Freaky Friday

Friday. 9.30 a.m. It's bright and sunny. The digital thermometer reads 24ºc.

I was resting on my bed. I'm waiting for my washing to finish. It's in the dryer. I hear the sound of a large vehicle arriving in the street. I'm intrigued to find out what it can be; perhaps a removal lorry? A delivery of something like an oven or fridge/freezer? Who knows? A neighbour is having a delivery of something. But no, it's none of those. I look out of the window and find it's a large car transporter, with one car on the top deck. The engine is running, but I can't see what it's there for. The ramp it down at the back. The vehicle has red lettering on it, saying 'Redcorn. Scrap vehicle specialists.' More and more intriguing. Is it there to take someone's car away? Yes, it would appear so. The driver has lowered an extension of the ramp to street level. Then, the car, which is on the top level, is tipped up. It's now at a rather precarious angle. Just don't ever ask me to drive such a vehicle with a car on top, at an angle of around 45º. Then, the driver goes to the forecourt of one of the houses further along the street and gets into a car which is parked there and drives it onto the car transporter. As I write, it is being secured with some sort of mechanism, which, hopefully, will prevent it from rolling off the lorry. It all looks incredibly precarious. 

So, why is this car being taken away? Has someone failed to pay the instalments on his/her car loan? Is it being reprocessed? I'm only guessing. Now the car is being lowered onto the lorry. Perhaps the driver has more vehicles to collect. This, of course, is only speculation.

The lorry has left Dexter Avenue. That was very quick and efficient. I reckon the car was being taken for scrap. Just a guess, but it looked fairly new, and t that might only be a guess.

Saturday. 8.15 p.m. It's been yet another mild day. It wasn't particularly sunny, but at least we didn't get rain, although we could do with a good downpour.

I have a new DJI gimbal for my recently acquired Sony digital camera. It is quite difficult to set up. There is an app which you download to your mobile phone, and it's supposed to be used to manage the device. I have managed to download it, but it is proving extremely difficult to set up with a password.

Monday. 10.25 a.m. It's bright and sunny again today. The digital thermometer currently reads 27ºc and, according to Carol Kirkwood on this morning's edition of BBC Breakfast, informed us that there was a fourth heatwave on the way.

9.15 p.m. I have now managed to get the app for the DJI gimbal to work on my iPad. I am in the process of setting it up. As usual with gadgets you buy these days, the instruction manual that came with is extremely basic. You can usually find information such as this on YouTube and after an online search, I have found a far more detailed instruction manual which I have managed to print out, using my Canon printer. 

Happy Days Are Here Again

Monday. 4.05 p.m. It's been a good deal cooler today, although Carol Kirkwood, the weather lady on BBC Breakfast this morning, said that we can expect another heatwave by next week. The digital thermometer currently reads 24ºc, so considerably lower than this time last week.

Tuesday. 7.40 a.m. It's a sunny morning, although it appears to be a good deal cooler of late. The digital thermometer currently reads 22ºc.

12.00 p.m.I use Nivea for Men shaving gel. I have used it for a good many years now. Compared to similar products, it is far better, and you get a good foam from a very small amount. The other day, I went to Sainsbury's to buy a new pack, as the current one was about to run out. On attempting to use the new pack, I could not get it to work. The button on the top of the pack was faulty, and, as a result, no get would come out. I was then forced to shave using Avon shaving gel, which I wasn't entirely pleased with, as it was cheap and not up to the job. I have since been back to Sainsbury's and purchased a new pack, which has worked properly. I have to say, in all the years I have been using this product, I have never had a problem of any sort. I had only managed to pick up a faulty one when I went to the store.

Wednesday. 12.00 p.m. I have been watching a documentary on Netflix, called 'London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers.' Quite horrifying, and it goes into an enormous amount of detail of how the young men responsible were discovered, although they died at the scene of each incident. The forensics then had to sift through the evidence to find out what material was used in the making of each bomb. This led to a neighbourhood in Yorkshire, and eventually, the names of the three men were discovered.

At the same time as I've been watching that documentary series (and I have yet to watch two more episodes.) I am watching a drama series on Apple TV, called 'Slow Horses.' This is based on a series of s thriller spy novels written by Mick Herron. It is in no way, shape or form like the fantasy world of espionage, which is the basis for James Bond. This is set in a very ordinary world where the characters are misfits and belong to a dysfunctional group of MI5 agents. I have to admit, when I watched the first episode, I had to spend some time discovering what it was actually about, and it's certainly not your average spy series. It is set in present-day London, and we see it from the viewpoint of the dark, sleazy areas of the city, the more or less underground life, if you like. Having just watched an episode of the 7/7 bombings, there are similarities in the camera work, the colour palette used and the editing, the placing of characters in the frame and the use of graphics. 

Thursday. 8.25 p.m. It's been a really hot day. Even at this hour of the evening, my digital thermometer reads 32ºc. 

I have bought a sun hat from Amazon. As is quite usual on Amazon, the choice is overwhelming. I needed one which was a good fit and not to tight on my head, because, from experience, a hat which is too tight causes a headache. I thought it a good idea to get a hat because of the current heatwave, and after my first heart attack in 2006, I was advised by a heart nurse to always wear a hat in hot weather. I ordered the hat and hoped it would be suitable. It was ordered around 7 a.m. on Tuesday, and it arrived around 5 p.m. I was impressed that it was delivered so quickly.

Saturday. 5.50 a.m. I have spent most of the night attempting to sleep. The heat has been intense, and it must be that which has caused the itchy back. I had a shower at around 10 o'clock, but it didn't really have much effect. I have now discovered that I have small raised spots on my back, which would be the cause of the itching.

8.05 a.m. If you follow my blogs regularly, you will know about my little dog, Alfie. He is a Yorkshire terrier and he is now 17 years old. You will know that I take him out regularly throughout the day, starting at around 6.30-7.00 a.m. But this morning I couldn't find him. As it's a small one-bedroom flat, there aren't many places he can hide. I looked in all the usual places, even under my bed, but still I couldn't find him. Eventually, I found him, under my desk, but in such a position it was impossible to get to him. I just left him to sleep. I think he found it cooler to sleep there. I have since managed to scoop him up and take him outside.

Trapped!

