The Whirligig of Time

 Saturday. 6.50 a.m. Goodness, gracious! Today is the 1st of July. Nothing more to be said on this matter.

6.15 a.m. I've been to meet my friend Nick in the main shopping centre. I drove in at around 11.25, and we were scheduled to meet outside Costa,  opposite Marks and Spencer, at midday. Nick turned up, but, when I saw him, or thought I saw him, walking towards me, at first I didn't recognize him. We went into Costa and I ordered a strawberry and cream frappé, a ham and cheese toastie (my regular) and a rather nice slice of carrot cake. Once we'd eaten and drunk, we went into Marks and Spencer and browsed in the men's department. Actually, a real surprise this, quite a lot of items I liked and might even end up buying. They are throwing of their old-fashioned image, at last, appealing to those (me included) who prefer clothing to be a bit more adventurous and colourful. Who on earth would imagine M and S selling pink jackets? Or bright orange trousers?? The sort of thing that Michael Portillo might wear in one of his train journey television documentaries. Then, we wandered along the shopping mall, into Boots for a couple of items I needed. Virtually no humans at check-outs, it's nearly all self-service. Companies who insist on this sort of treatment of their once loyal customers will see them shopping elsewhere. We browsed in W.H. Smiths and several other stores, and then we walked to my car and that was where we parted company.

I had problems with the RingGo app. It causes more problems than it solves. I got it to go into the payment section and put in the security code of my card, but then the spinning ball thing wouldn't stop, so I wasn't sure whether the payment had been taken. I think it may have something to do with the internet connection, but I have deleted the app and reinstalled it, but even now I'm not sure if it works properly. It's more frustrating than anything. If it worked well, it would be better, but it's not. It does save having to take change with you when you park, but when it either doesn't open or connect, it's useless.

Sunday. 8.00 a.m. I've been out and done another video experiment using the gimbal. It seemed to work better, or, at least I'm getting to grips with using it and managing to get the horizon steady, but for some reason, I can't get the microphone which connects to the iPhone to work. You never know when it's connected. There's no light that comes on to indicate it's connected. I think it's just a case of trial and error.

I have looked at the instruction manual for the microphone, and it does have a light that should come on when it's connected, so it's my fault it didn't do what it should. Never mind. It's all a learning process, as they say.

The current temperature, as recorded on the digital thermometer, is 23ºC. A much more workable temperature

5.00 a.m. The current temperature in this flat is 24ºC.

Monday. 4.55 a.m. I've just got back in from taking Alfie out. It's another milder morning, but pleasant. A lady was out with her two dogs on Oldbrook Green. She had a larger dog, I think perhaps a sheltie or border collie, I couldn't tell, and a little spaniel, having fun with a stick, the little one running around behind her and having great fun. Alfie wasn't going to walk all the way around the Green, locking his legs and determined to go home to have a sleep. Who can blame him?

The title of this post is another from 'Twelfth Night.' It came to me, as these things seem to do, and I had an idea it came from 'King Lear', but when I did a Google search, it came up with 'Twelfth Night.' It refers to a spinning top, a toy which Tudor children would have played with. It comes in Feste's speech to Malvolio, at the end of the play, and refers to the circularity of the year and, indeed, time. After this, Malvolo storms off, saying, 'I'll be revenged on you'. 

Current temperature in the flat is 21ºC, so it has fallen around ten degrees in the past few days.

The Rain It Raineth Every Day!

I start off with a Shakesperean quote! And why not? I think The Bard got it right. It's from one of Feste's songs from one of my favourite Shakespeare plays, 'Twelfth Night.' The quote is now a bit out of date because as I write this. . . . it's bright and sunny!

(Saturday) Well, typical British weather! Today it's foggy when I took Alfie out around 7.15 this morning. No sign of it dispersing. And to cap it all, on BBC Breakfast they're saying there's snow coming in over the next couple of days and an Amber Warning.  Being referred to as 'The Beast From The East.' Seems the trend nowadays, to give storms a name of some sort. So, we're likely to be skating all over the place and snowed under-literally! Just shows how quickly our weather can change from day to day.

10.20a.m. As I write this, the sun is out! Not very strong, but it's dispersing the fog. 

Alfie happy to go out and walk around Oldbrook Green. Stopping every couple of yards to have a good sniff, which to him is happiness. One contented little dog.

The trees and bushes around Oldbrook Green and along the edge of Evans Gate, the road which runs alongside the Green and going up towards Sainsbury's in Witan Gate, has been trimmed by council workmen. They have been using a chipping machine to dispose of the branches of the trees and the chipping are distributed over the ground. Also, the other day they were using a powered cutter on a pole to cut off over-hanging branches on some of the trees alongside the path Alfie and I walk along. It all looks neat and tidy.

(Sunday) Well, after all the expectation of snow, no sign of the white stuff when we went out at 7.30a.m. Apparently Kent is under snow, so there's a chance we'll soon be under six feet of the stuff. But there's a chill wind blowing, so that may bring it in later. Watch this space! The 'Beat From The East' is also called Storm Darcey. I'm not sure whether it's male or female. Is it named after the character from Pride and Prejudice or even Darcey Bussell, the former ballet dancer and Strictly Come Dancing judge? 

(Monday) A fall of snow in the night, but only what I'd term a smattering. We went out as usual, around 7.15, as it's getting lighter earlier and earlier, thank goodness, and there was some snow, but not what you'd call a heavy snow or even much of a covering. But, for all that, it's chilly!

12.25p.m. It's still snowing, but it's a rather thin and pathetic sort of snow. Not the big and bold sort with huge fluffy flakes. Just doesn't cut the mustard and hardly worth getting excited about.

There's a large puddle in the middle of the grass on the opposite side of Oldbrook Green to Oldbrook Green. It seems to appear every winter and was frozen the other day and there have been ducks on it and the other day a large retriever dog was splashing about in it. Typical of this sort of dog, no doubt a Spaniel of some sort. My brother used to have a Springer Spaniel and she loved water. Not sure that the owner was bothered with his dog having a paddle, but I don't think he would have been too pleased with a soaking wet dog and having to get it dried when he got home and the mess the dog would have caused, soaking furniture etc etc. Also, there is a puddle in the middle of the path, near the bench where we've sat on several occasions. The grass on either side is soaking as is most of the grass and it's like walking on wet carpet. There are wheel marks where someone has driven a fairly large vehicle over the grass. No doubt a Council worker, but it has really churned things up and as far as I am concerned, it was irresponsible to damage the grass and mess up the environment. They could surely driven the vehicle around the Green without churning up the ground.

(Tuesday) Out with Alfie at 7.15 this morning. I got ready to go out, all togged out as usual, walked through to the lounge. No sign of Alfie anywhere. Under other circumstances he would have been barking and jumping on the sofa ready to be taken out, but I find him sleeping in his bed! Then he sees me and starts his barking and excitement. So we go out and find that most of the snow has gone, although it's still chilly. I think we're bound to get more snow. Just seen Carol Kirkwood on BBC Breakfast, giving the weather forecast and saying it's likely to get worse.