Travel writing

My sister Ann and her husband are in the middle of their epic USA holiday. Having left New York they are now in Las Vegas before ending up in San Francisco.

I recieved an e mail off them this morning, and was amused and interested in the city' comments....

House music pumping out in the pool area (one of five) and super sized Americans having their life blood sucked out of them by one arm bandits, affectionately known as “slots”. The MGM Grand certainly lives up to its name, with a foyer as large as two football pitches, dripping in gold and carpet so thick you could loose a bullion bar in it. 5000 bedrooms with the Hollywood theme, James Cagney and Greta Garbo in over sized frames gazing down on marble bathrooms. Far flung vista;s of the purple Nevada mountains in the evening sun and the MGM Lion used everywhere. Art Deco brass lift doors feature his roaring head, they even have the real things, prowling up and down in glass cages along side the “slots”. We thought we had the best hotel on the “Strip” but were wrong - Caesars Palace is serious plastic.- soaring columns swathed in Verses gold, topped by vast painted ceilings that manage to outdo Michael Angelo’s seemingly pathetic attempts. As we entered the Forum we were greeted by Centurions and even Cleopatra and Caesar himself made an appearanceThe Forum, a twisting maze of indoor/outdoor ancient roman streets housed every upmarket designer shop you can imagine in fact we had dinner by the side of the Trevi fountain on a particularly warm evening with painted azure blue skies and fluffy white clouds scurrying above our heads. We arrived at the end of the Forum to be greeted by a three story atrium complete with spiral staircase, of course it had to be more than just that , as we took a trip on our first ever spiral escalator we marvelled at the progress mankind and in particular Americans have made.

Love T&A xx

Interesting ......

"John-the-dogs" and the strange world of the blog

Today I feel as though I have actually joined the village community properly as it were. I went to the post office to buy a birthday card (the cards look like they were printed in the 1940's) and had to wait in the usual old person queue. Now I like this ritual as you usually catch up with the local gossip, but it can cut into your day, if you are in a hurry.The longest I have been in there one morning was 40 minutes!

This morning three old ladies were chatting when I entered, and one of them that I didn't recognise smiled a welcome and said "It's John the dogs!!". This tickled me greatly, as although the nicknaming of people with their job or main characteristics IS a Welsh stereotype,I have found out that it actually does occur! (Auntie Glad's late husband is always referred to as Bob -the railway) So I am now known as John-the-dogs!! Better than John-the-old-poof Chris remarked.

I received an email the other day from a very nice Welsh terrier fan from somewhere in the American Midwest. She had been reading my blog for a while, (which is always flattering) and interestingly had traced her family tree to the Wrexham area of North Wales. She has asked me to enter a blog entry describing my daily routine....so I am warning you I may detail it tomorrow....how interesting!!!!!!!!

Gloria has settled down today, but still looks rather slutty when compared to the dapper Boris. I have caught up with the jobs as although it has been incredibly windy, the rain has kept away.

Aunt Judy is coming to tea later (and to watch Strictly Come Dancing) so I have made an apple pie from scratch. I did start by cheating, as we bought some pre made pastry yesterday, but Albert walked over the rolled out pastry just after digging away in his cat litter....even I ruled out carrying on after that........

My one and only pumpkin

Albert , leaving his box-being watched carefully by four pairs of eyes

Rogo, (son of Duncan) just starting to show his cockerel stance (Nonnie is in the background)

Miss Gloria and Albert moves three feet

My efforts to find a mate for poor Boris have been fruitful! Some good old farmer saw my poster plea in the feed wholesaler today and by early evening I had Gloria firmly tucked under my arm, ready to meet up with her new mate. The farmer was due to cull his entire flock just before Christmas, so I feel rather smug at "saving" one hen out of 300 birds, who hopefully will have a nice life in my field.
Gloria is definitely a "farm" girl in looks, she is scruffy, slightly shop worn, and looks ever so slightly like a good time girl that has seen better days. Believe me, she was the pick of the flock....as I discarded several more "slutty hens" before picking her out.
Boris, found the whole new girl thing rather stressful at first, and bounced around his enclosure rather hysterically. In the end I just picked them both up and shut them both into the turkey house for the night. I hope everything will be peaceful tomorrow.

Albert has left his cardboard box several times throughout the day but has only ventured a yard or so on top of the kitchen cabinets. We have relaxed and given him his head and left him to it, and he has responded by allowing us to scratch his head or tummy every time we pass. The dogs are slowly getting used to his tiny black face popping up and into view every couple of minutes, and are getting less and less interested in his presence, but the test will eventually come when he climbs down to mix with his housemates.