 Sunday. 8.20 a.m. I've been cleaning up my kitchen. I have got rid of a lot of bottles and glass items. They went to the bin store for removal by the dustman, which will probably be next Tuesday, which is bin day in Oldbrook. Then I attacked my fridge (not literally, you understand. I'm not that crazy.) Some food was well past it's 'sell-by' date, so it went in a black bin bag. I decided to put it out this morning, so it was tied up, and I carried it to the bin store. You have to go through an inner door which opens into the corridor and through an outer room and then unlock an outer door which is bolted shut most of the time. I went through this door and put the bag in the rubbish container, but then there was a gust of wind and the outer door slammed shut, leaving me outside in the yard and no way to get back in. I did try the door several times, but no luck. I did attempt to climb out over the padlocked gate and into the road, but it was impossible, even if I tried to climb on a wheely bin. Eventually, I saw one of the Dexter House residents passing by the gate, and he came round through Dexter House and let me in. Not a nice experience. I really don't want to repeat it. I don't like being shut in. I'm not good in small spaces, and this was such a situation. I really don't intend to repeat it if I can help it.

Monday. 2.30 a.m. We had a violent rainstorm earlier this morning, but it went over quickly and as I write this, it's bright and sunny.

Wednesday. 7.25 a.m. It's relatively mild this morning. A red sky when I took a very sleepy Alfie out at around 6.45. Do you know what they say about a red sky? Or, at least you should: 'red sky at night, shepherd's delight. Red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning!' It must be more or less right, because Carol Kirkwood, the weather presenter on BBC Breakfast this morning, was saying there was a possibility of rain sometime today. Let's wait and see.

10.25 a.m. I have just been to Lidl. One or two things were needed, which included dog food. Alfie would not have thanked me if he didn't get his dinner/ It was raining heavily, so the above would prove to be true.

Friday. 7.00 a.m. It's foggy this morning, which was something of a surprise. It should disperse as the day progresses.

Saturday. 7.55 a.m. It's sunny and bright as I write this, but earlier, when I took Alfie out, it was chilly with a light frost on the grass.

Warmer Weather

Tuesday. 6.15 a.m. I have been writing this blog for quite some time now. In fact, this will be the 1887th post. You may have come to the post through Facebook because I have always used a link at the bottom of each post so that more people have the opportunity to read what I post. But this morning, having decided to publish the last post, I got a message from Facebook telling me my post had been removed. It was extremely rapid, only seconds after I posted the link. I am intrigued to know why this happened because there is nothing contentious in any of my posts, nothing obscene, racist, or controversial in any way. I will attempt to connect this post to Facebook when it is completed, and see if it happens again. I realize this wasn't done by a human and was most likely done by some sort of algorithm.  

Good. I have got that out of the way!

The weather seems to be warming up. I do hope so because we've had some awful weather, far too much rain and wind.

8.40 a.m. Strange, but true. I mentioned linking this blog to my Facebook profile, and it was rejected for whatever reason. Well, I've had another go, just to see what happens, and it was posted without any problems. 

Wednesday. 6.15 a.m. Apparently, according to the weather forecast on BBC Breakfast this morning, we are likely to get thunder and lightning at some point in the day, not necessarily in Milton Keynes. It's definitely warming up, but heavy, thundery rainstorms, according to Carol Kirkwood as I write this! 21ºC in some parts of the country.

I was more than a bit upset when I heard about the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree on Hadrian's Wall last September. I don't think I was the only person to be shocked when this was announced on various media outlets. I am now more than a little pleased to learn that the two young men who were responsible for this vandalism have been charged with causing criminal damage, and will have to now face court and, hopefully, some sort of penalty, no doubt some sort of fine or even prison. It upset me because Carol and I went to Northumberland for our honeymoon in 2007 and the cottage we rented was a short drive away from Hadrian's Wall, which we visited and saw the Sycamore Gap tree. It was featured in the film 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.' We also visited several other locations which were used in that film. On a later holiday we had in North Yorkshire, we went to Aysgarth Falls, which is where the famous fight between Robin Hood and Little John was filmed.

All Over The Place!

Tuesday. 6.15 a.m. I'm not entirely sure what the weather is doing at the moment. As I write this, Carol Kirkwood is doing the forecast on BBC Breakfast. It looks as if the weather is going to get warmer.

I mentioned in the previous post how I have been doing online paid surveys and getting paid in cash and vouchers. I also mentioned buying some books with some Amazon points. Several of these books turned up yesterday. Three came in the morning, barely 24 hours after they were ordered. But then I had a second delivery, mid-afternoon. The book I ordered was called 'Churchill's Most Secret Airfield: RAF Tempsford,' by Bernard O'Connor. I bought this, because I had only recently found out about this airfield, which is in Bedford, and very close to Everton, where I worked in the early 2000s, as a Support Worker at a residential home for people with learning disabilities. I was using Google Maps, and searching for something (I forget what now.), but I saw RAF Tempsford marked (it had been closed down sometime after the war.) but there was a building marked which mentioned 'S.O.E.' (Special Operations Executive. the organisation which sent agents into France, during World War 2, to assist the French resistance.)

So, you may be asking, where is all this going? Digression, to say the least, but I have to explain the following. The book which I mentioned seemed to be something I should read. I am interested in history and Bedfordshire had many connections with activities connected with the Second World War, most particularly the band leader Glenn Miller and, closer to Milton Keynes, Bletchley Park and the Enigma Machine, codebreaking and lots more. In fact, there appear to be many more places around the area which were connected to all this, and only recently have these activities been revealed, because so many of them were top secret. So, having found this book whilst browsing Amazon, I decided to buy it. Unfortunately, for some reason I can't quite work out, somehow or other, instead of ordering one, three copies got ordered. Before I clicked on the 'buy now' button, to set the ordering process in motion, I attempted to remove the two excess copies. After several goes, I thought I had removed them. Then, yesterday afternoon, the package arrived from Amazon, but with THREE copies of the book inside! So I went on the Amazon website and set in motion the process to return the two copies of the book. I found that I could take the parcel, which I had packed up and taped up with parcel tape, in the packing which they had arrived, and found that if I printed the QR code, I just had to go to the post office within One Stop in Coffee Hall and the man behind the counter would scan the code and he would pack the parcel in a special Amazon bag, so my parcel could be returned. When I got home, I then went on the Amazon site and found that a refund had been made to my account, which can go to another purchase.

6.05 p.m. I had a doctor's appointment this afternoon. I was telephoned yesterday morning and was told I had an appointment. I arrived at the surgery around 4 o'clock, but the appointment was scheduled for 4.20. I was eventually called into the doctor's room at around 4.35. The doctor checked my blood pressure. It seemed to be fine. She told me that she had looked at the printout from the E.C.G. from the other day, and she said that something was showing up that suggested that I had a slightly abnormal heartbeat. I have experienced a rather odd heartbeat, a sort of strange missed beat if you like. The doctor then checked my oxygen level, with that thing which fits on my finger. Is it called an oximeter? It is. I have just looked on Google. There appeared to be nothing wrong in that area. Then she said that I ought to have a cardiology appointment at Milton Keynes Hospital, to get checked out and find out what can be done to prevent another blackout, which I did when I collapsed on the floor and ended up in hospital. So I just have to wait for a letter to arrive from the cardiology department.

