Bits, Bobs and General Witterings

I’m still being pummeled pulled and stretched by the osteopath who is a miracle worker. Twice the first week, once the second and again this week and now its 10 days till the next one. I don’t have to rest so much, can go out for walks and just be sensible. I am feeling better than I have done for at least a year. I thought I was looking at hip replacements, but the problem was all in my back. Sitting isn’t uncomfortable any more and I can now do things without pain. Hope you and yours are all well
 

We took a picnic into the hills yesterday, to a red kite feeding station. Some years ago, the red kites nearly died out, and a program to save them was started. Today we have many, many red kites across the country. I have been to the feeding station often and am always awestruck. There are 2 pontoons on a lake. The meat is laid out on them and we wait. The hills today, were beautiful a lush green and with the pine trees surrounding the lake and the sun dancing on the water it was a lovely place to be. Suddenly the kites appeared. The sky was just a frantic whirling of reds and beige colours as they swooped down wings back legs straight out and with unerring accuracy they got their prey and shot back up as quickly as they had arrived.

Then we went on a bit to a silver and lead mine. It’s been restored to how it originally was, and you can pan for gold and silver. I didn’t have a go yesterday because I must watch my back, and all I’ve ever got in the past is fool’s gold. You can buy bags of ‘gravel’ there for a couple of pounds and I always bring some back for children we know. They have better luck than me! We got home at 8pm, very tired but my back held up well. My husband is making me have a quiet day today, so I will get on with finishing the socks I am knitting and then I can get stuck into the super- chunky sweater I am making myself fir the winter
 

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Driving past the railway station this morning, I had no idea we had so many police officers, patrol cars, dog handlers and helicopters in our city because you can never find a bobby when you need one. It has just come on the teatime news that our esteemed Prime Minister, Boris was visiting the city.
 
We went for a drive through the Forest of Dean yesterday, a huge forest encompassing small towns and villages. I’m still a bit too tottery to get out of the car, but I could wind down the windows and smell the wild garlic. The forest dates back to the Mesolithic age, .you can still see monoliths they erected
It was very popular for hunting and Henry 8th visited regularly , it was one of his favourite places for hunting

The many bears and wolves in the forest have long gone, but a few years back someone had a ‘brilliant’ idea: Let’s reintroduce some wild boar (he was obviously a townie) because they have caused havoc. They come into the towns and villages and root up whole gardens, grass tennis courts, cricket pitches etc, at a rapid pace. They don’t stay deep in the forest anymore and who can blame them? A mature male boar isn’t far short of the size of a small Shetland pony. One charged us once and those tusks are awesome. A ranger shooed him off. To be fair the animal was only doing his duty. The female was out with her piglets which are adorable. Anyway, it is only August and the trees have started, not just changing, but some are shedding their leaves.
 

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@Dolly you are a tonic and I thoroughly enjoyed reading your posts
You know my paternal grandmother used to use the word wittering and I have not heard it in many a long year
Your jokes are real beauts too....thank you they made my afternoon :giggle:
Oh and G'day from DownUnder in South Australia 👋
Oh boy. One of the major regrets in my life is that I didn't take the opportunity to emigrate to Oz in 1973 when I was offered the chance. It is a wonderful country, lovely people and beautiful and uncrowded places to visit. I expect though that, like here, it has changed since the 70's.
 
We went for a drive through the Forest of Dean yesterday, a huge forest encompassing small towns and villages. I’m still a bit too tottery to get out of the car, but I could wind down the windows and smell the wild garlic. The forest dates back to the Mesolithic age, .you can still see monoliths they erected
It was very popular for hunting and Henry 8th visited regularly , it was one of his favourite places for hunting

The many bears and wolves in the forest have long gone, but a few years back someone had a ‘brilliant’ idea: Let’s reintroduce some wild boar (he was obviously a townie) because they have caused havoc. They come into the towns and villages and root up whole gardens, grass tennis courts, cricket pitches etc, at a rapid pace. They don’t stay deep in the forest anymore and who can blame them? A mature male boar isn’t far short of the size of a small Shetland pony. One charged us once and those tusks are awesome. A ranger shooed him off. To be fair the animal was only doing his duty. The female was out with her piglets which are adorable. Anyway, it is only August and the trees have started, not just changing, but some are shedding their leaves.
What an interesting place this is.

Do you think the boars will greatly increase?
 
@Dolly I am sure you will enjoy this video as much as we do here...it is an advert on TV
When I was a staff nurse, the Australian Rugby team were playing Wales at Cardiff where I was working and a few of the players visited the hospital. By gum they were a size close up. One of the little children said to a player, and he didn't come up to the man's knees: 'Hey Mister do yer war dance' and they did it for the kids. Put the wind up me it did.
 
