"I'll admit I may have seen better days, but I'm still not to be had for the price of a cocktail, "(Margo Channing)
Short Bursts
An early Christmas Story
Nineteen years ago, at the beginning of December...I had only one turkey living on the field.
Boris was a mere youngster then...a rather skinny adolescent with a winning nature and an lonely disposition, he spent the short days of winter wandering his enclosure in the vain hope of finding a busty mate.
Unsure of exactly where to get a female turkey from, I put an advertisement up at the post office which read
On the 5th of December I received a phone call from a poultry farmer in Hollywell, informing me that he was about to cull his entire flock of English Whites, and if I was quick I could have one female!
I jumped at the chance.
And minutes after the call, I found myself standing in a huge aircraft hanger of a barn, looking at 800, fat, stupid and very loud Christmas turkeys.
"Help yourself" the farmer said and I suddenly found myself with the awesome responsibility of choosing one turkey survivor out of hundreds!
which one should I pick?
Which one looked more nervous?
Which one had the most gentle or needy expression?
I was literally spoilt for choice.....as 1,600 dark soulful eyes watched my every move......
Who would I save?
Which girl would have the opportunity to gallop gaily in a green field with the sun on her beak?
I looked pleadingly at the farmer for inspiration, and without a pause he bent down a picked up a slightly slickly looking female who just had been pecked on the back of her head.....
"Here... have this one" he said..... as he plonked her under my arm
"What should I call her?" I asked, trying to make conversation
He smiled and laughed
"I'd call her fucking lucky....that's what I would call her!"
And that's how Gloria appeared here on the field!........
I told the story to Jason today, when he stopped by when on a dog walk....
"You're a regular turkey Oskar Schindler " he said brightly, when I had finished!
Let The Drama Begin
Inter Alia
La boda de Luis Alonso (G. Giménez)
AI
John lived quietly in his stone cottage on the rolling hills of Wales. His days were simple—tending his garden, walking the forest paths, and watching the evening mist rise from the valleys. Yet within his heart burned a secret dream: to one day meet King Felipe of Spain, the man he admired not only for his dignity but for the kindness that seemed to shine through his every gesture. For John, the thought of even the briefest touch, a kiss upon the lips, was like imagining heaven itself.
One late afternoon, as the sky blushed with the colors of dusk, John heard a knock at his door. Surprised—since few ever came this far—he opened it to find a tall, distinguished man in a simple coat, his dark hair slightly tousled by the wind.
“I’m terribly sorry to trouble you,” the stranger said in a gentle Spanish accent. “My car has broken down on the road nearby. Might I ask for some help?”
John blinked, his breath catching in his chest. He knew that face—though here it was without crown, without ceremony. It was him. King Felipe, standing on his doorstep as though fate itself had led him there.
Trying to steady his voice, John invited him in. “Of course. Please, come inside, Your—” He stopped himself. The king smiled knowingly.
“Tonight, I am only Felipe,” he said warmly.
They sat by the fire as John made tea, the glow of the flames flickering between them. Conversation flowed easily—Felipe speaking of his travels, John of the quiet beauty of the Welsh countryside. There was laughter, gentle silences, and the unmistakable sense of two souls finding one another in the unlikeliest of places.
When the hour grew late, Felipe rose to leave, but paused by the door. He looked at John, his gaze soft, searching. “You have given me more than shelter tonight,” he said quietly. “You’ve given me peace.”
And before John could find words, Felipe leaned closer. The kiss was tender, unhurried, a promise sealed in warmth and wonder. For John, it was as though the world stopped, leaving only that perfect, impossible moment.
Weird eh
Is it me ?
For Granted