Shit

I am sat on the loo typing this
I am working at the hospital all day today
And already the shit has hit the fan
( Winnie has pebbledashed the inside of her overnight crate with very loose shit!)
I think the day doesn't bode too well
Hey ho

God Hates Fags ( apparantly)

A while ago, I used to follow a blog which resembled parts of my own.
It had chickens, and out door things in it
It had humourous videos and chit chat
And it was written in an attractive and witty manner, by someone smart and liberal

Like so many other blogs , it disappeared in the ether , only to return recently with a totally new character. A born again Christian type of character.
Now the phrase " whatever floats your boat" comes to mind
Followed rapidly by " horses for courses"
Bloody hell, I am all for the "  live and let live" ethos
But I did think it a huge shame when suddenly on a blog that I once enjoyed and respected
evangelical and rabid anti gay videos have been unleashed unquestioned into the public domain

Hey ho

A Hippo In Wales

Many readers of Going Gently may also follow the exploits of a certain death defying African entrepreneur who has recently suffered a hole in his thigh which is the size ( and smell ) of Rotherham.
HIPPO TOM, with all the pluck of Gladys Aylward, jumped on a plane and admitted himself to a London Hospital within hours ( and I am not kidding when I said hours) of very serious health problems.
Well today, as I was strimming the field borders, Tom gave me a surprise visit. A friend, who Tom is staying with before he flys home to Africa , had an appointment along the North Wales coast, and so Tom tagged along in order to buy me a non alcoholic pint in The Crown. A welcomed" thank you" for some on line advice giving.
Tom is one of those people who seems to have crammed half a dozen lives into just 50 years of his own. He is a talented storyteller and  raconteur, with a razor sharp wit , and after just the briefest time in his company , I felt rather staid and just a little" careful"
After all I doubt I would have had the chutzpah to perform minor surgery on myself after getting bitten by a puff adder in the garden!
So what did I do with the former bomb disposal man and Angolan troubleshooter?
I showed him the Ukrainian Village, Offered him a scotch egg ( which he enjoyed) and took him to meet Auntie Glad in her daytime pinny.

The Queen of Trelawnyd meets the king of the bush

Surreal or what?

Have a look

Click Here

To watch this achingly funny " Head mistress versus cocky kid" scene
Very....VERY  very funny......
( apologies to non uk readers....... Do try to find the series or this clip if you can... It's worth it)

Flirting

Today I read with some amusement Tom Stephenson's story of a one sided flirtation episode at a Bath supermarket .
It reminded me of one of my most embarrassing incidents which occurred over 23 years ago. I may have blogged about it before, but it is worth repeating I think .......especially as it's a bit of a slow news day

 Back in 1991 I was celebrating the multicultural social events organised in Sheffield when the World Student Games were held in the city.

I went with a friend to the Crucible Theatre which was hosting a free night of folk music and dance (in the foyer!)...as usual I was dressed down for the event (t shirt and ripped jeans! - remember the fact I had ripped jeans on)
but as the whole event was very relaxed I kind of blended in!
Anyhow I remember sitting on the steps of the bar looking down at the singers and crowds below..and one guy, who was sitting at a table with some friends caught my eye!
I looked at him.....he looked at me! and suddenly I thought "my lucks in!!!"
Anyhow this game of glances carried on for a while ( I remember the guy looked a little like a bearded Jake Gyllenhall) and I did that half smile and hair toss flirting thing! before I caught sight of him downing his pint then weave his way through the tables to walk to where I was sat up on the stairs!
He leaned over slowly so I could smell his after shave and whispered gently into my ear
"Hey mate...I wanted to tell you that you have a rip in your jeans and one of your b*lls is sticking out!"...he suddenly left and went to sit down again!!
What happened to me?..........well I died .....died in a pool of rancid shame

Lurid Red Ball

Chris is away all week and I am presently in the living room reading Gerald Durrell's second book " Encounter with Animals"... It's a cracking read.....
Last night it was Meg licking a pained Albert that caught my attention
Tonight it is Winifred
She is lying in front of the fire with her lurid red ball
( she adores this tiny bit of plastic in an unbelievably unhealthy way)

A few minutes ago, she woke up with a start,
Turned her head to check if the aforementioned ball was still there
Craned her head a little more
Kissed the ball
Then flopped down back to sleep

They never fail to amuse me

New Members

Cameron's first draft of the official Flower Show Poster

Now The Trelawnyd Flower Committee is in some dire need of a technology update. We have a new secretary (me), a new Treasurer, a new honorary chairperson. We have fairly new signage, An updated and colourful website and we have Chris throwing him into the breech like Audie Murphy in a WW2 foxhole to man Auntie Glad's stall, but what we are lacking on the committee, is a computer expert school boy who can design posters and come up with trouble shooting ideas at the drop of a hat .
Luckily the Flower Show Committee has now conscripted it's youngest member. A secondary school student by the name of Cameron. With him we now number a slightly worrying but definitely healthy  13 souls!
(Incidentally the age gap between the oldest and youngest member is an incredible 82 years!)

It's never too early for succession planning.i always think

Albert's Stiffy

I was just about to go to bed tonight.
( BBC's " Crimewatch" had sufficiently depressed me so)
When I watched Albert walking in to the darkened living room after an energetic burst through the catflap
His gammy leg must have been bothering him and he was limping, and after his usual head rubbing with each of the dogs in turn, he sat in front of the fire next to Meg, and stretched his right rear leg out stiffly before him in the heat of the stove.
Gently Meg picked her head up, leant forward, and started to lick his obviously hot knee as Albert shut his eyes peacefully.
They sat like that for some minutes
It's the nicest thing I've seen all day

Albert showing his stiff right back leg a few nights ago