cosmo Jonney

Yesterday I thought bugger the carbon footprint, the only way to get to London is to fly! I enjoyed a rather cosmopolitan afternoon sipping a nice glass of wine at Manchester airport, before arriving at Heathrow's glorious terminal 5 calm, relaxed and somewhat pretentious.
Met Nuala at Ealing (three stops from the airport!!!!!!) It was catch up time, especially as we have not met up properly since Mary died, so amid tons of antipasto (and too much wine) we caught up like good 'uns.
Today Nu has had to go into work, so after a long long shower, I will go into town for a mooch before meeting her in the West End this evening for the theatre

Cracking put downs-apologies for the language

I watched "Pricilla" last night on Sky and forgot just how good Terence stamp's put down lines were.....
To a red neck homophobic drunk
Bernadette: Stop flexing your muscles, you big pile of budgie turd. I'm sure your mates will be much more impressed if you just go back to the pub and fuck a couple of pigs on the bar.
and to a drunk homophobic middle aged woman:
Bernadette: [to Shirley] Now listen here, you mullet. Why don't you just light your tampon, and blow your box apart? Because it's the only bang you're ever gonna get, sweetheart!

classic

Wet,wet,wet

Chris took this photo this morning at dawn, after he had walked the dogs. They all sneak up to bed with me for an hour before I get up and that is their big treat for the day. The weather has been so bad today, I should have stayed in bed, but as Chris was working in the office, I have been out all day, clearing the paths and the drive a particularly dirty and wet job.
I took a brief look at last year's blogs, which all mention problems with the weather. We have had two terribly wet years, which have not only ruined many of the growing crops, but has decimated the native butterfly population

Anyhow I have decided to keep the five of Broody Nolan's chicks. Four seem to be female (at the moment) and I suspect the little bruiser Grey (right) is a cockerel They will be joining the ducks in their run. and seeing that they are being oficially adopted, I have named them all.(after Poseidon Adventure characters)-

Rogo,Linda,Belle,Susan and Nonnie

Mistaken Identity,

Crammed a lot in today, This afternoon I drove to the farm and pet place, to stock up on various bits and bats, and got mistaken for a bona fide farmer by a chap desperate for help with of all things, mole traps. When I was waiting at the check out, this little guy ambled up and quietly asked in typical spy style "are you s farmer?" Beaming with pride, I replied with a small touch of exaggeration that I had a small holding and he then quickly asked me about the best way of using moletraps.
Now I wasn't fazed by my sudden elevation to livestock expert, as I remembered watching the 1940's House on UKTVGold, and surprising myself I gave him a detailed account of how to set a successful mole trap, complete with a few tricks of trade such as using a big leaf to gently cover the mechanism before you trickle fine soil over the top of it. He looked very impressed I must say, with my bullshit
I took the sick black hooker to the vets, knowing full well that she was about to enter that big brothel in the sky. The poor girl looked dreadful, and according to the vet, was suffering from dropsy!!!! (heart failure) luckily she had nothing contagious (as I had feared) and he put her down promptly by injecting her directly into the heart.
Typically of a country vet, he then unceremoniously dropped her into a swing bin located in the corner of the consultation room.
There is no room for sentimentality in Caerwys
When I got home I moved Elizabeth and Shelley, the buffs into the tame buff enclosure, walked the dogs on the beach and pottered around doing chores. The weather again has been dreadful

Ian Parry Scholarship

The Ian Parry Scholarship http://www.ianparry.org/main.php was won this year by Vicente Jaime Villafranca with a rather gritty view of the drug taking mafia in Manilla.

After review of the entries, I think I preferred the work of runner up entrant Giovanni Cipriano (work above)

I cannot believe that if Ian had lived he would now be 42. Chris and I visited his grave last Sunday

A sick Black Hooker

I am working again tonight, but have managed to finish most of the catch up jobs from the weekend. Broody Nolan has finally finished with her maternal feelings and has joined her sisters in the main run, without a backward glance to her healthy young chicks (pic) I found one of the black hookers off her legs and looking pretty rough this afternoon and have transferred her to ICU in the shed. Like the amber rocket that died recently she has been moulting and has been run down by the attentions of Duncan, so her illness may be natural wear and tear, but I have resolved myself for a PM by the vet if another girl kicks the bucket.

Socal and antisocial behaviour

Last night a small group of teens staggered drunkenly down the lane and back in a futile example of today's pointless "hoodie" behaviour.. By three am, it was all getting rather irritating,as they bounced to and fro from fields to house. As it turned out all the neighbours felt as impotent as we did, as all we feared the possible uncontrolled repercussions from children who know no parameters. I do however feel that we should get together as a community to exert some peer group pressure onto these characters and their families even though I do worry about the safety of the birds in their vulnerable position.
I was dead tired when I went to work this morning, but at least managed to get home early after realising the unit actually owed me some time off.On spec we went to have lunch at Prestatyn Bistro, and ended up having a nice time,a passable meal,and two bottles of crisp white wine. We also enjoyed discussing a possible "civil ceremony" next year......Janet and Ann want to be wedding planners complete with head phones.....hummmmm


I had a welcomed nap when we got home as Chris sneakily watched Steel Magnolias.As it tuned out, it has been a better Sunday than I expected

Residents

I am beginning to hate my 12 hour shifts in the claustrophobic environment of Intensive care. The People work is fine and always will be, but the constant ventilator and monitor alarms dont half get you longing for the quietness of the field and the occasional cluck of the hens.
Most of the poultry had retired to bed when I got out at 8.30 pm to fill the water feeders and duck bath, so I had to content myself with watching the native wildlife that exists along side the hens,ducks,chicks and turkeys.
The population of rabbits have increased considerably over the past few months and with the recent absence of Duncan (who consistently chased them out of the enclosures) have now spent increasingly long sorties amid the henhouses.I counted at least 8 of them grazing this evening.
The hedge at the bottom of the field is filled with a whole flock (over 50) sparrows, who argue and chatter amongst themselves like a troup of St Trinian school girls. They often attack the uncovered vegetables in the allotment (especially cabbage), but at this time of evening they are deep in the hawthorn, twittering loudly before they roost.
I know that badgers cross the field each night ( you can see their trails quite clearly), but apart from one time in the back garden I have never witnessed their passing..
When I was walking back to the cottage in the heavy gloom of dusk, out comes the string of pipistrelle bats that scream their way up and down and down and up the lane.in search of insects. Faraway a fox is barking and further on the horses from the stables are galloping around their field in clumsy playfulness.
I have to remind myself....It is a nice place to live.