An hour or so this afternoon passed pleasantly with a dip into Scott Kelby's Photoshop CS3 book and I managed to produce Picture 1 from it.It's old fashioned but I am much better following instructions from an open book (hard copy that is) than on-screen. Now I've produced the picture I haven't a clue what I could use it for. So it's an 'exercise' I think.
Picture 2 is a white cistus coming into flower at least 2 weeks after it's red/pink relation growing nearby. The three 'faces' compelled attention. I expected them to speak to me I think. Perhaps they could produce an instant Haiku - a line each !The Picture 3 flowers are regulars and such a beautiful colour even though they barely last a week. My mother used to insist they were 'Canterbury Bells' but I'm sure they aren't.
If Lyn Fletcher reads this she will know for sure. They have just gone on broadband, in the depths of Shropshire, and I'm hoping to have more contact with them again.
My new computer arrives on Friday afternoon and they are going to lend me a monitor until my monitor of choice arrives. They will install it and get it running and then when the real monitor arrives they will deliver and install that too.
Karen came this morning and she was a joy as usual. Last week we were saddened to hear from her that she had fallen for a married man with kids. This morning she told us it was all off. "But I thought you were in love" I said. "So did I" she said and then after a pause "But obviously not" - with peals of laughter. Bless her !
Comments....... Bungus .... So sorry to hear of the renewed unpleasantness with your neighbour. Does he claim the land right up to the edge of your drive then? Do the deeds clear the matter up ? If the land is prove-ably yours his removal of plants would amount to criminal damage and have been a police-matter I would have thought.
If the bed in question is isolated from the rest of your garden perhaps something a little more resilient is called for. Maybe Japanese Knotweed or Convolvulus or Creeping Buttercup.
I will certainly collect some Loosestrife seed, but a spadeful would be better. There is also a red leaved version which flowers a fortnight later. Same deal ? By the way, how did the Rose of Sharon fare? Perhaps you need another spadeful of that too ?
Re Salad Potatoes - I agree that Charlotte is good as is Vivaldi and we consider Nicola more than acceptable. Pink Fir Apple must be no.1 but they are becoming collector's items.
I need to visit Amazon.co.uk in the next few days and will make a point of wearing my bespoke shirt while 'on-line'
Haiku ..... (you knew I would weaken eventually) .....
"In Pissaro's case
Lie a few painterly fans/
Lie a few painterly fans/
to earn a few francs"
Quotation time ..... Still with painters.....
"Painting is the grandchild of nature. It is related to God"
Rembrant van Rijn
Please open the link behind his name because the website it takes you to is a superb effort. Couldn't fault a word and the drawings alone are worth spending time with. What a resource the internet is !!
We are WoW-ing tomorrow and apparently Roy is turning out. It will be great to see the blue hat but we must keep an 'eye' on him to make sure he doesn't overdo it again. Reg is collecting him and then we are meeting at Mike's. Where we are going has yet to be decided.
Eventually I want to see the 'Aspire' structure on the University's Jubilee Campus. But I think it still has scaffolding and isn't to be officially unveiled till mid July. But then it is going to be illuminated at night. Should be quite a sight at 60 mtrs high !
Eventually I want to see the 'Aspire' structure on the University's Jubilee Campus. But I think it still has scaffolding and isn't to be officially unveiled till mid July. But then it is going to be illuminated at night. Should be quite a sight at 60 mtrs high !
Sleep tight ! Catch you tomorrow !
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2 comments:
Thank you all for your comments re my neighbour. Why did I not think of taking photos? I suppose I just reacted instantly and then didn’t think rationally.
Yesterday I likened him to Mugabe. There is truth in this but I should point out that he is not black and he does not smile.
Don’t think I haven’t thought of Japanese Knotweed. Oddly enough, I think our very good neighbour on the other side has it growing in the crack between two slabs of concrete which could make its elimination very difficult. When we had it Sandra, having tried liberal doses of Roundup, eventually had to dig a two by four foot by two/three foot deep pit and fill it with the stuff that kills everything for several months and then becomes a fertiliser (calcium something?).
Yes RFG, he does claim the land right up to the drive which I strongly dispute. Deeds seldom make these things clear. I have prepared a lot of conveyancing drawings in my time and we always reduced plot dimensions by a thirtieth (and areas proportionately) so that people always ended up with more than they were expecting.
He will have to go to law if he wants to settle it and I cannot imagine he will wish to pay for that.
Criminal damage it may have been but I can’t think our beat bobby (voted best in the county) would feel able to take it very seriously. Certainly he did not wish to take any action when neighbour set fire to our apple tree! The problem is that it sounds almost petty and trivial to bother about a few poppies. And neighbour would probably put in a counter claim because I had killed his pet thistles.
I’ll try the loosestrife (thanks Jill for spotting the appropriateness) of all colours.
The Rose of Sharon has disappeared as did the last lot we tried. The upright versions do OK but not he creeping variety.
You mentioned the rice situation yesterday. In the past year, according to The Observer: the cost of bread has risen 15%; butter is up 32%; egges 39% and a kg of basmati rice costs 84p more than a year ago. There are a number of reasons: China nd India now have an affluent middle class which wants to eat like us; droughts in Australia; floods in the USA Midwest maize growing area; and wheat has shot up in price after years of low returns.