Snow, Snow Quick Quick, Snow!

 Wednesday. 6.55 a.m. It's quite cold out. A bit of a shock, even though we had been warned that wintery weather was going to return. I think it's relatively mild by comparison with the rest of the country, particularly in the north and Scotland. According to Carol Kirkwood on BBC Breakfast, there is a 26º difference between the north and the south of the United Kingdom. As I write this, there is a very thin fall of snow. Whether it settles and causes problems,  it remains to be seen.

Thursday. 6.50 a.m. It has been snowing overnight. It is still falling as I write this, but it seems to be a flurry and only a light covering of the garden which I can see from my kitchen window and along the grass where I take Alfie when we go out, beside Strudwick Drive. It would appear, from watching the weather forecast on BBC Breakfast a few minutes ago, that this wintry weather is likely to remain for the next week or two, but the north of England and into Scotland will have the heaviest falls of snow and that travel will become hazardous. In fact, an Amber weather warning has been declared in those areas with up to 16 inches of snow covering the ground.

I learned from Barbara who is the SHO at Dexter House (Sheltered Housing Officer) that she had handed in her notice. This means we will be having someone new take over her job in around two months' time. She has been in the job for three years and started in January after I moved here in 2019.

12.20 p.m. The writing of the new piece I  have mentioned elsewhere in these posts is going better than expected. It is now on it's second draft and, like most bits of writing, it's likely to go through further rewrites and drafts.

1.40 p.m. The snow has now turned into rain. I don't think the snow which is covering the garden and on the grass alongside Strudwick Drive (and elsewhere, Oldbrook Green and the entirety of Milton Keynes) will be around much longer. We are going to be left with soggy and very wet conditions underfoot once it has melted entirely.

Friday. 6.50 a.m. The laying snow (is that the correct form to describe snow which is on the ground? I'm not sure, but never mind.) has gone overnight, as I thought it would. But when I took Alfie out around fifteen minutes ago, there was a thin, but chilly fall of rain, which, as I write this, had turned into snow. So, winter has returned with a vengeance. But, compared to the rest of the country, we seem to have escaped the worst of this weather. I noticed that Hawes, a village in Yorkshire, had been shown on the BBC Breakfast weather map. It's a place near where Carol and I stayed when we had a holiday in Yorkshire a few years ago. I can imagine that if they had snow there, it would make life very difficult, with drifts making driving more or less impossible.

4.55 p.m. I'm making good headway with my writing. I have done a rewrite on something I wrote yesterday. It's got far more dialogue in it. Dialogue is notoriously difficult to write. It doesn't always read as natural speech. But this has begun to gel, and it will make a transition between two different sections of the piece.

The snow has gone. I can see absolutely no sign of any as I looked out of my kitchen window a few minutes ago. We seem to have gone through several seasons' worth of weather within the last 24 hours, from winter, with snow flurries and what could have developed into deep snow, to sunny and bright and almost spring-like weather.

Tiresome Tech

 Monday. 7.10 a.m. I have spent the past two days (actually, I have a feeling it may be far more than that.) attempting to get my Canon Pixma printer to work. When I first bought it home, having purchased it from Argos, I had absolutely no problems setting it up and actually managing to get it to print. But now it simply refuses to work. I have now bought it into my lounge from the bedroom, where it has sat on its trolley. It is now plugged in, and I will have another attempt to get it to work. I think I will probably have to ring the Canon helpline and get a technician there to sort the problem out.

10.30 a.m. I have the Canon printer working. I rang the helpline and the technician on the other end of the line went through several options to get the thing up and running. I am not going to describe everything on here, suffice it to say, we went through around three options and the final one worked, much to my relief.

I've been to Sainsbury's, as I needed some food items to take with me in my pack-up when I go to Camphill tomorrow. When I got back to Dexter House, there were workmen in the entrance, with the manhole covers removed, and it looked as if they were about to put something down the drain to unblock the system. This has been on the cards for months, so perhaps the water from my bath and sink will flow better once this has been done. Having spoken to Barbara, the SHO (Sheltered Housing Officer) she told me that they had put a camera down the drain. What on earth were they expecting to see down there? One dreads to think. Does it now mean they are going to use some sort of rod to unblock the drain? But, more importantly, what is blocking the drains within Dexter House? The excitement is just overwhelming. I know, but someone said that sarcasm was the lowest form of wit. You just need some of that around here.

Tuesday. 7.00 a.m. Today would have been Carol's 59th birthday. I am staying at home and not going to Camphill. I am fine, just having a day to myself. They have raised the age when you can retire. I'm not sure what the current age is, but she kept saying that, because of the age being raised, she was never going to retire. For women, the retirement age is currently 67.

I was awake at around 5.45, and I looked out of the window and saw snow falling. But it hasn't settled. Apparently, according to Carol Kirkwood on BBC Breakfast, we're likely to get more snow across the country in the next couple of days and it will settle. There was a warning that transport will be disrupted.

12.20 p.m. I am beginning to write new material which will link to the new character I have developed. It means I have to unpick some of what I had already written in order for this material to be put into my writing and introduce a new character.

Wednesday. 3.30 a.m. Well, here I am, in the middle of the night, sitting here on my MacBook, writing this blog post. My pension has gone into my account. I have checked the balance of my account via the bank's website. I have paid my service charge (monthly payment for such things as water, utilities etc.) and done my daily Bible reading, I had drunk a mug of tea and now I can't get back to sleep! 

Practically Perfect!

 Tuesday. 7.17 a.m. It's a rather drab and dreary day. 'Quite cold generally', which is how Carol Kirkwood is describing today's weather, as I am watching BBC Breakfast as I write this.

4.35 p.m. I have only this minute got back from another day at Camphill, working in the performing arts workshop in the Chrysalis Theatre. Terrie, who is the leader, wasn't in charge today, because her father is ill, and she was with him. Paul was in charge. One or two of the regular team didn't come, for whatever reason. A new young lady came to work in the workshop. She is a regular support worker at Camphill. I don't know what she thought of the theatre workshop, but she seemed to fit in really well.

The morning got started with the usual 'check-in,' when every member of the team talks about what they've been up to and how they feel. This can take some time. 

