Water egress points

All around the world people have formed a desire to collect things. Stamps, butterflies, coins, African novels - somewhere someone is collecting either the actual thing or a photographic record. I was on holiday when suddenly it came over me what I should collect. Well, actually this happened twice. Once, so long ago that digital cameras had not been invented (I know, I know. Imagine at that time mobile phones were still 'rabbits' - you have to be my age to understand , and believe me you don't want that - well, not until you are...) and I collected images of my feet on differently textured surfaces. I have a stunning picture of this venture, hanging currently behind the door in the bathroom (it has a limited appeal), but then I came upon the concept of fire hydrants which quickly transmuted into water egress points. (I have to confess this has been no better received by certain people...)

How was this? Well, chance really (yes really, I know that is hard to believe, surely it must have been some sort of out-of-body experience, or even at least an announcement made to me by some shining being from another world............but no, I must confess, it was actually chance),I was in the USA on holiday with my family and my camera. I saw my first hydrant. What can I say? It was a red two headed hydrant sheltering in a leafy green bush. There was something so shy about it, so retiring and yet there it was, a modest life saver just waiting to be called upon. I snapped it. The next one I noticed, although still red, was a completely different shape - it was tall and thin with only one aperture (I'm trying to keep out of any kind of double entendre, so bear with the vocabulary) and outstripped the leafy green bush by which it was standing. Then yet another, much more complicated with capped heads, and seemingly loitering with intent upon a stairway. The next employed different colours, different twists and bends. My passion was borne! As I travel about I cannot help but be aware of these esoteric saviours, built by man to save mankind from the horror of fire. Romantic, often demure, but sometimes outrageously large and complex, in such cases caged in by municipal authorities (these were in San Francisco, one can hardly be surprised) they just beg to be chronicled. In Austria I have seen them dripping with icicles; in Venice, city of dreams they are just small plump objects incongrously placed by Renaissance buildings; in the English countryside I found one pressed in amongst the cowpats and blackberry bushes that form so much of our green and pleasant land.

Everyone should look out for them. It is a harmless obsession (I think) and rewarding since they are everywhere, and they are so various! Every country has need of them, and it is my (sad) dream to get selections worldwide, purely for the visual effect. Some will nestle, some will stand proud of their environment, some are designed to burst out of the background in outrageous blues, oranges and yellows, whilst others are simply adorned in grey or suburban brown.

Look out for them. Snap them. Once you have started noticing them, they turn up everywhere. I promise. Go forth and enjoy the everyday beauty in life. I can feel a poem coming up, perhaps a Haiku................