Caerwys Show

I decided to take George to the show rather than the usually over active William, and seeing that there was literally hundreds of other dogs milling around, he was beautifully behaved throughout the day. He seemed fascinated with the shire horses and sat still and rapt as they thundered through the show ring, only stopping briefly when I brought out the lunch box

The poultry winners made most of my girls look like Hillbillies but at least my Buff cockerels looked on par with the buff winners, or so I thought!

As we watched the dog show, one of the Judges called over and said I should have entered George in the terrier class, "That is a good, well balanced dog" he said

"He comes from a good well balanced owner!" I replied.

We wandered around for a few hours, and although quite small, the show was incredibly traditional. Whereas the narration over the loudspeaker was in English for the horse judging, in a neighbouring field the commentary for the cattle and sheep was in Welsh.

We came home mid afternoon, I needed to drop off some fertilized hens eggs to a chap in Llanasa and managed to swap two day old chicks for Poppy the robust Male Buff cockerel. The day olds I have secreted under Lily.....here's hoping she will "adopt them"

worried

My blog reader from Korea hasn't logged in for a month now.....I am worried.....

Treats

It is now 6.40am and I have just finished making some bread rolls and of alll things a bowl of egg custard (with Chris away I have a glut of milk to use up). The morning is bright and sunny and I am sitting down with my morning treat of proper coffee.
Since going VERY part time, money has been tight. Not as a couple you understand, but my own wages are well perfunctory to say the least. Now I know that I will have to organise more bank shifts to pay for those extras such as coal, the car tax and service, vet bills and the like but there is one good side for being generally, well skint! (apart from the animals of course)
When you are skint, you appreciate those small treats that before hand you always took for granted. For example, now I really enjoy proper brewed coffee!, I go goo-goo over AA batteries for my digital radio, and a cold diet coke on a hot day (I am the only one that buys them from the village post office!) is wonderful.
My sisters do not understand this fetish I have with coffee and batteries, but have indulged me when buying my birthday and Christmas gifts... they cannot quite understand how I appreciate these little treats as much as something less run-of -the-mill.
Anyhow I am going to the Caerwys show with William in tow at 11am I will post some photographs of the event later.
ps (I am taking some proper coffee with me in a flask!!!)

Observations

With Chris still away until Monday the dogs and I have spent all of the long sunny day outside. The pace of the day has slowed and I have enjoyed watching those small little moments that generally you seem to miss when busy with more important jobs.
Albert has grown into a delightfully warm adult cat. He has spent most of the day hunting along the field borders but will often re enforce his affectionate bonds with the dogs by running up to each one and rubbing his face against theirs. Even Maddie allows this show of over familiarity, and for the briefest of moments will stand still as Albert greets her.
It sounds rather stupid, but this sweet little behaviour moves me greatly.

Four of the hybrids have been struck down with the Broody bug, so that makes an exhausting 8 birds that are not laying any eggs! I am going to the Caerwys agricultural show tomorrow which is renowned for its poultry, so I may be able to buy a couple more chicks to help break them .(Above), George chasing a rabbit at teatime- suffice to say there was a great deal of barking and nothing caught.

This evening I am in the middle of collating the Flower Show history and am working at our Arts and Crafts bureau at the bottom of the stairs....My netbook fits beautifully on the tiny workspace...The cottage is rather quiet without Chris

Evening

The Honeysuckle by the front door has started to bloom. This evening I was going to meet up with friend Geoff but he has had a bad day ( and a bad back) and is need of an early night, so I sat for a while in the front garden with the dogs and a large gin and tonic. The sounds of dusk and the smell of the honeysuckle were lovely