Then we did several games, the famous EastEnders game, which I've mentioned in an earlier post and 'Bananas' (which I won't attempt to describe on here.) All I can say, very good to break the ice, and they can be a bit daunting if you've never done anything such as this before, but it certainly gets everyone 'warmed up.' A great deal of this is to get people's voices ready for any speaking they are likely to do, which can be good for anyone with a learning disability. When I rejoined the theatre workshop back in November, after almost two years of being away because of the various lockdowns bought in because of the coronavirus pandemic, I was a bit overwhelmed when I started to interact with the group in these games, particularly as I didn't know how they were played. I intend to get involved in as much of this sort of activity as possible, although some of the games I withdraw from.

The rest of the day was spent watching a range of silent films, a couple with Laurel and Hardy, one of which was the famous film, ''The Music Box,' where they have to deliver a piano to a house up some steps and the series of blunders they make in the process. Typical Laurel and Hardly material. Then, some films with Buster Keaton and then Harold Lloyd. 

After Lunch, we had yet another 'check in' and then we watched one of Morecambe and Wise's famous sketches, the one where they are having breakfast, and all their actions are done to the music of 'The Stripper.' Then, we did some exercises whereby we emulated Laurel and Hardy, with the scene in 'The Music Box', where they are clearing up after the disaster in the house they are delivering to, where Ollie is shifting wood from one place to another and Stan puts it back in exactly the same place, so it ends up with them not getting anywhere with the clearing up. We did it with two teams, with moving chairs and it turns out that they end up back where they started and then another with washing up, with the washed-up dishes are being endlessly recycled and washed. We then had to enact what we'd developed to watch the other team's efforts and then they watched ours.

Wednesday. 7.05 a.m. It is getting light earlier and earlier each morning and this morning, as a result of it being light out, I was out with Alfie at around 6.40 this morning. We did a circuit of Oldbrook Green, because I didn't see the point of wasting the early hour to not build up some footsteps with my FitBit. Looking at the FitBit I have on my wrist, it reads 2081 steps.

10 20 a.m. I've just been to Sainsbury's mainly to pick up a repeat prescription from Lloyd's, whose pharmacy is within the store. I now learn that this pharmacy is going to close in July. We have been ordering our medication from Lloyd's for I don't know how many years and know the staff well. They have been very supportive, particularly when Carol was diagnosed with cancer in 2017 and always manage to get whatever medication we need. So it will be such a shame for this facility to close. I can move to another pharmacy, but it's so easy to park, with the car park underneath the store. There is the option to set up delivery from Lloyd's and have my meds delivered direct to my flat, but it won't be the same without the personal touch. It seems so many companies are disappearing altogether or moving their businesses online. Argos is owned by Sainsbury and its head office is in Milton Keynes, just a stone's throw from Sainsbury's. Many of their high street stores are closing, and Sainsbury's will have Argos pick-up points in their stores. No doubt all this is as a result of the infamous pandemic lockdowns as well as Brexit.  I will be able to adapt to the new way of receiving my medications, but there will be some people, of a 'certain age' who will prefer to have the human contact of going into a store to pick up their medication and might not be able to use the internet to set up their accounts to have their medication delivered directly.

2.05 p.m. I am continuing to transfer handwritten material into word processing. This particular piece of writing was written some while ago, but it seems to fit as the backstory of the new character I want to bring into the project. It may need to be slightly adapted for that use, but, as it hadn't been used or transcribed, it seemed a good idea to use it.

New Skills , Editing and Rewriting

 Thursday. 7.15 p.m. This must be the latest in the day I've ever started a blog post, but it's good to change these things occasionally.

I've recently upgraded my iPad to a far more powerful model which can be used with an Apple Pencil. This means it's possible to do graphic work, although the pencil can be used to great effect when using a wide range of apps, not necessarily for graphic work. I have downloaded Procreate, which allows some quite sophisticated work, and the results don't look like they've been done on a computer. There is no pixelation, which you might expect. I have now discovered an animation package which is called Squid Toon (don't ask me why they gave it that name. It has nothing whatever to do with squid or any other sort of sea creature.) Both these packages are £10 each, which is an incredible bargain and under different circumstances, would probably cost in the region of £200-£300. I am slowly learning how to use them, and I'm viewing YouTube videos to find out how to make the most of them. Both these packages are exclusive to iPad and don't work on Android tablets.

Saturday. 7.40 a.m. Goodness, gracious! Where did Friday go? As you would have realized, I didn't write anything for yesterday, Friday. I suppose it was because nothing really happened. Well, let's be honest, not a lot happens at Dexter House. 

I want to put in a new character in my writing project. It isn't just a question of 'adding' this character. I have to go back and edit a point where this character can enter the plot line. I think it's a bit like unpicking a knitted jumper and then reknitting the jumper. My mother was a great knitter and made us all beautiful jumpers. She made me a really fantastic jumper, very thick and warm. It had a cable stitch pattern on the front. It had to be remodelled, to give it a different neckline. She had to unpick a certain amount of the neckline and then reuse the wool to reknit the neckline. I think previously it had a roll neck and this was changed to a lower neckline. This is exactly the same as what I am doing with my creative writing.

I have printed off several pages of what I have already written, so I can edit it and insert this new character.

I was thinking, about how many words we use which have a connection with print and writing and sewing and weaving. Just think of weaving a story, text, texture, loose ends, dénouement, losing the thread etc.

10.55 a.m. I've been to the monthly men's breakfast at the Fountain at Loughton. We seem to have more men coming than ever before. The only problem is, it's quite difficult to hear what anyone says at the furthest from where I was sitting. It's not easy for anyone to speak and be heard clearly. We propose meeting on the 18th March at the Oaktree Centre next month and ordering McDonald's, which should make the food part easier.

It might be bright and sunny this morning, but there is a definite chill in the air, which meant I wore my jumper under my Regatta jacket. It's that time of year, almost spring, with the sun shining and a hint of wintery weather. It's difficult to know whether to wear a jacket or jumper or not, and not always choose correctly.

Sunday. 8.05 a.m. Another cold but sunny morning. 

1.20 pm. Extremely busy at church this morning. I'm not sure how many were actually in the hall, but I don't think there were any vacant seats.

Monday. 8.35 a.m. It's a great deal more overcast this morning. Actually quite cold out, when I took out Alfie around 6.45. On BBC Breakfast, Carol Kirkwood, the weather lady, said there was snow in parts of the country. 

1.30 p.m. I had transcribed around four pages of handwritten text into word processing. I'm editing and making changes as I go. Furthermore, I have to say, I'm rather pleased with how it's going. This is something I wrote some while ago and had forgotten all about, but it seems perfect as the backstory for the new character I want to introduce. 