The Observer also places Henry Normal (nee Pete Carroll, whom we knew rather well as a performance poet in the 80s) and his partner in Baby Cow, Steve Coogan, among the 'top 20 most powerful people in the world of celebrity'
I agree with you absolutely that a manual is far preferable to on-screen instructions – with the proviso that it isn’t written by a Chinaman who learnt his English from a Bantu missionary.
I do not think that picture 3 is of Canterbury bells – surely they should be bell shaped?
Fancy broadband reaching Shropshire. Is nowhere safe?
I had heard nothing about a new computer. Presumably it is a table model from what you say.
Pleased to hear that Karen’s love life has uncomplicated itself. From what you have said, I think the fella would have been on to a winner.
Pink Fir Apple is a main crop variety, of course, and therefore not harvested until September. They do keep through till April though and, yes, they are the one variety I would always grow because they are delicious and so expensive in the shops.
Beware the Amazonian piranhas; denim offers little protection. That said, I understand that piranhas, like sharks, are much maligned and a lot less dangerous to humans than is supposed. They can usually find easier things to eat.
I have just ‘skip’ read the essence of the Rembrandt link. Without criticising his skill as a painter, I think I prefer his sketches.
Will you have to leave your garden to view ‘Aspire’? I too think it will be worth a visit.
Rob:
I always enjoyed work better when I was somewhere else. 40p a mile doesn’t sound much, particularly now that fuel prices are increasing so alarmingly. Some of the voluntary hospital drivers are unhappy about it and want an increase.
When Sandra and I used to do voluntary driving (in the 80s) we were paid 25p a mile whereas the professionals got 50p.
I have never been to Rumbles but it is a very worthy scheme. They do most of the buffets for charities and CVS, etc, in this area and the food is always good.
Sutton-in-Ashfield is the one (not Sutton in Surrey) and Kirkby is in about the same compass segment from Ollerton, so it could be either, or both. Stanton Hill is perhaps the most depressing place I know (apart from the Rhonnda Valley before the mines closed) although Bilsthorpe (colliery village) has a claim.
I said it was a one dollar bill in The Bone Collector, but I believe all US notes are the same size and colour as each other.
As someone said, “If they are all the same colour how do blind people tell them apart?”
Yes, neighbour was trespassing but I understand that is not regarded as much of an offence unless damage is done (I doubt if a few poppies would be taken seriously).
A citizen’s arrest would not have been easy as I am physically diminished by my treatment, he is considerably bigger than me, and about 25 to 30 years younger. But I did give him a little gentle shove which caused him to threaten me with a summons for assault.
'Silly man’ certainly but one convinced that only his opinion matters. And I know Yvonne was concerned tha the might be a real physical threat. As Fraser might have said “We’ll all be morrdered in ourr beds”.
Having had difficulty obtaining pudding rice, it suddenly appeared in Netto of all places so I bought 4 kg.
Jill:
Yes, Sandra and I are agreed that neighbour is one of the two most unpleasant persons we have ever come across.
In addition to him having a heart attack and 2 broken legs, I really wish my neighbour’s business would fail (he was only fined £50 ‘because of his circumstances’ so it is not altogether an unrealistic hope) so that he would be compelled to sell up and leave.
Oh God; Wimbledon for fortnight! All day, every day. And then people complain about the amount of football that is shown on TV!
Sorry about the Culture Show, which I thought was pretty poor tonight.
Hmmm, where do I begin? Some serious issues to cover, especially having Richard Head for a neighbour but we need a light and irreverent touch as well.
Things my mum used to say number 1538:
If the wind changes, your face will stay like that
Bungus, I would like to learn more about the burning of the apple tree but only if you want to provide the info. I don't want to pry etc. I guess the main thing in my mind is whether your tree was growing over his property. As I understand it, if a neighbour's tree etc crosses over onto your property you can do pretty well what you like to it. Again, the blogmeister may be able to advise. There again, he was a copper so he may not understand the law! If that doesn't get a reaction, I'm losing my touch!!
I recommend keeping a diary of your neighbour's 'attacks' on your property. Given that, in the eyes of the law, you are a frail old man (nothing personal - just trying to build a case, I hope you understand) undergoing treatment for cancer and he is a younger, bigger, fitter (in the eyes of the law) businessman who is systematically (hence the need for the diary) or frequently terrorising you through attacks on your property and verbal abuse, action should be taken against him. Naturally, as a result of his behaviour, both you and Sandra (pillar of the community, volunteer worker, MBE) do not feel safe to leave the home you have lived in for xx years when he is about. I would have thought an ASBO is called for at the least. Does he wear a hoodie?
Frequently Asked Questions, number 4367:
Why are they called level crossings?
Sorry Jill, I'm not into tennis very much which is really a euphemism for not at all. However, I did see a bit of Andy Murray's post-match interview and was struck by how much his hairstyle and personality resembled John McEnroe. I suspect his tennis prowess is not as good though. Anyway the real point is to ignore Bungus's and my prejudices and keep posting a Wimbledon report. RG may have his shilling on Nadal again and be on tenterhooks throughout the fortnight. (I'm really trying to get a reaction, here.)
Today we received the proof of the wedding invitations and evening do invites. They look good and contain only 2 mistakes. I'll soon be chasing addresses folks.
I don't know Stanton Hill and feel compelled to visit if it's that depressing. I haven't been to Shirebrook either but I understand a number of people there have so little hope they feel the need to commit crimes. That bit of Pleasley (?) going in to Mansfield on the A617 always look depressing.
Well I guess it's time to gear up for the Germany v Turkey game. i think it's going to be the end of the road for the Turks but my heart is with them.
Rob
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