Chris always asks me if I have heard from anyone during the day
my stock answer is " no not really..".
But the truth of the matter can be quite different.
The weather yesterday was fine but cold. and so before the expected cold front clash hits home, I spent most of my time cleaning out poultry houses. It was a case of making hay when the sun shone...and so I thought I had spent much of the day totally devoid of human contact
On reflection I couldn't be more wrong.
"D" rang and left some good news she had found her cat! ( she had asked me to have a look around the field to see if the little sod had got himself lost. ) She sounded light and rather thankful.
That was yesterday morning.
The RFWF sped past waving a pudgy hand out of his landrover and yelled something unintelligible whilst cackling like loon (I counted that as a humorous contact- he is sounding ( and looking )more and more like an old pirate every day.
Gentleman Ralph's wife slowed her car to ask me how my cold was getting on and Mr B walked over as I had my head in the goose house for a chat and to buy some eggs.
Mrs X (the lady with memory problems) rang to thank me for the eggs I dropped off to her and repeated the same message she had left twice before. I promised to call today, she sounded brighter too.
Mrs F stopped for a chat as I interrupted my work to walk the dogs as did Mr M, who walked with me down high street with his two mutts when I was on my way home. We were stopped by "gay Gordon" ( a nickname which stems purely from his ever cheerful demeanour BTW) who always delights in making a fuss of the dogs.
Farmer Basil, Graham the sheep , Mr J and Mrs Trellis all said hello as I pass them on the way home and before the light faded on the field a chap called John popped in to ask if I could re home some warrens and a couple of silkies... He "heard through the grapevine" that I may be able to help.
We chatted for an age before I had to go and pick up Chris from the station....
As usual he asked me
" have you seen anyone today?"
And as usual I replied ..................
" no, .......not really!"
my stock answer is " no not really..".
But the truth of the matter can be quite different.
The weather yesterday was fine but cold. and so before the expected cold front clash hits home, I spent most of my time cleaning out poultry houses. It was a case of making hay when the sun shone...and so I thought I had spent much of the day totally devoid of human contact
On reflection I couldn't be more wrong.
"D" rang and left some good news she had found her cat! ( she had asked me to have a look around the field to see if the little sod had got himself lost. ) She sounded light and rather thankful.
That was yesterday morning.
The RFWF sped past waving a pudgy hand out of his landrover and yelled something unintelligible whilst cackling like loon (I counted that as a humorous contact- he is sounding ( and looking )more and more like an old pirate every day.
Gentleman Ralph's wife slowed her car to ask me how my cold was getting on and Mr B walked over as I had my head in the goose house for a chat and to buy some eggs.
Mrs X (the lady with memory problems) rang to thank me for the eggs I dropped off to her and repeated the same message she had left twice before. I promised to call today, she sounded brighter too.
Mrs F stopped for a chat as I interrupted my work to walk the dogs as did Mr M, who walked with me down high street with his two mutts when I was on my way home. We were stopped by "gay Gordon" ( a nickname which stems purely from his ever cheerful demeanour BTW) who always delights in making a fuss of the dogs.
Farmer Basil, Graham the sheep , Mr J and Mrs Trellis all said hello as I pass them on the way home and before the light faded on the field a chap called John popped in to ask if I could re home some warrens and a couple of silkies... He "heard through the grapevine" that I may be able to help.
We chatted for an age before I had to go and pick up Chris from the station....
As usual he asked me
" have you seen anyone today?"
And as usual I replied ..................
" no, .......not really!"
 |
| Not a soul in sight |
Poor you.....it sounds like a lonely life :-)
ReplyDeleteSue xx
It is surprising just how many people you can speak to during the day & not realise.
ReplyDeleteSounds not quiet at all - actually sounds like quite a social event!
ReplyDeleteYour day reminds me of the little town I lived when a tot. That's exactly what it was like 65+ years ago. People walked everywhere and knew everyone. Nice!
ReplyDeleteThat's what I love about living in a place where people aren't in a tearing hurry.
ReplyDeleteAnd then there's the rest of the animals...
ReplyDeleteAnd then there would be all the virtual interaction you have on a daily basis, I am certain that might count for something .. *smile* xx
ReplyDeleteI think that's village life for you John. I went for a walk yesterday with Tess and met a lovely man I haven't seen before and we walked together for a while down the lane - I think village life is so much more person. I was talking to my friend's daughter, who lives in London, and she doesn't even know her neighbours.
ReplyDeleteI think if villagers like you, then you'll be accepted, but it's not a foregone conclusion that village life is friendlier by any means. Some take against 'incomers'- it can be a long process to prove you come in peace !
ReplyDeleteSadly now, I'm on the edge of suburbia and don't know my neighbours either !
Silkies? Oh bless.
ReplyDeleteYou will have them, won't you?
The beauty and peace of village life....and a much loved man.
ReplyDelete...and CUT!
ReplyDeleteScene 2. Mrs Dale is in the kitchen. She's worried about Jim.......
Husband always ask if I've had a good day & it would have been filled with snippets of conversations with village characters, sharing a piece of news or a laugh in the Co-op or charity shop but I usually just nod & say I have thanks has he ?
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing like owning animals for getting out to meet people.
ReplyDeleteThat's the thing I hated about where we lived before here.When I was out at the front of the house,everybody who walked past wanted to chat..It took me forever to get the simplest of chores done.
ReplyDeleteJane x
Life in your village sounds wonderful, John. I would love to live out my life in a place like that. I don't even know the names of the people that live on either side of us in my neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteThere's a fairly famous short story (bugger me if I can remember the name now) about a murder committed by a deliveryman who was so ubiquitous in a neighborhood that no one gave him a second thought. Sounds almost like the same situation with you, John; these folks are such a part of your life that you don't even realize how used to them you are.
ReplyDeleteGreat story. Isn't it amazing the things and people we actually take for granted since we see them every day?
ReplyDeleteYou live in a wonderful place of fairy tale material.
That's what I love about living in this small rural town in Iowa - so different from living in Atlanta! But I'll be moving to Savannah, GA later this year. I'll happily be a few minutes from my daughter, her husband, and especially my little grandson, but I will sorely miss this town where I know all my neighbors and half the people in town!!!
ReplyDeleteawwwwwwwwwwww, nice.
ReplyDeleteI envy you, I know my two closes neighbors and a more selfish disgusting bit of stupid never walked the earth. Thank goodness for the four down the street.... why couldn't I live next to them ?
cheers, parsnip
And then there's everyone you heard from on your blog too-- Just another quiet day!
ReplyDeleteI hope you're doing well and I'm glad you're feeling better!
ReplyDeleteWhat a joy it would be to live in a tiny Welsh village!
Here in West Texas my neighbors sell drugs and have loud, wild parties. There's not a chance that they would ever say "Hello". If I ever dropped dead in the street, they'd run me over with their pickup truck.
Sounds fun there. Nothing every happens here, except the feral cat walks by.... hee hee
ReplyDeleteYeah, sounds like you heard from a lot of people! :)
ReplyDeleteLove the photo! It will be above freezing here tomorrow so that means cleaning rabbit cages and removing the camelids bean pile from in front of the barn door....
ReplyDeleteSounds like you say that because you only talk to 'half' the town and not all of it, John. ;-)
ReplyDeleteHave a good Sunday!
Which makes me wonder...if John were walking alone in the woods, tripped and fell and knocked himself out . woke, crawled to hospital, got treated , came home and made supper would he still tell Chris "not much" when asked about the day?
ReplyDeleteNo need to hide the hob bobbing, and do tell John I will take those Silkies! Coud he send them parcel post ?
ReplyDelete