A Foggy Day In Milton Keynes

 Sunday. 8.10 a.m. I awoke around 4.30 and then went back to sleep. I felt the wrath of a small Yorkshire Terrier who came in and poked me, which got me viewing my watch. I thought it was 6 o'clock but found it was 7.20. As it was getting light outside, I quickly got dressed, but not quick enough for Alfie, who was barking vigorously when we went out onto the path alongside Strudwick Drive, I discovered it was foggy as well as crisp under my feet, meaning frost.

Monday. 8.00 a.m. A bit of light relief this morning on BBC Breakfast, about a duck who lives in Chorley, Lancs, and with a name, Ham. He lives in a run, or, at least, he should, but he has a habit of escaping and wandering around the neighbourhood. He has quite a following, on TikTok and Facebook. It seems he's quite a character and wears a scarf. 

It's quite clear and fog-free this morning, but frosty nonetheless.

11.05 a.m. My HP printer is causing problems. I last used it quite some time ago, but it just refuses to cooperate. I really need to print out some material. It seems to be fine taking to my MacBook Pro and connects wirelessly, but then it will not go on and print. It appears to have plenty of paper and ink, but when I hit 'print' it refuses to do just that.

1.30 p.m. The workmen are back today, repairing the roof along the corridor. A great deal of noise, currently what sounds like drilling or something. They have brought in a load of wood and tiles and a machine which I can't identify.

Tuesday. 8.05 a.m. It doesn't seem as cold as it has been over the past few days. Looking out of my window at my car, which is parked below the window, it didn't seem to be as frozen up as it might have been earlier in the week. I have just been down to spray the windows with de-icer and scrape off the ice, the idea being that I can drive off to Camphill in about 40 minutes without having to clear the windows.

Wednesday. 1.50 p.m. A great day at Camphill. Most of the play was rehearsed and some of the actors knew their lines, but not entirely. There was some sort of incident with one of the residents. I'm not entirely sure what it was. I think someone got hit on the nose or something. I don't think it was intentional, more likely an accident. Staff had to deal with it (away from the theatre, in one of the houses.) I have a feeling Terrie, the lady who leads the theatre workshop, had to fill in accident forms, so was out of the theatre during the early part of the afternoon, but soon joined us after we had done some fun warm-up exercises. 

I have been attempting to get the HP printer to work, to actually print. I managed to find the helpline number, after a lot of searching online. But as a result, I didn't get the confounded thing working, but I did discover that this particular printer has to print on far thinner paper. I went to Asda to buy a packet of far thinner paper than I had in stock and, as I write, I have tried it and still no results. Also, following advice sent via email from HP, to check the paper intake slot and underneath the machine to check if there was any debris. I found a piece of sticky tape which is used to secure the machine in transit and which should have been removed before installation. Still no success printing.

Thursday. 8.00 a.m. It's a good deal milder this morning. No fog, no icy-frost. Hopefully, no need to scrape ice off the car! According to Carol Kirkwood, the BBC Breakfast weather lady this morning, it is going to get milder as we approach the weekend.

4.40 p.m. I am still struggling to get the HP printer to work. I have no idea what to do with it next.

You Are My Sunshine!

Wednesday. 10.25 a.m. The heat is rising. The temperature in my flat as I compose this is 77ºF.

I have just returned from shopping in Sainsbury's. Hardly any other shoppers.

This often happens to me, someone wants something off a shelf which is out of reach, so I'm asked to get it for them. A short lady in one of the aisles.'Please, could you reach it for me?' I should charge £1 and give it to charity at this rate.

The rearranged store is still causing havoc. I wanted chocolate sauce (which is great on ice cream, particularly at the moment with temperatures rising.) It has been in the same position for years and suddenly it's moved, but search as I might, I can't find it anywhere. What on earth is the point of all this? 

6.40 p.m. We had another tea party in the community lounge, here at Dexter House. Plenty of tea, scones and cakes. You could almost say, 'lashings of tea and cake', some sort of conversation, but not a lot. Pleasant. Attempting to get any sort of intelligent conversation going is a bit like extracting blood out of the proverbial stone, drawing teeth, or some other idiom. The only problem is, that stuffing my face full of cake, scones and tea at that time of day, ruins my appetite for my evening meal. So, I have it at around 7 o'clock. Meaning the balance of things is put out. It's no a big issue, but as I get used to my routine, it's thrown out considerably.

The two items I had ordered from Amazon, an ice pack and a unit to take my printer, arrived around 4.45. I have managed to construct the printer unit. Made of metal pieces which is constructed with the aid of an Allen key. A bit fiddly to get some bolts to go through two layers of metal, but, with a bit of effort and a lot of patience, it is now done and in roughly the position I want it in my bedroom. I will sort it out tomorrow. 

The ice pack was put in my freezer for an hour. It contains a gel that absorbs cold and goes into a bag which you then fix around the particular body part you have pain in, such as my left knee, and then just leaves it to do its job. I can feel a definite improvement, so, hopefully, after about a month of use, I trust it will alleviate the pain I have been experiencing with bursitis over the last month or so. 

I just learnt that bursitis is another name for housemaid's knee, but probably it's not PC to use that term, and probably a lot of young people wouldn't know what a housemaid was.

Thursday. 6.40 a.m. I am continuing with using Voltarol on my knee and I've just had a ten-minute session with the icepack. Both these treatments seem to be working, and I can bend my left leg with reduced discomfort.

11.30 a.m. The thermometer currently reads 82ºF. It's going to get hotter and, according to Carol Kirkwood, the BBC Breakfast weather lady, the Met Office has announced that there will be the first-ever Red warning for extreme heat during the next few days, until at least Sunday.

T'was On A Monday Morning!

 Monday. 7.35 a.m. The title comes from that of a song by the musical partnership of Flanders and Swann. It's about waiting for various service engineers to arrive, to repair certain things, like leaks, boilers, windows etc. It's how each workman seems to bodge things so much, that another has to come to fix it. 

Tuesday. 1.05 p.m. Miracle of miracles! There is a workman in my kitchen, finishing things off. I can hear an electric drill or screwdriver going as I write this, so, hopefully, the job will be complete, and I can start to return stuff to the cupboards and drawers.

Some shelves in the newly installed cupboards aren't the right height to take some bottles and packets, such as breakfast cereal. I didn't know it was possible to take the doors off the units without having to unscrew them. The workman showed me a small lever on the hinges which allows the doors to be removed without the need to unscrew them. He did this on one of the cupboards, so now my packets of breakfast cereal fit inside and not on their sides as they used to, being stored in the only place they could fit, and that was on the top of the old units. I then attempted to take off the door of another of the units but now find I can't replace it and the small lugs which support the internal shelves will not come off. I will have to find someone to help me with this, so I can store items which won't fit inside otherwise.

