Women And Talking.

It rained like billy-o last night and it kept raining until about 2 o'clock this afternoon. Mia the German Shepherd who loves it when the garden hose is on, strangely doesn't like the rain. She spent the morning lying on her sofa. Strange word lying. Not sure if I just used it correctly.
I looked it up. Lying is correct in the context I used. It is also the same word for telling a lie, lying. At least I think it is. I can't be bothered to look it up again. How do people from other countries ever learn to speak English?

The weather got better this afternoon. Mia the GS and I went for a walk across the fields. The field has been ploughed and harrowed recently. It has been seeded with maize. My boots got clogged with mud. By the time we got back it felt like I was carrying a sack of potatoes on each foot. A large sack. Don't know why I said potatoes. Could just as easily have said carrots I suppose. Or tomatoes? No not tomatoes. Tomatoes don't come in sacks they're too soft. Anyway my boots got really heavy. Like a sack of coal. What is heaviest, a sack of potatoes or a sack of coal? Don't think about it too long.

I went to the local shop today. There were two women just outside the entrance talking. They were still talking as I left the shop. Mia the GS and I went for a walk around the playing fields. When we got back to the van after about three quarters of an hour I noticed the two women were still talking. They must have been there for an hour and I don't know how long they had been there before I came along. They seemed very animated too. How can women talk for so long at a time? What do they find to say to each other? They were still talking as I drove away. I have noticed that Tricia can spend all day with a friend then when she comes home she can spend a couple of hours talking on the phone to the same friend she just spent the day with. How is it possible? It's quite an achievement I feel. Men can't do it. Men just say hello to each other and leave it at that.

I stopped taking statins about three weeks ago. I think I feel better for it, but I'm not sure. I thought about it and read up on statins before I stopped. I have decided that I shall reduce my cholesterol with a sensible diet and not eat too much sugary stuff.

I watched the England football team playing Slovakia in the European Cup. Wish I hadn't bothered. Rubbish. Football is a real soft game these days. Not like when I was a boy. Why, when I was a boy we were really tough and used to tackle properly. Today the players are so scared of getting booked they don't dare tackle hard. When I used to play when I was young......

Take care. See you soon.

Rambling A Bit.

I have been thinking that I would quite like to just write little bits and pieces of my every day life on here instead of just waiting for the muse to strike me. Mind you my every day life can be quite humdrum at times. Most times to be honest. Today for instance I haven't done much. Went shopping. Walked around the local park with Mia the German Shepherd. Played ball with her a bit. I bought a poly tunnel a few days ago. Today I dug a trench around it and tucked the plastic cover into the soil. It was quite hard work because there were paving slabs to be moved.

Tricia and my extremely handsome son George are on holiday in the Isles Of Scilly. I am looking after the cats while they are away.

I have conjunctivitis. I have an idea I might be allergic to Saffire the crow, Who I am also taking care of. Probably just imagining it. The allergy theory, not the conjunctivitis, I definitely have that. I had to refuse a party invitation because I heard conjunctivitis is contagious. I don't know how true that is. Suppose I should google it? I'm not going to the doctors with it. I'm hoping it will cure itself. Baby crows need a lot of attention. My beautiful daughter Jodie is a great help with it. 

It is half past midnight. Wide awake. I haven't had any dinner. I bought some Lemon Sole today bit unwise to cook it now. Could cause indigestion.

Father's day tomorrow/today. BD Jodie is cooking a roast dinner for me. Making me hungry just thinking about it. Think I shall make a cheese and tomato sandwich. Might make me have sweet dreams?

Oh yes, I forgot to mention I am working on a piece of art. Kind of a sculpture. Folk art I would say. I shall show a photo when it's finished. S'pose I should photograph the new poly tunnel too. Bit too dark outside now though.

Anyway, been nice talking. Do it again soon I hope. Take care





PS Just noticed there is no internet connection. Typical!

Cows Coughing In The Dark Song.

Here I am singing my poem, Cows Coughing In The Dark. Did it in one take. Perhaps it needs a bit more work?

                                                                                                                                           John

Cows Coughing In The Dark.

If you have ever walked along a dark country road at night you will maybe know that the sound of a cow coughing sounds very human-like. It can be a bit scary for a young lad walking home from youth club. Here is a memory. I might make it into a song.


There is no moon tonight
No stars shining bright
I hear the cows coughing
In the dark.
I’m pushing my bike
Hiking without light
I hear the cows coughing
In the dark.

