Window on George

When I think of the desert, I conjure up images from the movie   The English Patient, not Lawrence of Arabia. A billowing scarf White linen a plane flying over undulating sands Ralph Fiennes carrying his dying love in his arms... Ralph Fiennes. Ralph Fiennes My pictures are a bit different.    But hey, it's my movie! Did I mention Ralph Fiennes? Welcome to Riyadh, finally!

This morning, as I was walking to work along the rosemary path, I made a startling discovery. At first I was not alarmed. (Hyacinth - for those who know) The gardeners were doing maintenance as usual,  pruning and weeding. I could smell the rosemary cuttings a mile away! But then I noticed the ominous black bags... They were not just pruning the rosemary. They were CUTTING it into a box-shaped hedge! Which is okay, I suppose, if you like that kind of contained, formal approach. But the black bags! Yes, they were full of the rosemary branches, twigs, cuttings.   And they were going to be thrown away :( I was appalled. Can't somebody save it, and then eat it? Why do you throw this loveliness away????? It was very painful to watch.   I picked up a few stems and thought my heart would break. Later the afternoon I took my camera for a walk to survey the damage. The beautiful purple grasses that had sprung up amongst the rose...