We met at Reg's at the usual time and eventually decided to visit Colwick Country Park where Denis captured the mandarin duck.The chaps parked me near the Colwick Park Hotel which has just re-opened after extensive refurbishment. Helen had heard that some medieval wattle-and-daub work had been found and retained.
I was selected for the role of being cheeky enough to go in and ask probing questions. Needless to say, no-one knew anything about wattle and daub but they were really pleasant and helpful, and I was invited to have a mooch around and take as many photos as I liked. I collected a glossy and nicely produced brochure.
All in all, a good place to go and Y tells me that Tracy uses it for work-related entertaining.
The sun was blisteringly hot but the chaps enjoyed their walk and I enjoyed messing about in the immediate area. There was a completely wild, and wide, strip between the main roadway and the Race-Track and I managed quite a few wild-flower snaps for subsequent identification.Also I saw some unusual butterflies but I wasn't fast enough.
At lunch time we stopped for chip-butties but, the weather wasn't right for them, and only 2 people ventured. The others has something lighter or, in Bill's case, nothing to eat at all. I think the pub was The Nag's Head but, in the absence of a website with a photograph it is difficult to be sure. Reg can't remember for sure either, so it isn't just me. It's this heat frazzling our brains.
You perhaps remember me telling you about the nurse-practitioner's authoritative advice about avoiding 'bruising' whilst taking blood samples ?The picture on the left tells the story and needs no comment from me .........
Anyway - I have received the results back and my level is 2.6 (this is good) and they didn't want me to have another test till 14th July. We are on holiday then but, after consulting the anti-coagulant clinic, I'm going in on the 7th July, where I just so happened to have already booked an appointment !
Y has had a good Wimbledon day. Unfortunately her stroky-hair chap Djokovic was knocked out. And Andy Roddick beat Hewitt in a very good match which she thoroughly enjoyed.
Earlier today Derek brought round a bag of 3lbs of gooseberries. And talk about good neighbours - they had been topped and tailed !
John is back. Great trip in the camper, and as soon as he has sorted himself out he will pop over and give us a full account. Really looking forward ......
My responses to your previous comments
Bob ..... Re 'blood tests'. I think my nurse's explanation can perhaps be taken with a pinch of salt etc....
The 'duck' watering cans seem to be popular. I suppose there is a natural affinity.
I seem to remember the Playhouse 'performance'. We seemed to do such a lot in those days. Judging competitions, doing readings etc....
Pete ..... Likewise me with Manamans Cloak Pete. I often visit but don't sign your guestbook unless I've got something really interesting to say. I managed to give you a plug on WebUser forums the other day in a thread about 'passions'.
Eventually I think the 'powers that be' will realise that people are turning away from the grunters-and-screechers matches. If it hits ticket sales it will be surprising how quickly silence is restored.
Jill .... And you shall have a duck watering can. I'm going to call in at B&Q tomorrow, after I've dropped Y at the tram and buy you one. Then I'll parcel it up and send it.
Re all those gooseberries. Friends and neighbours will be the recipients plus of course the freezer. See above re topping/tailing.
When we had an excess of raspberries I used to make raspberry fool which is very popular. Gooseberry fool is too !
..............................................
Quotation time .....
"That beautiful season the Summer!
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light;
and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood."
I remember as a boy being thrilled to bits with The Song of Hiawatha. The romance of it and those flowing repetitive cadences. I used to read it aloud to myself.
"Sleep tight - Catch you tomorrow"
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Graham, I too used to like the Song of Hiawatha with that rhythmic prose, and strange words. After school years it sort of disappeared into history until I was involved in singing Hiawatha's Wedding Feast. Wonderful piece that retains all those strange words and keeps the rhyming and the rhythms of Longfellow's words. I still get great pleasure from getting out the score and singing along to the CD.
ReplyDeleteOops! that's let my secret hobby out of the bag!
I shall await the arrival of the duck with anticipation - especially as I rang our local B & Q and they denied having any such thing....thank you!
ReplyDeleteI used to be able to recite chunks of Hiawatha, loved it, it was the rythm.
That's a very unpleasant bruise on your arm - at least you are not knitting....But glad the blood test was good.
Just watched Serena Williams beat Dementieva - it was an excellent match, best women's match I have seen for a long time, but the grunting/screeching level was dreadful, we turned the sound down.
R has been setting mouse traps all down the drive, some baited with chocolate, some cheese....we have both seen a lot of young rats running across the drive in the day time. I think our new rubbish system may have something to do with it - we have green lidded buckets for food waste, but large white square canvas containers (open) for plastics,mostly those which have held food, I rinse mine out, but see others still with food in them. And we have square green open boxes for tin foil containers/cardboard/tins, again there are lots of scraps of food still in there. We also have big blue carrier bags for paper, greens bags for garden stuff, and another green lidded bucket for the kitchen, and black sacks for everything else. They are collected different days, not always weekly - it's quite a challenge getting it right!
I saw a butterfly too. That’s two this year!
ReplyDeleteAnd only one ladybird (yellow not red) and no honey bees (plenty of bumbles) or hover flies, ergo lots of greenflies.
BP checked – perfect 139/70!
Recalled fairly common bygone Mansfield word: ‘jannock’ (genuine/true/rye-bread).
Anyone else know it?
I’ve a belief, could become crusade - everyone with space
should plant gooseberry bush and Bramley (or other apple) to benefit future generation(s).
I reckon fruit generally gives much better, less bother, return than veg crops.
I like 'proper' (with-bone) kippers but also buy 'boil-in-bag' for convenience.
Whole packet usually excessive so I make pate with a couple of fillets(mayonnaise/cream/capers/gherkins/
horseradish, etc) which provides further delicious breakfasts (this morning with lovely Spiced Gooseberries).
Jill:
Sandra recently bought nice little hanging baskets’ watering-can (email photo).
Agree about gooseberries.
6lb pa does us amply.
I only like the jam with cheese-&-potato cakes or bacon & egg.
Serena v Russian best match so far. Barely noticed noises despite having had left ear syringed.
Half past two.
Can’t imagine mouse traps catching rats.
I have humane trap in which surplus mice humanely die of starvation.
Jbw:
I’ll endeavour to keep my secret hobby a secret.