Detective work, More course members and a new broody box

This morning I did some real detective work in Rhyl library!...with pencil stuck dramatically behind my ear, I trolled through a score of back copies of the old Prestatyn Journal from the 1970s and managed to pick out several pieces detailing the embryonic stages of the Trelawnyd Flower Show! Using a microfiche for the first time, made me feel as though I was starring in some Hollywood thriller (even though I was in Rhyl)
It was fascinating work, not only for details of the show itself, but I found reading the local news of summer droughts,minor burglaries and normal small town gossip strangely nostalgic and ever so slightly melancholic. It was the Prestatyn of my childhood! -Bad haircuts, drunk driving, steak dinners with black forest gateaux, a well attended and much loved carnival, Towering Inferno at the Scala and the usual plethera of summer weddings....
As I walked back to the car I caught sight of Auntie Gladys battling with three large bags of shopping, She never ceases to amaze me; at 90 years old, she still takes the bus 5 miles to Rhyl to do all her own shopping, then will schlep it all back without help of any sort!.
As it tuned out Gladys was very grateful for the lift, and I absolutely loved the opportunity to listen to her stories of her early life in the village on our way home. There is nothing more entertaining and poignant than oral histories from someone that has really LIVED their lives.
I could have listened to her all day.
This evening I received two phone calls from more prospective chicken course members. That makes a potential 9 students! (be still my beating heart!) One conversation proved to be very useful as I was offered a new and unused broody box by a lady from the next village......I have seized the day and have already set Blanche and Haleh up in it

Fireflies in the Garden

American Indie films about middle class family dysfunction seem to be ten-a-penny in recent years, and I must say I was slightly disappointed by this starry first feature by Dennis Lee-
Fireflies in the Garden (2008) has Ryan Reynolds as novelist Michael Taylor, who reluctantly returns home for a family celebration. However, when he arrives at the family home he finds the scene of a car accident that has just killed his mother, Lisa (Julia Roberts), and devastated his emotionally domineering father, Charlie (Willem Dafoe).As Michael struggles to reconnect with his grieving father, he rediscovers his friendship with his kindly aunt Jane (Emily Watson), while flashbacks show the pair as children (played very well by Cayden Boyd and Hayden Panettiere) growing up under Charlie's ultra-strict rules. Meanwhile, Michael uncovers some shocking secrets about Lisa and things are further complicated by the unexpected arrival of Michael's recently estranged wife, Kelly (Carrie-Ann Moss).
Have you got all that? yeap not a real bag of laughs but some of the themes explored ( for example;- how unhappiness and abuse colours all of your memories, even the good ones) will resonate with most of the film's audience I am sure.
The problem with Fireflies in the Garden is not the performances (which are fine), it is the film's lack of dramatic power and the glossing over of more interesting stories (such as the slightly odd relationship between Michael and his young aunt) which let the whole thing down just a little.
Having said that Ryan Reynolds plays wide and loose as the grieving son and Emily Watson is in typical strong form as the big hearted aunt.

I took Janet to the scala, and she quite enjoyed the film, although some of the film's family dysfunctional themes did make her feel just a little "uncomfortable".
7/10

Haleh update,Fencing the field,John "Bach" and Flower Show Research

Little Haleh seems to be thriving with individual support from the doting Blanche, the above picture illistrates my point for just right of shot is Albert , sitting patiently, watching the little duckling's every move. Blanche stood there protecting Haleh for the duration of Albert's visit.

I finished weeding the largest of the vegetable patches this morning and have planted a load of donated runner beans and meadow flowers this afternoon. I have also measured the wooden fencing between my field and the Churchyard, so that I can work out just how much chicken wire to buy. I want to ensure that the Chickens are kept out of the graveyard as much as is humanly possible.

Neighbour Trevor called around this afternoon for a computer chat. He is 85 and has just purchased his first laptop, so everything "internet" is presently still a little confusing for him. Chris has been giving informal computer lessons over the past few weeks, which have been gratefully received, but I think he has yet to master google!

Trevor always refers to me as "John Bach" which literally means "Little John" in Welsh.....though the translation actually means "young John"......this tickles me...47 and called young! great news!!!

Tonight I am sifting through the information donated to me relating to the history of the Flower Show. I have received various photos and news clippings and will need to collate everything clearly and precisely.

I aim to outline some of the history of the show in poster form, give a tribute to some of the previous (and existing) long term committee members and to chronicle all of the good causes (within the village and beyond) the show has financially supported over the years.

I think it is time that the Flower Show blows its own trumpet and receives some positive publicity.