Someone still needs to come and install the extractor fan I have been promised, which I asked for and was surprised when it was agreed I could have one. In most modern kitchens, you can have a cooker hood, which is designed to take out all steam and smoke as you cook. We even had one at the house in Eaglestone. This is a real necessity because otherwise, if you burn, even toast, it creates smoke, and then it sets off the fire alarm, and who wants to be responsible for having a fire engine called? I don't, and it would be embarrassing, to say the least. I did, when something I was baking, cookies I seem to recall, burnt because the oven's temperature was set too high. 

Wednesday. 5.25 a.m. I have just taken Alfie out, to discover yet another mild morning. The digital thermometer currently reads 75ºF. 

10.45 a.m. I've been to Sainsbury's. It was easy to get in and out because it would appear most people do their shopping at the end of the week, or after work. No such problems, being retired. 

I have managed to put the cupboard door back on. Thank goodness, as I like to do such things myself and not having to ask someone is rather embarrassing and a bit annoying.

Thursday. 6.45 a.m. Alfie was fast asleep when it was time to go out. I think he was somewhat surprised when I was ready to take him out. It's relatively mild this morning, but according to Carol Kirkwood on BBC Breakfast a few minutes ago, we're likely to get another few days of heat. I just hope it's not going to be as hot as it was a few days ago. The digital thermometer currently reads 76ºF. 

All Things Bright and Beautiful

Tuesday. 8.05 a.m. Well, it is another bright and beautiful morning. We were out around 5.45. Must have been the earliest we've done our routine walking experience. It wasn't cold, and there was still a slight mist, although as I write, it should have dissolved in the sun. On the BBC Breakfast weather forecast, Carol Kirkwood used the words 'haar and fret (cold sea fog, mostly seen on the east coast of England.) Also, the rather unscientific term 'murky.' Probably for those who don't have a good scientific vocabulary (which I don't, but I do like to discover new words and meanings as well as word derivations and origins.)

Later. I've been out with Alfie. I actually wore my shorts because it was so sunny and warm. We were walking along the path on the Evans Gate side of Oldbrook Green when I could hear crunching and vague electrical motor sound and I looked around and there was one of the delivery pods rolling along merrily. It went up onto the concrete path and on and then went into the estate. It fascinates me to know how they know where they are going. I presume they have GPS connectivity, the same technology which is used in SatNavs.

Wednesday. 6.40 a.m. Yet another bright and sunny. Sitting here writing this with my MacBook on my lap and with BBC Breakfast on television. 

There were 'zero deaths' from Covid-19 yesterday, which is a real landmark moment in this confounded pandemic. But the scientists are still coming out with we need 'more data' before we can definitely come out of lockdown on 21st June. I get the impression from the BBC that their reporters would happily endure further lockdowns and not get us out of this horrible situation. I know he's not perfect, Boris Johnson, but he has had to make some very tough decisions. He's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. We have never been through a similar situation in this country before, at least, not in my lifetime and certainly not in many people's lifetime. After the First World War, there was the so-called 'Spanish Flu' pandemic, where thousands upon thousands died, but there was none of the modern technology we now take for granted, no vaccines or any of the health systems we have now. It's almost like a war situation if there is any sort of comparison to be made.

Alfie sitting on the sofa next to me a moment ago, when I ate my cereal and drank my morning cup of tea. He's waiting for me to finish and have what's left in the mug and bowl. He's somewhat 

Later. I've been to Sainsbury's and done shopping for at least two weeks. Well, I hope so. I'm going to do some more baking, and I have got a really rather nice set of metal mixing bowls on Amazon, look stylish, have red plastic handles and the lids have a hole in the centre so you can grate and slice things like potatoes, or grate cheese straight into the bowl and will be useful to store ingredients in as well as to use to make cake batter or other cooking ingredients in. Also, they have bases made of a rubbery material that prevents them from slipping when in use on a kitchen surface. I got a rolling pin, a set of cookie cutters and a sieve in Sainsbury's, so I am all set to make some scones. 

I have signed up to something called Nielsen Shopping Panel, similar to the other panel I belong to, Consumer Pulse, where I have to report everything such as books, clothes, CDs, DVDs and some other items and in return, I get points which can be redeemed for vouchers. I've been on that for around 10 years and have had quite a few vouchers which have gone towards items such as my Hitachi television set, Panasonic Freeview box and much more. More recently I used some Argos vouchers from this to put towards my Bosch food processor. The Nielsen panel requires you to scan the barcodes on your shopping using an app on your iPhone and the points accrue in a similar way to Consumer Pulse and can be converted into Amazon points or a wide range of products from their catalogue, which is on the Neilsen Panel website. I have scanned my shopping from Sainsbury's as soon as I got in from the shopping trip. It can take a fair amount of time, but like most things, you have to put a certain amount of effort into it to get the rewards.

Just heard the news, first via the BBC News website: 'Holby', that heap of rubbish that they claim is 'drama' is to be cancelled after 23 years. Not sorry in the slightest. I think the BBC could and can do better than this tripe. Kept a few actors busy for all that time as well as scriptwriters and other personnel but can we now have something less soapy? It will run until March next years and is the BBC's start to modernize their drama offerings. I think that it might be something to do with the Licence review which is coming up and attempting to compete with the likes of Netflix and other streaming services. 

Lockdown Lifting!

Tuesday. 8.30 a.m. Yesterday afternoon we had another of the, by now, rather a familiar coronavirus press conferences from Downing Street, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson in charge.  The best news was that the 'Roadmap' out of lockdown will go ahead as planned, without any u-turns or diversions along the way. So Monday will see most of the restrictions that have been in place for many months being lifted, but still with a certain 'cautious optimism' pervading the whole. One of the restrictions being removed is, being able to hug family members. A great deal is made of this! As I imagine you would expect.

It's bright and sunny as I write this, but still not particularly warm. Just thinking of the saying 'Nay cast a clout until Maybe out.' Which may or may not (sorry about the pun, unintentional or intentional??) refer to the May tree, or hawthorn, or possibly the month of May. Meaning, to not take off a layer of clothing until the month, or possibly, the May tree is blooming. Possibly winters were colder than they are now, because the hawthorn, or May, is definitely blooming at the moment. So, is it such a good idea to go out without your coat at the moment? That's a matter of debate, but I have gone out without mine on a few occasions, but then, when it's felt cold, I have regretted it.  Similarly, the Shakespeare line in one of his sonnets (can't remember which one.) 'Rough winds do shake the darling buds of may.' It's from Sonnet 18. (I cheated as I did a Google search, but never mind.)

