BIRDS AT SEA

We didn’t go out to sea last year. The weather was too awful. Many of the little boats remained on dry dock. This year is a bit different, so far. there has been three weeks of reasonable weather and the harbour has many little boats bobbing up and down in the water where they are berthed.

Last weekend was a good one for catching a little time out in the bay. These pictures show you some of the life away from the land.

I heard there were mackerel about. Lots of birds joining in the party.

These gulls knew a where to find a good place to bask in the sun.

…and definitely a good day for a family outing.

A Random Thinker’s Random Thoughts

Outside it is unspeakable, the wind howls, branches on trees groan, blooming bushes heavily sway. There’s been a gale blowing for a day and a half now and the sun shines, it grins down at us.

Yesterday it blew relatively warm, if a gale can be warm; today it is cold, there’s an icy feel to the wind; it rains gobs and the sun shines, it grins down at us.

Inside, helping with computer software skills, distracts me from the perverse weather of late May, while the sun outside shines and it continues to grin down at us.

Washing, ironing, searching for socks I find are not lost, thinking ahead to things not done; the open windows are slammed shut by the angry wind and the sun outside shines, it grins down at us.

Around and About At The House…

Still the 14th October 06

The neighbour calls by to ask if he can use the fridge for overflow of beer cans and he would like to use the freezer later for quick cool off of other booze. They’re having a party for the wife’s 60th and we’re invited as well, after 7.30pm, to enjoy a bit of supper and celebrate with them. The neighbours are given the freedom of the fridge and freezer.

We decide to go out to benefit from the good weather, to visit student daughter, she’s 50 miles away, and to get a warm shower. My hair needs washing.

On the way, we find a lovely hotel/restaurant at Upper Largo The waitress has a nice manner. I‘d really like to return there sometime; I decide on carrot and coriander soup followed by shared BLT baguette that has an imaginative salad on the side and the ubiquitous chip; a few chips were eaten.

Between courses the cousin who’s abroad phones for update on the boiler – he groans and grovels gratefully for all we’re doing. Hubby says “de nada” and keeps the call short. At daughter’s, with access to email, send the cousin an email, repeating what he knows already.

With hair washed and dried, hubby and I go into town to give offspring an opportunity to do a bit of studying before we do the traditional treat of meal with her before we depart.

There’s a great gift shop; I spend rather more than I intended, however I now have one gift wrapped birthday pressie for the neighbour’s 60th and another one for a Christmas gift. The wrapping is delightful. While the assistants wrap, I fatally browse and find some great knick-knacks to add to some other xmas gifts. The wrapping paper they sell is eye-catching, two colour ways of crochet squares patterns, thick expensive sheets of it. I buy one of each and, I decide, no-one else is going to purloin them – they’re mine!!

The drive back down switchback bendy dark roads is challenging: I have to remember to switch off my headlights for oncoming cars. Some of them don’t and they dazzle and blind me.

The neighbour’s birthday is party in full swing; I offer birthday gift to the lady herself, who greets us at the door. The remains of the large buffet still look very good. A party plate and plastic cutlery are quickly pushed into my hands. I politely nibble a bit of turkey, a sliver of broccoli and cheese quiche and a couple or three of cherry tomatoes with half a glass of white semi-sweet wine.

We soon start chatting to some interesting people, including a native of Lebanon and his Scottish wife, who immediately offer us the use of their warm shower (2 houses away). How very kind. The local road sweeper is a life and soul of party person. He is wearing a snazzy pair of pin-stripe trousers with a loose white shirt over. Either side of the button panel there’s thick bands of sequins “…ooh, it took me minutes to sew those on”, he quips.

We both agree that we are definitely leaving for home, come what may, after the technician’s next visit to the ailing boiler.

continued…