Russell Howard

I think Russell Howard must have had at least a few red bull type enhancements (if u get my meaning?)....... his comedy show, was subversive,overactive,brilliant and very very funny.The usual blue rinse audience at LLandudno's Venue Cymru was replaced by the "youth" of North Wales, and everyone was out for a good "laugh-type" evening...He was a lot better than I originally had expected.......
It was a lovely late Birthday gift as we had a brief Birthday supper at Osborn House before we went to the theatre.
Got back at around 11pm.- Albert was still fast asleep on the kitchen table

Albert

Not the best photo of our latest arrival, but hopefully Albert will be as laid back as he now looks.
William has been fairly hysterical since the little chap got installed on the kitchen table, but things have settled down a little since everyone has been fed and watered.
I have always had a cat in the house for the past 20 years, indeed Joan will be a very hard act to follow,, but it does feel nice to have a cat around again.I think that Chris is also secretly happy at having him, even though he is fairly vocal at all the negative connotations of having a new kitten (shit, poop and wee)
Put my "I want a female turkey"posters up in the vets and the feed shops this morning, and have organised catch ups with Nige next week in Manchester and a hook up with Mike, Johnney and Jane in Sheffield on the 23rd, which is great.
Tonight I am off to a comedy nite in Llandudno with Hazel (a late birthday gift for me!!)

Matchmaking, and Albert

Lonely but looking a lot better than he did. Boris has now been re housed in his enclosure with the slightly hysterical ducks. I have rung around to see if I can find another mate for him without success, and have designed several posters advertising for a female to be put up in the vets and animal feed shops.
I had better luck with the local animal centre who now has a small dog friendly cat available for re homing..The little black chap was taken in as a orphan by a family with three staffies, and subsequently has "no fear" of dogs.He did look rather sorry for himself when I went to give him the once over with George in tow.
George is rather a vocal Scottish Terrier, and bays loudly when he sees anything he is not used to, so I was surprised when the cat hardly raised an eyebrow when George started performing. Mind you the effect George did have on the 8 other cats in the shed was quite electric , as most of them short several feet into the air at the sound of a screaming dog.
The cat will be vet checked today and inoculated and flea treated before I collect him tomorrow. The animal centre will also neuter him free of charge in a few months time, which I thought was a bit of a bargain.
I have already christened him Albert.

Sister Act

With the so-bad-it's-good film Mamma Mia doing so well at the UK box office, I was reminded last night of another crap film that turned out to be an enjoyable cinematic romp. Sister Act (1992) IS on the surface a dreadful sentimental,heavy handed,rather dated limp comedy from the 1940's.-.Lounge singer Deloris Van Cartier (a cracking name by the way) has witnessed a murder. She is put into a convent for safe keeping until her boyfriend can be prosecuted, and subsequently teaches the ropey convent choir how to sing......Yep not an arthouse film in any shape or form, but last night when it was shown on ITV2, I found myself really enjoying it.
Whoopi Goldberg camping it up with great gusto is a perfect tart-with-a heart Doloris. Maggie Smith plays Maggie Smith in a habit as the mother superior and good old Mary Wickes (remember the wisecracking nurse from Now, Voyager (1942) turns up as a wisecracking old nun)
Pure sentimental rubbish.......but if like me you enjoy watching a motley group of comedy nuns singing soul, well then get it out on dvd.....

Blog number 1001

I have been writing this rubbish for a few years now and can you believe this is blog number 1001?!!!!!!!!! The banalities of everyday life in cottage and field keep me amused and busy, so today's blog I guess will carry on this tradition quite nicely.

The weather has been autumnal, blustery and wet.Boris remains in the shed,but is looking better if not a little lonely without Grace. Occasionally you can hear him kick the cage door loudly in an effort to stave off his boredom. I have moved his house into an enclosure of his own (away from the chickens that can carry the dreaded Blackhead parasite- even though all of them have been wormed and treated). I can left a message with Pam, who gave me the pair only a few months ago- hopefully I can buy a new mate for him as soon as possible.

Two male pheasants have been circulating the field for a month now, and each day they have been getting more and more confident with my pottering.Today they walked past me almost at arms length, and started to eat the duck food.

I suspect their confidence is related to Duncan's absence, as Stanley is rather more laid back with their visits.

The new little cockerel Rogo (who looks like a tiny version of Duncan) isn't quite old enough to start the normal cockerel macho behaviours.