Mark has planted our violas. Such a brave little flower, keeps going right through the winter poking its head out of the snow to remind you the garden will wake up in the Spring. It's a good job he moved the planters under cover because that awful storm was giving us a hammering all night
 
Yesterday afternoon we went to a little town, in the county, called Leominster (pronounced Lemster) it has the most beautiful old black and white houses and shops and narrow streets where the buildings lean in towards each other so that they almost touch. The town square has held a weekly market since the middle ages. (Only stopping during wars, foot and mouth and corona)

The Priory is beautiful. Founded in 1121, but there is evidence of a small Saxon church predating it on the same site

We Welsh, led by Owain Glendwr ransacked it in 1402. Later, Henry 8th had a bash at it and pinched all the stonework from the cloisters. So it has seem some changes The original town ducking stool is kept in the priory, it was used to punish scolding and quarrelsome women with a quick dip in the nearest pond or river. I often find Mark standing in front of it with a wistful, faraway look on his face.

The town has expanded quite a bit, and the modern buildings are hideous, but the original town still has its old world charm.
 

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Leominster has been on my bucket list for ages to visit just for the sheer photographic purpose if nothing else.. ..Lovely photos from you Dolly,.. have you looked at our photo thread on this forum ? :giggle:
 
I'm Fine Thank You

There is nothing the matter with me

I'm as healthy as can be.

I have arthritis in both my knees

And when I talk, I talk with a wheeze,

My pulse is weak and my blood is thin,

But I'm awfully well for the shape I'm in.

Arch supports I have for my feet,

Or I wouldn't be able to go on the street.

Sleep is denied me night after night,

But every morning I find I'm all right,

My memory is failing, my head's in a spin

But I'm awfully well for the shape I'm in.



The moral is this - as my tale I unfold,

That for you and me who are growing old,

It's better to say, "I'm fine" with a grin,

Than to let folks know the shape we're in.



How do I know that my youth is all spent?

Well my 'get up and go' has got up and went.

But I don't really mind when I think with a grin,

Of all the grand places 'my get up' has been.



Old age is golden, I've heard it said,

But sometimes I wonder as I get into bed,

With my ears in the drawer, my teeth in the cup,

My eyes on the table until I wake up.

Ere sleep overtakes me, I think to myself

Is there anything else I could lay on the shelf?



When I was young, my slippers were red;

I could kick my heels right over my head.

When I got older, my slippers were blue;

But still I could dance the whole night through.

But now I am old, my slippers are black;

I walk to the store and puff my way back.



I get up each day and dust off my wits,

And pick up the paper and read the 'obits'.

If my name is still missing, I know I'm not dead -
 
'I wish I'd looked after me Teeth


Oh, I wish I'd looked after me teeth,
And spotted the perils beneath,
All the toffees I chewed,
And the sweet sticky food,
Oh, I wish I'd looked after me teeth.

I wish I'd been that much more willin'
When I had more tooth there than fillin'
To pass up gobstoppers,
From respect to me choppers
And to buy something else with me shillin'.

When I think of the lollies I licked,
And the liquorice allsorts I picked,
Sherbet dabs, big and little,
All that hard peanut brittle,
My conscience gets horribly pricked.

My Mother, she told me no end,
"If you got a tooth, you got a friend"
I was young then, and careless,
My toothbrush was hairless,
I never had much time to spend.

Oh I showed them the toothpaste all right,
I flashed it about late at night,
But up-and-down brushin'
And pokin' and fussin'
Didn't seem worth the time... I could bite!

If I'd known I was paving the way,
To cavities, caps and decay,
The murder of fiIlin's
Injections and drillin's
I'd have thrown all me sherbet away.

So I lay in the old dentist's chair,
And I gaze up his nose in despair,
And his drill it do whine,
In these molars of mine,
"Two amalgum," he'll say, "for in there."

How I laughed at my Mother's false teeth,
As they foamed in the waters beneath,
But now comes the reckonin'
It's me they are beckonin'
Oh, I wish I'd looked after me teeth.
The end
Pam Ayres







 
I was wondering yesterday why I didn't shop now for the 2 of us, like I did when we were a family of 4. Back then I did a big shop once a fortnight, brought it home in the back of the car, unloaded it, put everything away and still had time to walk the dogs before lunch. These days we just get things we are short of when we are out and about. So today I did a big, big fortnights shop. Brought it home in the car, put it away and then sat in the chair absolutely shattered. My husband gave me a large (medicinal) gin and tonic and my goodness was it welcome
 

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