fan of … #160