Mad , I must be.......Zoo visits at my age

Done my bit for the community this morning by laying a couple of tons of hard core down for the new paths of the Graveyard. Well I was one of only three volunteers that turned up, but hey we got it done, and my fellow worker helped me move the chicken coop on the empty land behind the cottage! True that land is not ours but I am sure the owners wont mind too much until we can move them into the field. They seem to like their new home as they now have grass underfoot and have full sunshine most of the day.

Off to the market garden for some bargins in a moment with Janet; to fill the gap left by the coop . Then later Chris and I are off to see The Departed (if the rubber band at Llandudo Junction Cinema has been fixed). Working Friday and Saturday night, then for a treat we are going to Colwyn Bay Welsh Mountain Zoo! ( http://www.welshmountainzoo.org/)

Well I had wanted to visit Penhryn Castle near Bangor (http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-penrhyncastle/) but it is closed for the winter. I used to love the Zoo as a child , as it seemed rather amateurish compared to the likes of Chester Zoo, and had a certain charm about it! ....just read a story about an ASBO kid from Colwyn Bay who went up to the zoo and fed one of the pet zoo's rabbits to the aligator! sicko

Meeting Mike, Laura Linney,John Highfield and Carol Channing

Whistle stop visit to Sheffield to catch up with Mike. Which was lovely. As I don't get over very often doubled up the night out with Jane. ( don't have a picture of Jane so here is her look-a-like Laura Linney) Both are having a hard time( thats why I went up to lend some morale support), so we all had a moan albeit a short one. John Highfield turned up unexpectedly, with affable despot Gale in tow. You always know when Gale is around as she hurls herself into unexpected chorus' of show tunes and funny stories. She reminds me of a young Carol Channing! Never a dull moment! Great to see them all!!!!

Big Thinks, University and Sheffield

I have spoken at length with my Tutor today and a representative from student services and have decieded to leave University. On balance I am happy with my decision, as the lession (amid many) I have learnt by moving to Wales, is that it is the more simple things, such as home, garden, which make me feel happy now. Having said that that, things are not just black or white; simple or complicated they are just different and perhaps all this is just a symptom of a mid life crisis.? who knows.....

Nu summed things up when she said- generally, by and large things have to be more fun than not! and that slightly skewed "balance" is vital I think.

Anyhow feeling thoughtfull, I am off home now, then up to Sheffield to see Mike for an emotional romp!

Big hugs to Chris. He makes the important things better x

Royle Family

The much lauded one off Royle Family was aired on BBC tonight, and I must admit it had lost alot of its bite amid a thick veneer of sentimentality and heavy handedness. Denise seemed to have grown up a little and I wondered if that was a reflection of Caroline Aherne's personal journey over the past few years?
Nana's ( Liz Smith) death also felt all too much;but there was a gem of a scene between her and the wonderfull Sue Johnson. Amid the painfull and banal banter between demanding 80 year old and harrassed housewife, Nana take a moment to thank her daughter for her love and care over the last year. The two actresses milked the scene within an inch of its life. ! I was in floods

The departed.....well departed

Went to the cinema this afternoon to see The Departed. Well very little was seen actually, to be honest only 20 minutes of the Martin Scorsese was on view as the rubber band snapped at cineworld LLandudno, and we were told that no showing would continue due to a technical problem. I was miffed too as what I saw was typical Scorsese, tough and riveting.

Done alright in my exams and essays so far at Uni as the marks were out today. But I am in two minds at continuing with the course for many reasons. Need to have big thinks, me thinks.

Key Largo, Seals and very bad weather.

Claire Trevor won an academy award for best supporting actress in 1949 for her role in Key Largo. Watching a few minutes of the John Huston film when I was eating my lunch, I realized just how talented she was. Claire plays a gangster's moll way past her prime. In one key scene Edward G Robinson makes the alcoholic Gay Dawn( Trevor) sing for a drink, and the pain, embarrassment and shame that Claire Trevor portrays is truly heartbreaking.


Spent four hours finishing off Chapter 3 statistics, then took the dogs for a walk on the beach. Funny the weather was exactly the same as in Key Largo and got soaked to the skin in two minutes. The promenade was totally deserted, and when no one is around I have often seen the odd seal head poking out of the water. Today was no different and I was quite amazed to see two conical heads watching us from only 100 feet out.

Put lots of logs on the fire, and with the dogs steaming gently am now off for another 4 hours reading.
ps. Meg does look fatter........or is it my imagination?

In my grandmother's garden

I went to my grandmother's garden

I went to my grandmother's garden,

and I found an Irish Farthing,

I gave it to my mother,

who bought a little brother,

The brother was so cross,

We put him on a hoss,

the horse was such a dandy,

we gave him a glass of brandy,

the brandy was too strong,

we put it in a pond,

the pond was too deep,

we put it on a heap,

the heap was too high,

we put it in a pie,

the pie was too little ,

we put it in a kettle,

the kettle had a spout ,

and they all jumped out.

I remembered this nonsense verse, as I was walking the dogs earlier. My Gran used to recite it when I was a boy. Chris' email comment about about Gran and Grandad living in their little house by the tip, made me remember it! I wonder where it comes from

Looked on the internet and found this "old song" no details of where it comes from>

I went into my grandmother's garden,

And there I found a farthing.

I went into my next door neighbour's;

There I bought a pipkin and a popkin

A slipkin and a slopkin,

A nailboard, a sailboard,

And all for a farthing.

Said to be a riddle, of which the solution, somehow, is a tobacco pipe.

"What a difference a day makes........

.....24 ....little hours", well thats what the song says, and it is true. Friday was not a good day! Overloaded by stats, an exam, an All Bar One nostalgic moment and an e mail row with a friend. I felt like Garfield, who used to be on my fridge, with arms outstretched saying " Come on world....Hit Me!!!" Meryl helped, as did a chat with Nu, and 24 hours or so later I feel alot better. On reflection I hated being angry with a friend but felt justified in saying what I did. I was just happy that I balanced my feelings of hurt with the truth that I missed them. Friendships from time to time do feel one sided, and that is painfull, especially as you feel you are the one that does the running the majority of the time. But I guess that is the way of the world. As long as your say what you need to and make up, thats important.

Last night I got away from doing a night shift, which was the best thing I could have done ( Not enough patients on ITU), so I said I would do an extra covering shift over Christmas, picked up some nice food on the way home and watched Strickly Come dancing, covered with dogs!

This morning was beautifull. The field outside the cottage looks lovely, The village Elder Steve rang and said that it is ours (I will wait for the official letter) and that we can put the chickens on it while we are waiting. I already have several bantams lined up from a bloke down the road , whose wife has left him!

This morning I am getting stuck into my stats questions (yeah right so why are you writing this) and this afternoon Janet and I are going the listen to Eric Knowles fromAntiques Roadshow at Theatr Clwyd.

Oh the excitement?! well yes it is pretty nice.

Had a chat with Susan (The dogs' breeder) and she gave me some advice regarding Meg's possible pregnancy. I am letting things go their own way...if she has puppies she has puppies......

OH Some excellent news!!! friends Nia and George in Australia have just had Little George!!!! I was so happy to hear that everyone is fine, happy and healthy.