It hasn't been quite so 'springlike' today and there is a cold west-wind plus showers of rain. To be honest I have welcomed the rain because Vic, the other side of the footpath, has been constructing a new fence, which involves merry banging-away only interrupted by the weather. The old one was badly vandalised and he does like to have things 'right' bless him.Hope this doesn't tempt providence but our side of the footpath seems to be too overgrown with shrubbery to permit of a good kicking. It would be good if something could be done about it though because it is a definite minus point to a potential buyer.
Picture 1 shows how prolific the catkins are this year. There is some folk-lore which predicts how the summer will be from them. But I can't for the life of me remember if 'prolific' leads to a good summer or a bad one. Perhaps one of our 'nature correspondents' knows.
Picture 2 shows how quickly the goldfinches have returned as I only I topped up their thistle-seed container yesterday. Since the level dropped below the little holes where their perches are, we have seen no sign of them whatsoever. Do you think they just cruise around 50 feet in the air keeping a beady eye open for refilled thistle feeders?
And they didn't rush away. I had time to set up my tripod, change to a longer lens and fit my remote controlled shutter release.The were later joined by guests who also settled down for the 'taster' menu. Thistle seed followed by thistle seed followed by thistle seed................ I won't tell you what they had for sweet, or on the cheese board.
I've had a busy day messing about as usual. I installed a Greeting Card Maker programme. It was so awful that after a couple of aborted attempts I decided to uninstall it and bin it. It only came from Lidl anyway for a couple of quid and you could tell. But it was reluctant to leave via 'add/remove programmes'. Fortunately I had heeded the advice of Ray, and others on WUForums, and created a System Restore point before I installed it. All I had to do then was a System Restore and 'hey presto', Greeting Card Maker' bit the dust.
I'm meeting Bungus for lunch in Mansfield tomorrow and our scheduled venue is 'The Court House at Noon'. Why does Gary Cooper spring to mind?
Jill's references to slides in the playground brought Church Street Infants to mind where the boys with hobnails in their boots were much envied for their prowess on the slides. But Jill probably went to a much posher School. And Bungus's reference to the correct expression for one and a half pence. In Ashbourne it was definitely 'three 'ay pence'. But not having watched the relevent episode of Foyles Law, I don't know where it was set. Following on from the unnecessary school-closures due to the weather; as a letter to The Telegraph perceptively pointed out "They didn't close any shops or supermarkets..........."
My 4 prints for the 'Print Photographer of the Year' competition on Thursday are done and I'm quite pleased with them. I shall leave mounting them till tomorrow when I'm sure they are completely dry. It's rather like the lies adults tell you - this 'instant-dry paper' isn't !
......Going to catch up with my reading..
Wix's Lane Mixed Infants - does that sound posh? Because it wasn't! Plus four other primary/junior schools where I was evacuated. Did pass my 11+ though to local grammar.
ReplyDeleteIt was 'three-aypence' down here too, you only pronounced the 'h' if you DID go to a posh school.....
Loved the gold-finches - what a super photo.
Carter Lane Elementary had 3 entrances through stone arches inscribed 'Mixed Infants', 'Boys' and 'Girls'. But even in the Infants we knew the differnce.
ReplyDeleteI envy you your goldfinches; I must get a proper feeder for niger seed / thistle seed.
Court House at Noon. If I say ‘Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darling,” I hope no-one in Wetherspoons will misunderstand! Then to try Tesco’s All-Day Breakfast before deciding what to do about my new (still cheap) camera.
On the old money theme: some parts of the country used to say ‘thruppence’ but in Mansfield it was always ‘threppence’. And I think it was a ‘tanner’ that was sometimes referred to as a ‘joey’. ‘Half-a-crown’, or 'a half-crown' (2/6 or 12½p) was also known as ‘half-a-dollar’ which suggests that the pre-war exchange rate was 4 dollars to the pound (I remember it being 3 to the pound). I do not remember anyone ever referring to a two-shilling-piece as a 'florin' although it was thus inscribed. But who can avoid shedding a tear at the mention of a ten-bob note.