Thinking ‘bout Mary Mortimer
Warm feeling in the cold night air
That pretty green dress she was wearing
The scent of her auburn hair
What was that sound?
Is there someone around?
Or is it just the cows coughing
In the dark?

There is no moon tonight
No stars shining bright
I hear the cows coughing
In the dark.
I’m pushing my bike
Hiking without light
I hear the cows coughing
In the dark.

Been kissing Mary Mortimer
Behind the Presbytarian hall
Feels a wee bit sacrilegious
She doesn't care at all.
What was that sound?
Is there someone around?
Or is it just the cows coughing
In the dark?

There is no moon tonight
No stars shining bright
I hear the cows coughing
In the dark.
I’m pushing my bike
Hiking without light
I hear the cows coughing
In the dark.

Can’t wait to see Mary Mortimer
Tomorrow together at school
Be too shy to talk to her
Makes me feel a fool.
What was that sound?
Is there someone around?
Or is it just the cows coughing
In the dark?

There is no moon tonight
No stars shining bright
I hear the cows coughing
In the dark.
I’m pushing my bike
Hiking without light
I hear the cows coughing
In the dark.

What's Been Happening Around Here.

It has been a busy time recently on the old homestead. Here, if I can find them, are some photo's of recent events and stuff I have been up to.

Emma asked about the wild-life pond. It is doing very well. Full of wildlife. The only downside is that, although there are frogs and toads they have not yet provided any spawn. Maybe these things take a while to settle in to it? Here are some photos I took today.

The best sighting so far was a kingfisher actually sitting on that branch my extremely handsome son George put there in the hope that such a thing would happen.
Incidentally, EHS George has finished at university and is now a bachelor of science. I don't know exactly what that means but I am extremely proud of him. He is taking the summer off and then hopefully he will find suitable employment. Knowing him it will probably involve flora and fauna.

He has found a baby crow and is feeding it several times a day. Make that hundreds of times. We did make sure that the parent birds were not looking after it before we rescued it. Had we left it much longer it would not have survived. It is thriving now, has most of its feathers and is stretching its wings a lot. EHS George is off on holiday soon. Guess who will be looking after the crow then? He has named it Saffire after its beautiful blue eyes. I know that's not how to spell sapphire.

Oh, and EHS George has also made another wild-life pond. This one is in Tricia's garden. It is not quite so big, but was still hard work.

I have finished the corrugated roof and have almost completed work on my verandah at last. All done with re-claimed timber and didn't cost me anything except for screws and nails.

I am now preparing the wagon for painting. Hopefully the verandah will protect it from the sun which ruined all my previous painting work. For American readers, please feel free to remove the H from the spelling of verandah. Here are some photos of Me and Mia the German Shepherd and two with my lovely granddaughter Maisie. I have made one photo look historical.

I had a commission to paint a giant portrait of David Bowie from a new music venue, pub, cafe, dive. Felt really strange painting a face so large but I did it and it was very well received. And then I had to paint two murals of their logo - deep sea eel -  on the garden walls. They liked that too. There is hanging space for paintings and a few of my works are on display there. Here is me painting Bowie. And here is the finished mural. I also made the treasure chest too. Its function is to cover the rather ugly gas meter.

That's what has been happening around here lately. I hope you are well. Bye for now.

The Great Oak

There are some big old oak trees in Binsted Woods. One I particularly like must be hundreds of years old. Today I stopped for a chat with it.

“Good morning Great Oak, you are looking splendid today.”

“I wouldn’t know about that,” it answered, somewhat to my surprise I have to say, “not having a mirror to look in.”

“Well,” I said, “I can assure you, you do.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

“Can I ask how old you are?”

“If you want to,” it answered.

“How old are you then?”

“Dunno.” it said. “Got no idea. Been here for bleedin’ ages, I know that much. Bleedin ages!”

“You must have seen a lot of interesting things in your long life?” I said, “lots of historical things.”

“I ain’t seen nothing,” it answered, “ain’t seen bugger all.”

“Well,” I said, “that does surprise me. You have lived for probably hundreds of years and you haven’t seen anything?”

The giant oak tree gave its branches a good shake and said, “Look mate, I am stuck here in the middle of these bleedin’ woods surrounded by loads of bleedin’ trees, I ain’t seen, a bleedin’ thing!

With that I bid the oak tree farewell and left it to it’s quiet and uninteresting existence. Age it seems means nothing if you are constantly rooted to the spot. Us humans should perhaps bear that in mind whenever we feel about complaining of our lot in life.

                                                                                                                   John.