Leaf matters ...

:: I'm just back from the Pacific North West (I do love how that sounds) and the house is exceedingly hairy after leaving the two guys and two dogs alone in it, so I've not much time to blog and instead will have to vacuum and make some pretense at housewifery.
But I had to show you these leaves (above), from the big-leaf maple outside Lily's bedroom window; that's her view, just about.

A couple of weeks ago, in the exhaustion of the heatwave we'd been enduring in Southern California, I whinged to Laura – who was knee-deep in gorgeousness in Tuscany, for heaven's sake – that all I wanted was to hear raindrops dripping on broad green leaves, and see them fall into sun-dappled puddles on the ground.
Wish granted! No wonder the town's called Olympia ...

And this is the tiny-leaf maple (my name!) growing alongside its big brother in Lil's garden. These leaves (below) are only about 4cm (couple of inches) long. Can you imagine the spectacle when autumn really hits?

:: Got to tell you: We're going to see Rufus and Martha Wainwright in concert together at the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday, and then again in a small club on Monday. I can't believe it ...