I've done some more writing! I had started a sequence and then had some thoughts on how to improve it, so I started it again and have amended it with the new addition. There is more of it to go and it seems to be working better now. I can't believe I was working on this so early. Barely 7.30-8.00 p.m. I just need to construct the conclusion of this sequence. I have to say I rather enjoy the construction of plots. If I say any more then it will give things away. It has a 'meta' feel to it. If you understand literary terms, then you will know what I mean.

A trailer for EastEnders as I wait for something or other to come on this evening. I think it was for 'Money For Nothing.' Anyway, a lot of shouting and being really nasty to each other. A wedding of a couple of characters. Don't ask me who, why, etc. But you can always tell what the outcome will be, don't you? Always ends in disaster. What is it about living in Walford that means a marriage ends in tragedy or at least total disaster? Is it the water? Just living in that run-down square? In real life, would you choose to live somewhere like Albert Square? Why not simply move away? 

Wednesday. 6.50 a.m. A bright and sunny morning. Very still as we walked down Strudwick Drive and an almost perfect blue sky. How long will it last? 'Sunshine and showers', according to Carol Kirkwood on BBC Breakfast which is on the television as I write this.

Later. I've managed to write a good deal more. The only problem is that Alfie is staring at me. It's difficult to concentrate on what I'm doing. I give him a couple of treats out of the treat tin on the bookshelf. I write a bit more, but he continues to sit on the sofa, staring at me, his gaze shifting towards the treat tin. I attempt to ignore him but this is a dog with an incredible ability to get what he wants, so I take a few more treats out of the tin. Several are placed along the edge of the coffee table and one on the back of the sofa. He finds the ones on the coffee table, and from where I sit it amuses me to see his little face appear above the edge of the coffee table and he manages to pick one up with his mouth and then he jumps onto the sofa and finds the one on the sofa back. So, he settles back down and I continue to write. 

At around 9.45 I decided to take Alfie out. It is threatening rain which I can see from the kitchen window. Dark clouds gathering and when we come out onto Strudwick Drive there are definite spots of rain that fall onto my face as we walk along. I had to buy somewhat inferior poo bags from Morrison's because for some reason, Sainsbury's didn't have any in stock when I did my last online order, and then when I visited the store there were none. Probably stock availability due to lockdown or something. Morrison's version is thinner, but they do their job more or less adequately. On returning along Strudwick Drive I can see blue flashing lights at the junction of Strudwick Drive and Chaffron Way. I can vaguely see what must be a police car in the distance, the green and blue check design identifying it, or if not a police car, at least an emergency vehicle of some sort. I couldn't be certain, but I reckon someone has attempted to turn out onto Chaffron Way and got hit by a passing vehicle. Generally not advisable to turn right out of there, but to turn left and then do a complete circuit of the roundabout and continue along Chaffron Way.

T'was On A Monday Morning . . .

May Day Bank Holiday. 3.00p.m.  No, the gasman didn't call, according to the Flanders and Swann song. No, not swansong as in, 'the last song.' If you get my meaning. Sorry, just a bit of digression on my part, before I even start. I just felt like using it as a title for this blog and no more. But it is a good song. But who knows who Flanders and Swann were?

 I went out during the afternoon and it was blustery and there was the possibility of rain. Well, I did feel a few splashes of rain and I know that Alfie doesn't like getting wet, so he sniffed around on the grass and we came back inside. All things considered, it's just a typical Bank Holiday. Can you honestly tell me when it's been dry and sunny on such a day?

I've just been to Waitrose and I was surprised how busy it was. No queuing to get in, but they were restricting the number of people going in. 

Tuesday. 7.35 a.m. It's bright and sunny, but when I took Alfie out I was surprised by how windy and cold it was. Very deceptive, because my flat faces away from the wind and you can't hear it.

Later. I got a knock on my door at around 1.30 p.m. It was a young lady bringing my new glasses. I mentioned that I'd had my eyes test a few weeks ago. Much to my surprise that they would do it at Dexter House and that I would have new glasses made up. The new ones needed adjusting because, when I tried them on, they did slip down my nose, but with a bit of adjustment they were fine. I'm using the reading glasses to help me write this. Another thing ticked off!

Wednesday.  5.40 a.m.As you can see, not exactly over-busy at the moment. I'm stuck for anything major to write about on this blog post. Just a few lines for each day. Sitting here writing this with Alfie sleeping in his bed and waiting to take him outside. 

I was planning to go to Sainsbury's this morning. I had a well-planned shopping list as usual. But things didn't go as hoped when I went to start the car. The thing wouldn't start. I then considered walking to Sainsbury's, but then it occurred to me that it would be too much to have to lug everything back home. I rang Bleak Hall Motors but they couldn't come to help as they didn't have anyone available until probably Friday. At this point I decided to do my shop via Sainsbury's website which I did, referring to my shopping list and the 'favourites' making it considerably quicker. 'Favourites' saves those products you've previously ordered and you only need to click on those items to add to your trolley. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a delivery slot until Thursday evening, between 7.30-8.30. Not really a problem, but I will have to have my evening meal once the delivery is checked in. Not a problem. I'm only so glad I have the internet otherwise I couldn't have done this order. Certainly a lot quicker than visiting the brick-and-mortar store.

Thursday 9.30 a.m. It's a bit drab and dull today. The sun is not shining. On BBC Breakfast earlier Carol Kirkwood, the lady who does the weather forecast was saying that there had been snow in Scotland which is supposed to be a rare occurrence in early May.

2.30 p.m. I've only just got back from taking Alfie around Oldbrook Green. I saw one of the little white 'Starship' robotic pods (not really sure how else to describe them. Beer fridges on wheels, ice cream fridges? They look a bit like those chill cabinets you get when you go on a picnic to keep your sandwiches and drinks cool.) We caught up as it hurled along the path. I stood in its way, thinking it would stop, but it managed to go round me. I just wanted to have a conversation, but it didn't seem interested. It just scurried off on its deliveries and that was the end of that. I must say, they do seem to have a personality, even if it's a bit arrogant and mysterious. I don't think I'd want to encounter a whole group of them on a dark and windy night in a narrow alleyway. Who knows what injury they could inflict on you if they attacked your kneecaps.

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.

