Spring Dawn

It was quite beautiful this morning when I let the girls out, so I spent the beginning of the day digging out the new potato patch. Makes a lovely change not to be cold and wet!

3.10 to Yuma

Now I always enjoyed the original film 3:10 to Yuma . Filmed in 1957 with Van Heflin' as dirt rancher Dan Evans bringing in no-so-bad killer Ben Wade Glenn Ford, the black and white western was dreadfully tense and remarkably psychological in its study of redemption and pride. Mind you I always get Yuma mixed up with the similar High Noon , as I always loved Katy Jurado's dignified performance as a real classy tart with a heart!

Anyhow the remake "Yuma" filmed last year with a gaunt Christian Bale as Evans and Russell Crowe as the intelligent and manipulative Wade, is an excellent "modern" telling of the tale, with both leads breathing extra depth to what seems like on the surface to be a simple morality story. Evans is a man who has lost faith in himself and is pitied by his 14 year old son ( the wonderfully swearing Logan Lerman) where as Wade is an contradiction of brutality and brains; as the two men come into conflict both realise inner qualities that they thought long forgotten. Bale and Crowe match each other scene for scene as the relationship between the two men develops, with Crowe just coming out best with the acting honours. I thought it was an excellent piece of work!

Beach 3.30pm

Just playing with Chris' camera! Blustery day here in Wales with gales all day.I love this picture pity Maddie wasn't bring up the rear! from left to right, William,Meg and of course little George trying to keep up

Beach 4pm

I think William looks a little like Rhubarb out of Rhubard and Custard !!!

They did it again!

Same characters, different faces, same stories, different faces........yep "ER" . the new series has done it again! -it is still the king of American drama series. Last night's episode Officer Down (2007), we had everything thrown into the pot and more.....Neela had big hair,Morris ( the wonderfully normal looking Scott Grimes) was angry at his father's death, Dr Lucien(Leland Orser) went all hippy and started yoga and Chuny actually shouted at cute preppy doctor Paul Grady (Gil McKinney pic) for running blood into an iv line! But as usual we had so much more! The unseen Dr Moretti ( an underplayed Stanley Tucci) is the alpha male boss, so that leaves Dr Lockhart (Maura Tierney) to teach and challenge the new -bees (McKinney who fancies her too!) Lucian loves Neela, Morris loves Hope (Busy Philipps) , Dark haired nurse momma Sam is falling for officer Litchman whilst Maverick Dr Gates is morphing into George Clooney without anyone noticing!

MEANWHILE (yep and they can squeeze it all in!) Dr Pratt is sucking face with some ultrasound Doctor, two police officers are shot (one dies) and the choreography in resus is better than ever.

Blink and you will miss something! I was always afraid that E.R would go the way of many tv series, that the characters will become less rounded and likable and indeed interesting as time went on, but with a cast that balances pretty,handsome and a bit craggy round the edges, series 14 is off to a cracking start!

Cold night

Its freezing outside tonight! just walked the dogs and come back into a lovely warm cottage
Looks like a scene from Miss Marple! Not a dog in sight too! ( all four were sat with me on my sofa)

Gardening and Gloria Abyss and a brief moan

William now looks like a real Welsh terrier,after being dragged into Rhyl for his biannual hair cut. I hate going into to the "cultural vacuum" that is Rhyl, but at least I could hide for a short while in Marks and Spencer when I waited to collect him.
The weather has been lovely today, so I look William and George into the allotment with me for a while, before clearing the back garden of dead wood and weeds for the first time in many months.

I love this photo of Robina, I found it on the camera memory when I took some shots of the coops just before lock up. Obviously half asleep I love the way she is balanced on the one roost rail....I think she looks a little like Robert Mitchum

Taken from a short story by Ian Flemming, the title of the new James Bond film staring the broody Mr Craig has just been announced, Quantum of Solace is a cracking title that friend Nige would enjoy! as from time to time we would amuse ourselves by making up titles for Novels or films or indeed people. I have never beaten his name for a tragic drag queen Mz Gloria Abyss...............priceless

I can't believe that there is no where in wales that we can go and see the new Cohen Brothers film No Country for Old Men (2007) !!!!!!! Hazel and I are off to see it in Liverpool on Monday.......shame on all local cinemas!!!

12 Angry men-The Flower Show Emergency Meeting,Transference,Thoughts on suicide, and a U-ish turn.

Tonight's blog will be a bit of a mismatch, so forgive the leaps from one subject to another, it is symptomatic of thinking all day whilst pottering!

Anyhow, the Trelawnyd Flower Show Committee met this evening at Auntie Glads to hear the potentially catastrophic news that the memorial hall will not be finished for the August show to take place. The news looked grim as most of the committee were ready to cancel the whole event!, so I was surprised that suddenly I felt like Henry Fonda in 12 Angry Men, when I took the floor and fought for the show to continue but in the suggested relocated position of the village school! I can't believe that I actually said "where is our spirit that won the war???" when trying to encourage team cohesion, but said it I did and I am pleased to say that after a general vote, we ARE now going to hold the flower show (school principle permitting) in the school!.........job's a good 'un.......

Working outside for most of the morning I have enjoyed watching the hens and their interactions with the new roosters. Now it is always dangerous to attribute human characteristics to animals but I had to laugh today when I witnessed a wonderful example of Transference .Stanley, feeling a bit confident with himself, cornered one of the Duncan's Nolan sisters by the feeding trough and gave her a quick shag! Incensed and angry Duncan ran the length of the enclosure and promptly gave him a brief but very aggressive seeing to!.Stanley shrieked and fluttered around in circleslike a big camp queen for a while then ,muttering loudly to himself he stalked off to a day dreaming Robina and gave her a series of sharp nasty pecks, just like a little boy having a tantrum! Very Funny!
pic- from left to right- One of the Nolans,Black hooker,Whoopie Goldberg,another Black hooker and Suzanna! You can just see Stanley on the far right
The sad news that Heath Ledger had been found dead in his New York home, got me to thinking about suicide ( Note that this may not be true in this case) I know this statement sounds dreadfully flippant, but I certainly do not mean for it to do so. At work we see so many apparent suicide attempts admittedly often from overdoses after binge drinking, that sometimes it is easy to class all self harmers as self pitying and, indulgent and my thoughts today were not concerned with the "para suicidal" impulsive behaviours that can happen when under the influence, but with those people that for one reason or another carry such a blackness with them that the only way out for them is to take their own life.

Even with my psychiatric training, I have never been able to truly appreciate what pain some people go through,perhaps I am lucky never to have really experienced despair in its deepest form and that is why I cannot associate with these depressive actions and feelings of others, Perhaps the truth is that I just don't want to! To have a glimpse of such pain is frightening , as is the very act of suicide. It also seems to be such an intensely private thing...the ultimate frightening and private thing!

It was sad to think of Ledger's lost moments, when I was walking on the beach, but to be honest the overwhelming emotion I had was of thankfulness and relief that I have never suffered from even a hint of what true depression sufferers go through.

Now, I will have to admit to a half U turn today! not a full u turn definitely, but a half one! Popping in to the supermarket for a few bits and bats, I did see one mother (with two babies) struggle to get her kart under control when loading her hatchback with goodies. The shopping trolley with the kids in it had been positioned behind the car, instead of the in the area to the side (even though she was in a mother & baby space) and rather frighteningly the thing swung around in the front of another passing car, which had to stop suddenly. Now I hate to say it, but I can now see why these spaces are important for parents with prams to use ( and I have to underline PRAMS here and not parents with a healthy ten year old in tow) but I still concede that I think that these allocated places should be positioned all over a car park and not just at the prime entrance position!