15 June 2015

Monday

8.30am Fred Fox is walking gingerly on top of our tall privet hedge. It's an eight foot drop to the lawn. We think he's looking for birds or birds' nests. Sparrows, a blackbird and a couple of robins are fluttering around Fred in alarm His sensitive snout keeps plunging into the hedge as if he's searching for breakfast.
11.30am I am at Higgy's flat with his cigarettes and his copy of "The Guardian". He is still in his dressing gown, watching "Good Morning Britain" with Philip Schofield and the delectable Amanda Holden. There's an item on about firming up women's booties using creams or various massage techniques. Bizarre! Higgy is going back to hospital for a pre-biopsy assessment tomorrow. He has become a living skeleton in  the last month and has lost the will to even leave his flat. Poor lad.
1.00pm I am at a neglected quarry on the Fox House road looking for an old chunk of kerbstone
2.00pm I am out at the verge in front of our house, trying to repair some of the damage caused by "Streets Ahead" contractors. It's a long story. I am revealing the old stone kerbstones they tarmacked over and adding an extra stone where they lazily extended the verge by six inches and filled in with road planings. I am also turfing around the tree where they sprayed weed killer and I am scattering grass seeds where they scalped the grass or drove plant machinery over it.
5.30pm I am making our evening meal - a strange vegetable stir fry with rice. I also threw in a couple of eggs and some dark soy sauce. Shirley enjoys it. We have Bakewell tart and vanilla custard for dessert.
7.00pm I am on the internet buying car hire excess insurance for when we are in Crete. Yes. I finally booked us a holiday! Seven days in eastern Crete. Decent flights from Manchester and the hotel is half board. I have upgraded to a one bedroom apartment with a sea view. We leave on Thursday morning. All for less than £600 ($US 935, $AUS 1204).
8.00pm In an hour I will be off to "The Rising Sun" quiz on Abbey Lane with Mick and Mike. Let's hope that nobody is using smart phones tonight! It's hard to win a quiz when you are up against cheats with smart phones.

17 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. 12.00 am Back from the quiz but we didn't win it. However, I won five quid on the Irish bingo which helped to buy the last round. Mike told us about the flight on a glider he won and Mick said pigeons had devastated his brussel sprouts.

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  2. You have only a couple of days left to master Zorba's dance, Yorky! And we demand video proof of you performing it many times over during your holiday in Crete.

    Poor Higgy...he will miss you. He, no doubt, appreciates very much what you do for him and are for him.

    And there's Fred being all cagey and foxy. He'll be your fox watch during your absence.

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    1. I just hope that the Greek economy hasn't entirely imploded when we get there. Yes - Higgy does appreciate my help. I wouldn't do it if I felt he was taking me for granted Lee.

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  3. Nice to hear /see how you spend your day. Much like the rest of us with a little wildlife twist!
    Poor Higgy, that's not going to end well I fear.

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    1. So, you also pinch kerbstones from old quarries Helen? You are probably right about Higgy.

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  4. I do not understand going to a quarry and getting kerbstones. Please explain. Our curbs are made of a cement mixture that is poured into a form of some sort. You have the worse trouble with street authorities. Does everyone else or do they just bother you? I guess you couldn't just tell them to bugger off?

    I hope that someone else will look in on Higgy while you and Shirley are gone for a week. Poor guy. Sounds like he has given up and given in to whatever demons abound within him.

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    1. In Sheffield the kerbstones are traditionally made from local stone and I needed about six inches of kerb to slightly extend the curve in front of our house. Oh and the contractors employed by the council are bothering everybody. I could write a book about it!

      While I am away The Bassoon Man and Nurse Sue will be looking out for Higgy. She finally, finally went round to see him yesterday. Apparently he has got a chest infection to add to everything else.

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  5. Have a good holiday.
    If you got an old pickup you could go door to door re curbing the streets and selling lucky heather.

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    1. I have been whittling clothes pegs all winter Adrian!

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    2. I wondered what you did with your time during the long dark nights.

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  6. Wot!! No photo of wily old Fred walking along the top of the privet hedge? Poor Higgy, (it's what we ladies say - read the comments) he may not be long for this world. Bakewell tart and vanilla custard for dessert - how good is that?

    Enjoy your holiday in Crete. I am taking leave of absence from next week and will be away from the internet for a while. Make sure there is plenty of Pudding entertainment on the blog when I get back and that request also applies to all your faithful band of followers and their comments......

    Ms Soup

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    Replies
    1. Sorry there's no photo. My camera was downstairs. "Taking leave of absence" makes you sound like a nun - Sister Alphie going to a holy retreat in the hills! I guess you have a lot of sins to declare to The Lord.

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  7. My Monday was very different from yours, but then of course that is not much a surprise - you would not expect me to get kerbstones from an old quarry, or visit a neighbour in need (I am famous for being very uncharitable and self-centered).
    The only entry on your schedule that could have been me is the last one, going to a pub quiz. Just not on a Monday - it is always Tuesday nights here.
    By the way I think Fred was only sniffing the wonderful scent from the privet hedge in bloom. I love it and deliberately slow my pace a bit when walking past privet hedges this time of the year.
    Enjoy your holiday!

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    1. Uncharitable and self-centred? I cannot believe that Miss Arian! I think this was self-deprecating humour.

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  8. How are Mick and Mike, YP? You hadn't mentioned them for a bit. I think they need an elevated status on your blog ~ I am imagining them like the funny old codgers on The Muppets.
    Crete huh? Don't forget to send us a postcard.

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    1. Mick and Mike - The Funny Old Codgers! I like it Carol and when I next see them I shall relate what you have said. They are both bashful fellows and I doubt that they would like me blogging in too much detail about them. By the way they both visit this blog from time to time even though they don't leave comments..... GREETINGS TO THE FUNNY OLD CODGERS!

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