The azaleas have been and continue to be glorious this time of year. The plainest little house can be totally transformed with the eruption of color. I have three azaleas behind the house, near the Japanese maple. They are in a shady area, so they bloom later and last longer. They are dark pink, and not too large, and I love them.
As I was admiring some white azaleas the other day, I was reminded of Happy Valley. No, not Utah Valley, but the Happy Valley described in Daphne du Maurier's novel Rebecca. Have you read Rebecca? My friend lent me her copy a few years ago, and I devoured it. There is also an excellent film version, which won Best Picture in 1941. An interesting tidbit is that Rebecca has never been out of print.
Anyway, at least two flowering shrubs (or bushes? there is a difference, although I don't know what it is) feature prominently in the book. Blood red rhodedendrons that line the drive to Manderlay, and the white azaleas of Happy Valley and of Rebecca's perfume. It was her trademark scent.
Naturally, I was excited to finally have the chance to smell white azaleas. I have to say I was disappointed. They didn't smell like anything at all. I'm always disappointed when a beautifully described something in a novel turns out to be not so beautiful. I had a similar experience when I first tried Turkish delight. Thus it is now with white azaleas.
3 comments:
Oh I remember finding out about Turkish delight. My mom had just finished reading The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe to Daniel and me. She showed it to us, I don't think we would even touch it. I'm sure she was also disappointed because she likes Turkish Delight.
Yeah, Rebecca was a great movie, I particularly loved the scene with the fire and Mrs. Danvers. Its a shame that that was the only movie that ever won an oscar for Alfred Hitchcock.
As for other related let downs, I was very disappointed to discover that skateboarding was not as easy as Marty McFly made it look in Back To The Future.
I can't imagine what it would be like to be inside your head and have your thoughts. I'd like to try it for a day or two.
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