Month: July 2024

A little break away Part two..

We’ve finished our small break away in the Devon countryside and taken a long and protracted drive across the south of England to the garden of England. Kent.

Devon to Kent

We are here to attend a surprise 50th birthday celebration, and thank god we are not doing anything tonight as I’m absolutely cream crackered (Slang for Knackered). Britains highways are crumbling away and to be honest they are not fit for purpose. An allegedly “fast route” of 250 miles should have taken 4hrs and 55 mins, so we finally arrived at our destination 7hrs and 30 mins later. Awful, and a bloody embarrassment to this island as are all forms of transport we operate in this country. It really is a pathetic state of affairs.

Anyway that aside the last couple of days in Devon were beautiful. I saved a baby rabbit from the attention of a wild cat, our beautiful best friend (our dog Alf) even though extremely ill loved the time with his mate Herbie, they played together and brought smiles to our faces, tears to our eyes and love to our hearts, as anyone who knows Alf, knows this is not expected with his illness, it was lovely to see the old Alf. if only temporarily. He’s a beautiful soul, not an angry bone in his body. Just a gorgeous little dog.

Baby Rabbit

We’ve headed off to Kent now whilst Alf has headed back to the East Midlands in the company of my Brother and Sister in law who know how to look after him and how to treat his illness. We will be back with him in a couple of days.

Alf and Herbie.

Now in Kent we’ve booked in at our hotel that is a lot less luxurious than the farmhouse in Devon, but comfortable all the same. A quick visit to my Sisters for a Coffee and whilst sitting in her back garden we get dive bombed by a juvenile Seagull on its first flight. But he seems unable to get airborne so his parents start to dive bomb us in the garden, protecting their young I suspect.

Baby Seagull

So what with all the chaos that has prevailed, with all the noise and aerial activity we have decided to retreat indoors to leave them to it. Hopefully they’ll be able to get junior airborne once again.

Back to the hotel as tiredness has silenced me and I need some rest. Tomorrow we are off to the dog racing in Sittingbourne for a meal and some light entertainment. Hopefully there will be no further animal shenanigans.

Peace to you all.

Baked beans on toast.

What foods would you like to make?

In my eyes best meal on the planet. Quick, easy and even us blokes can make it. A meal in 5 mins.

Baked beans on toast

Sorted

Enjoy your day

A little break away

Not been answering the standard sometimes mind numbing questions that WP throws out on a daily basis as I’m currently enjoying some time away in and around the coast of Devon. Family time, good food and drink and company and a few nice little walks away from it all on my own some.

Beer – Seaton – Beer. Lovely walk
A little east Devon walk

I’ve been swimming and taken loads of photos, here are a selection below.

Rose and Crown Bath
Rose and Crown Bath
Alf having some icecream
Our accommodation in Devon
Our dining room in Devon
View of our accommodation in Devon
Our pool
A selection of local beers
The orchard and the dog
Beer
Beer high street
Beer high street
Dogs more welcome than humans
Beer beach
Beer high street
Poetry post
View in to Beer
Marshmallows and chocolate digestives

We’ve brought our dog Alf with us as it’s probably the last holiday he’ll have with us due to his illness. He’s thoroughly enjoying it and tiring him self out constantly. It’s lovely and we are all enjoying our time with him. Time is precious.

I’ll return to normal operation when we get back if I can be arsed. Having too much of a good time.

Have a pleasant day everyone.

That’s all folks

List 10 things you know to be absolutely certain.

  • You will be born
  • You will live a life
  • You will be taxed for everything
  • You will make good choices
  • You will make bad decisions
  • You will experience deep joy
  • You will experience excruciating pain
  • You will grieve
  • You will love
  • You will die

You choose your direction in life. Make it good.

Peace to all.

And then we had three..

I know it’s probably boring some of you but I don’t really care. All I really care about is the welfare of these little chaps who need all the help and assistance us humans can give them.

3 visitors

So proud last night to see, if only briefly that I had three visitors to the feed station at the same time. I think two of them were doing some kind of mating ritual, whilst briefly a third appears, starts snorting and then moves on his way.

I’m so lucky that they choose my garden. I have to help them.

Save the Hedgehog

Neither, I believe

Are you seeking security or adventure?

I have security in particular aspects. My job and my relationship being the main ones.

Adventure, nah I’ve done all of that, I’ve got numerous tee shirts to prove it.

For me it’s now comfort. I have it in my relationship but not my job. I have itchy feet in that aspect.

When I’m in a position to vacate this role I would have then found the comfort I seek.

It will come.

Patience young man….

Retirement beckons

Dinner for 14 please..

If you could host a dinner and anyone you invite was sure to come, who would you invite?

Strange one this, it would have to be a mix of those who are living and those who have passed.

It would be something like this:

  • My Wife – we always have plenty to talk about, relevant and irrelevant.
  • My brother John – passed away a few years back, but such a funny soul.
  • My Mum – again passed away but such a beautiful kind soul.
  • Karl Sagan – this guy cemented my interest in the universe with his Cosmos tv series and the book I still have to this day.
  • Professor Brian Cox – the modern version of Karl, and someone he could talk to, I’d love to eavesdrop this conversation.
  • Michael Stipe of REM – my favourite group, I have so many questions and what a lovely guy.
  • Michael Collins – Apollo 11, what was it like to be floating about out there when your colleagues were getting all the acclaim on the lunar surface?
  • My Brother in law Tel – always good company.
  • My sister in law Liz – absolutely lovely, and always ready to stir it up.
  • My sister Anne – a duplicate of my dear mum.
  • Bob Marley – my introduction to Reggae.
  • Bing Crosby – my dad’s favourite singer, and I was brought up listening to him, as I don’t want my dad there this would be close enough to him.
  • My Nan – Dads mum. A lovely tortured suffering soul that would do anything for anyone.

That’s about it. What a mixture of people. I’m sure I’d sit there for ages just holding the hands of my loved ones and just listening and savouring every little moment.

Perfect

Happy days everyone

Wine & life

What do you think gets better with age?

Wine…. old movies, aged steak and being happy with your lot.

My life in a nutshell 😂

Easy.

Nuff said

A little shift here and there

What time do you go to bed and wake up currently?

Anyone who works shifts as well as I have for the last 30+ years will testify that setting times for sleeping and waking up is about as much use as a chocolate fire poker. It just can’t be done.

I sometimes drop like a log in the early afternoon and have a nap. I’m sometimes walking around the house at 2 in the morning wide awake and ready to go. Shift work does that to you it kills any remainder of circadian rhythm.

I do what my body says. And I’m a slave to that. Forget what all the “Specialists” say in that you must have your 8hrs sleep – pure tosh.

They need to get with it and realise this world is on shift work and the nine to fivers are a rarity in these times we live in.

I sleep when my body says, I wake when it tells me. And that could be at anytime within a 24hr period.

Have a good day people. Just take a nap. You’ll feel better for it.

Hedgehog disagreement at the bowl

We are so fortunate. Last evening we had two hedgehogs visit our bowl at the same time and it resulted in a little bit of argy bargy. I believe this was a dominant male and a younger one or a young female. Watch the video here and listen out for the noise they make:

Hog cam fight

Getting two together is quite a rare occurrence, so I am quite pleased that on only night three of having the camera back in use I have captured this. It’s great to see them, and they are more than welcome to come and have a punch up in my garden. They know they are welcome here 🦔

Have a super day…