The Vicar and the Turkey

Auntie Glad is at the centre table with the other village notable grey hairs

Yesterday there was a "Spring Lunch" on at the Memorial Hall in aid of the church. I went and had a very passable ham salad, a heavenly apple pie with cream and some chit chat with Some of the village elders.

The vicar was there, so I was a bit naughty and asked him publicly if he would pose for a publicity shot for my Open Day later in the year. He knows me, so was slightly dubious, but finally he did agree to have a " head and shoulders shot" alongside Bingley, the turkey.

The vicar will be judging the " name the turkey" competition on September the 1st.....ie he will pick the best name out of all of the entries and the winner will get themselves a jolly nice food hamper....

Now I do admit there there are a few holes in this plan

Number one flaw is the fact that the turkey in question already HAS a name

And number two, is the fact that the vicar absolutely detests birds in general....

However, for charity I am happy to rename Bingley ( as long as we get enough punters) and in the spirit of open day support,the vicar is happy at having a " love in- vicar cuddling the turkey" photo taken for the local paper.......

Well, it's better than kissing babies...........

Video Ducklings

You will need to read the previous post before watching the video

Suffice to say

" I rest my case"
Ps forgive the groans at the beginning... I had to squeeze my fat  arse into the crate

Innate Behaviour

Yesterday the news was full of all of what is awful in this world. The natural disaster in Oklahoma, the horrific machete attack of the unarmed soldier on a London Street,more Middle East murders and maiming, it never seems to end.
Yet, amid the dreadful carnage, tiny glimpses of humanity flicker hopefully out of the darkness.
On radio 4, I listened with tears in my eyes the moment when an ordinary Oklahoma man saved two small girls from a devastated school. His desperate and gentle voice was almost breaking when one of the little girls politely cried out " thank you so much" as he lifted her free of the rubble.
A stranger helping a stranger.
When that poor young soldier lay dying on a city street after yesterday's " terrorist" attack, several women risked their lives to try and help. One woman, it was reported, asked if she could sit next to the horribly injured victim, so "someone" was at least with him at the end, while another woman was photographed bravey trying to reason with the two attackers.
That sort of behaviour is innate. It is almost unexplainable ....it just happens.
Let us not forget this fact.
All of us, I am sure, have been touched by the kindness of a stranger at least once in our lives.
I know I have.
I would not be here, if a complete stranger had not saved me from drowning in an over crowded Loret del Mar swimming pool in 1970.

It would be nice, on this rather bleak day, to hear them....

Ps I will post a duckling video later.... Ducklings are a panacea to all of the ills of the world

Flaming June?

The photographic record of the aftermath of the Oklahoma tornado is sobering and thought provoking. From a green and overly damp North Wales, I am thankful for a climate that for the most part only provides a minor irritation to everyday life , when the wind blows and the rain falls.

We are now heading towards June, and there is a risk from frost later in this week. The seedlings and the early veg in bosoms could well be affected, as could the chicks that are about to hatch under the broody gals in their nest boxes..... 

But perhaps this one time , I won't bellyache about it

The British Climate?

We are the lucky ones

Ducklings and garlic flavoured dog farts

The ducklings of hysterical runner ducks exhibit the typical panicky traits of their mothers almost as soon as they are born. Immediately as the shed door is opened the two older and more robust babies leg it to the farthest point of their run screaming loudly for help. This in turn brings the dogs galloping out of the house in the hopeful prospect of duckling eating...thus the pattern of behaviour we will have to get used to until the youngsters can be transferred to their proper run on the field, is set hard and fast

Screaming ducklings and over excited dogs.

That's the way it's going to be

A third and final duckling has just hatched late in the incubator on the kitchen top , resulting in some sustained dog jumping and hyperventilation at its constant " peep,peep......peeping"...... The whole kitchen now  smells strangely  of garlic..... As the terriers of Trelawnyd fart merrily away in their excitements ......my fault me think......I treated them all to some cheap garlic sausage when I bought my scotch eggs for tea.....

We all ate our treats in the supermarket car park before coming home

Screaming duckings , garlic farting hysterical dogs ....a slightly surreal night to be sure

Yorkshire Pud

A rather " snatched" photo of the first duckling

Two more are hatching but remain stubbornly slow and one was dead in its shell this morning

This little chap however is ready to come out of the incubator

I am off to a Moving & Handling Study day for work

I would prefer cleaning out the shit fillrd duck house

But hey ho...

I will leave you with a certain poem, penned by the indomitable Yorkshire Pudding

Yesterday..... It was so me me

Yorkshire Puddin's Blog

Have I seen The Earl? -  you say

Oh you mean the flouncing nurse John Gray?

He lives by the corner up on Church Lane

It's rumoured that the bloke's insane.

All manner of birds are kept in his field

Even though his neighbours appealed

He talks to the buggers as well you know

When it's pissing it down or in driving snow.

His Berlingo is a familiar sight

Scotch egg wrappers and covered in shite

His pack of dogs from the Baskervilles

Are often seen chasing him over the hills.

Be careful when you knock on his door.

What do you want to see him for?

Runner ducks, fresh free range eggs?

Or those homemade pies he gets from Greggs?

Oh you're doing a fashion shoot?

Christ, that should be a hoot!

Anorak, wellies and a woolly hat

What will your editor make of that?

I've lived in Trelawnyd all my life

Never had a girlfriend, never a wife

- "The only gay in the village!" - they'd yell

Now the Earl and his fancy man live here as well

Go up there and then turn right

Just follow the smell of the chicken shite

He'll pour you a cup of Earl Gray tea

Then try to do what he did to me!

Never Walk A Dog In Your Pyjamas......& Spring IS here

 

The last job of the evening is a brief dog walk. When bladders have been emptied and the grass verge sniffed, the terriers make their beds for the night and  I can settle down in my big armchair with my " jimjams" on.

My jimjams consist of a extra large pair of Chris' old pyjama bottoms and my second best Walking Dead T shirt....it's an eclectic look.

Last night, I had to take our oldest dog , Meg out for a very late wee. She' s a nervy character and never quite got her bladder working on the dog's final walk of the day...and so, in my jimjams, I sneaked into the lane with Meg on her lead.

I really should have known better

Pyjamas gape at the crotch

And car headlights illuminate every detail

So

Apologies to the two young women driving a white fiat...

I didn't flash  my goolies on purpose

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Errrr , on a brighter note
Life in Trelawnyd is lumbering into spring proper

The Welsh Poppies are flowering in the garden

The broody buff and her chicks are now out in their new run

 

And in the kitchen incubator, there is the little "peep,peep, peep" from the ducklings trapped within their shells, three eggs, so far, are showing those tell tale spider cracks 

from sharp little hatching beaks.

Hey ho

Birthdays

I have just been writing birthday cards

Two of my closest friends have their birthdays very soon

I have known them for decades

And they still look like the characters I first met way back during my Sheffield days

Happy Birthday Nuala 

Happy Birthday Nigel

An early salutation I know.....

I love you bothX

Ps I have also just FLASHED at a local motorist 

I will keep THAT story for tomorrow's blog

Hey ho