Changeable Weather

(Thursday) It was a bit of a shock to wake up this morning and find that the house is really cold. I had to put the central heating on and wear my dressing gown to warm up. 'A cold and frosty start,' according to Carol Kirkwood on BBC Breakfast, as she does the weather forecast as I write this. 'A milder night,' tomorrow she told her viewers.

When I eventually plucked up courage to go out with Alfie I found that it was not only chilly, but there was a vague, light rain falling. I didn't intend making our usual detour of Eaglestone Park and we cut across and did barely half our usual walk. Alfie wasn't bothered, and he shook himself several times because he really hates getting damp. It was good to come back to a warm house.

I'm having to clean under Alfie's eyes. I have to do this every day and was told to do this when he went to the vet's to have the nasty accumulated mess that built up under each of his eyes and had been neglected due to my visits to Carol in hospital and in Willen. I shouldn't really use that as an excuse. I use  damp cotton wool, but he is beginning to get used to it. He's now coming to sit on my knee to do this. He doesn't mind me doing under one eye, but the other has far more of the built-up matter and he growls at me and bares his teeth. I don't think he'd bite me, but he doesn't like me doing this. It does, however, seem to be working, so all the fuss is worth the effort. I just don't want to have to take him back to the vet's, basically, because it costs a fair amount. No N.H.S. for dogs and I don't have pet insurance.

(Friday) A relatively mild morning, with the sun shining brightly.

(Saturday) The weather continues to be mild.

(Sunday) There's a howling wind outside this morning. I have a feeling it's been raining. At any rate, as I was shaving earlier in the bathroom, I could see dribbles of rain coming down the bathroom window, so that might suggest . . . rain?

I got up a good deal later than usual. I'm not going to the 9.15 service at Shenley Christian Fellowship this morning but instead going to the 11.15 service. I'm staying on afterwards fo the Newcomer's Lunch. I've been going there for near enough 2 years and haven't managed to get to one of these, what I'd call 'Introductory' meals, which gives some sort of background to Shenley. Nice to not have to make a meal for myself. As a result of getting up later this morning, Alfie won't be going out for his walk until past 8a.m.

Jut been out with Alfie. The wind still rages. Bitterly cold. I think it's what they call 'bracing.' I have to be careful, having a heart problem. Variations in temperature, either too hot or too cold, can set off an angina attack, so I didn't stay out too long. I don't think Alfie was that bothered. I don't think he's over-keen abut the cold either. I'm not going to risk things so it was better to come back to a warm house.

There is one thing to be said, and that's the fact that the days are beginning to draw out. It's getting lighter earlier and earlier each morning. I don't like winter particularly. I'm not all that fond of things when the clocks change to winter and we have to put up with it getting dark at around 4 o'clock in the afternoon. I'm a morning person and don't like having to go out after dark. Pity really. Carol and I were the same on that matter. We'd go out early and usually be the first to arrive at wherever we went, usually arriving at a National Trust property before everyone else and be the first when they opened their doors.

So, the Duke of Edinburgh has at last apologised to the woman who's car he ran into in Norfolk when he was coming out of a turn near Sandringham.  The Duke said in his letter that he had problems with a 'low sun,' which dazzled him. A letter which he must have been told be had to write. He signed it, but I can't imagine him saying anything to the woman face to face. Mind you, she's made a big issue out of the fact that he hadn't apologised and I bet she got well paid for her story by whichever newspaper it was that ran the story. But the issue is, should a man of his age, regardless of his position as a member of the royal family, and perhaps more importantly, consort of Her Majesty, still be driving? How many 97-year-olds who have had even a slight accident would still be allowed to continue to drive their cars? I'd love to have been a fly on the wall when Her Majesty bought the subject up. 'Philip, dear, I think it's really time you gave up driving that Range Rover.' And why was he driving a good 48 hours after the incident? And, to cap it all, not wearing a seat belt? I wouldn't have wanted to be the police officer who had to tell Philip off for not wearing said seat belt. If we'd done it, we'd have been prosecuted or had several penalty points on our driving license.

 I made good use of my time this morning because I didn't go to the early church service. I've had the washing machine on and it's done and everything now on the clothes driers. It's no good waiting to do such mundane things. I would have most likely have done this later in the week.  And I've read some of my book, 'A Classless Society,' by Alwyn Turner. I suppose I could have hung the washing out on the line in the garden because it's sunny, but I still don't trust that it won't rain. Never mind. At least the job is done. Also, I've managed to write this blog post. Which I haven't been doing regularly for the past month or two if you're a regular reader.

Later. A really good service from 11.15 this morning. There's a lot more who attend and lots of people I don't know, but that's probably a good thing. You can get a bit stale if you don't change things slightly. It was strange coming in at a time I'm normally going out, but the lunch was good, finding out a bit more about the background to S.C.F.

The wind is blowing as strong as ever. It rained during my time at S.C.F. But it has calmed down as I write this (3.15p.m.).

Later still. I've been watching the ITV drama series 'Cleaning Up,'  which stars Sheridan Smith. I tried to download it on my Sky Q box, but when I tried, I got a 'failed' message. I attempted it several times, but still it 'failed.' I then tried to watch through the Fire Stick, went to the ITV Hub app, managed to start watching but when I paused the thing to go to the loo, when I returned to continue watching, the whole thing froze. I tried to find the cause, but failed, until I went onto the Amazon website (the Firestick is part of Amazon.) I was told to unplug the power, replug the thing and then re-install the thing. This appeared to work and I was able to watch this show. I wasn't expecting to get so involved. A really thought-provoking show with believable situations and characters. I got drawn in and then watched the second episode immediately after the first. Cam't wait to see the third episode to find out how things conclude. There are altogether 6 episodes of this drama series.

Strange Skies

Over the last day we've been experiencing strong winds, as a result of Storm Ophelia coming in from the Atlantic. It's supposed to have been the end of a hurricane which has crossed over from near America. Also, a really strange orange light for most of the day yesterday. It was like an orange or reddish glow. It was apparently caused by dust from the Sahara Desert causing the sun to appear red because of dissipated dust particles. I have now idea how or why but the light was diffused through the clouds. I expect we'll get a reason for it sooner or later. Fairly strong winds whipping up the trees behind our house but nowhere near as windy as we've experienced in he past. I don't think you can call it a hurricane, although Carol Kirkwood is calling it 'ex-hurricane Ophelia'  on BBC Breakfast as I write this. And in particular it's being compared to the 'Great Wind' of October 1987, which was highly destructive and it's exactly 30 years ago since that happened. I know this storm has done a great deal of damage and in particular in Ireland, but no trees have been bought down as in 1987. At the moment, as I write this post, the sun is out and the wind has dropped. It's actually quite mild out.