Bouquet for you all...

A gray and dismal day here today in mid Wales... The mouse man cometh later! Sounds ominous doesn't it! He better be humane is all I am saying!  I will have great pleasure in letting out little live mice into the garden, but refuse to empty any sort of archaic trap!

I forgot to tell you yesterday, when I... or did I?? LOL don't think so... Sorry, I am distracted by strange rumblings coming from outside, not sure what it is!  Sort of like thunder, but not... sounds slightly more man made!  It is raining, so could be thunder!  But then I did hear gun shot last night!  Just gone half past ten at night!  A huge blast from nearby, all the wildlife went very quiet, for a good five minutes, owls stopped hooting, sheep stopped bleating and cows stopped... mooing!!

Goodness knows who shot what, and why so late, in the dark??

So yesterday morning! When I returned to the porch with the empty bird feeders a robin was inside the room!  Poor little jumped, as did I, so I got out quick and he followed after a few hit and misses on windows!!  Cheeky little thing, bet he his eyes came out of stalks when he saw the open dustbin full to overflowing with birdy peanuts!  Just waiting for him to eat!!  He would never have got out of there alive!!  

Blurry photograph above, but I quite liked it, so pasting here anyway!

My Tesco is also delivering later, bringing me my chocolate fix, as well as all the weeks groceries of course! Still have this face pain thing, actually found a web site about it, and a small paragraph reads....

Atypical odontalgia is not caused by problems with the teeth or gums. Dental treatment or tooth removal will not stop the pain. As with many types of face pain, it is the pain signal mechanism that has become faulty.

Sounds like my Fibromyalgia doesn't it!

TTFN
Marian

 

One small pine tree out front... some very small and un-noticed flowers therein....

Who would have known!  Whilst looking for the small world to check out with my phone, its amazing what I can find!

Before I go, although just arrived my mouth is killing me!  Well I hope not, but in terrible pain again, I get this every now and then, dentist once said I needed a whole load of work doing on my teeth, but then a week later the pain had subsided... My teeth are not great anymore... not enough visits to dentists and now a fear that if I went I may never get out of a chair alive... But this pain is in my jaw, my cheek bone, up into my right ear and my glands are up down my face and into my neck... Just taken some more pain killers and hoping for the best, and not for infection and blood poisoning! Mmmmm, okay, lets lift the mood!

Lovely little pair of squirrels around the garden again today... Playing tag by the flower pots and one on his own, stopped to pose just for me on a rock!

No photos of the lodger at the moment, AKA mouse or mice!  Camera shy?  Maybe... maybe I could get him to stand still and I'll take a shot!!!

TTFN
Marian

Tiny blue garden flower

Extra tired these past two days not sure why!  Probably not enough exercise, not the best of spellers usually, but before I got to end of the above line I had two run underlines telling me to go back and check spellings!! In bed posting now... Lady I support already asleep, not something I can say about the local sheep and cattle outside... a cacophony of them and the last few birds nestling down!  Something in the house too nestling down, and it better be downstairs, I don't like living with small quick creatures that squeak and pick up stuff!!  Or do mice come awake at night!!! Now I wish he or them, were just over my head in the attic not roaming house in full view... shouting 'look at me' as they pass by...

Inside a rose... Beautiful...

Monday soon, time is flying by, a week on Wednesday I am off up to Nottingham then home a couple of days later... tick tock!

TTFN
Marian

Referendum

Today is a very sad day indeed, a tiny majority win and the UK is to leave the European Union.

A large proportion of people who are elderly and do not even know who to vote for or why, or what any of it means, I am sure several thousand voters also had their voting by post applications done for them, and today do not have a clue who they voted for anyway!

Today the prime minister has announced his standing down, the words 'sinking ship' spring to mind, and the television is full of broken promises already, because after-all how could any of the leave-campaigners know, but that's okay, because the suckers believed them anyway!

Don't be surprised Britains when the cost of living rises, the money index fell dramatically over night as the votes came in and the future was in sight, so its back to good old 1985 financially, not many cents for the pound in the Euro zone now, so all those holiday makers... Oh and stop the cigarette run!  One carton each that'll be sir, madam!  LOL not sure about that one, I'm scaremongering!! But then seems the majority of voters believed what they heard on TV and the one-sided newspapers propergander!

Been hard today on Facebook keeping my thoughts to myself, luckily the majority of my friends on there are like-minded so I could just 'like' their words and agree, and dare to share... I must admit, I had to 'hide' some of the others to keep my brain sane!!

Good luck amigos, and for my American compatriots my fingers are crossed for whats to follow back home; we could be in for a rocky time in this world, this one tiny planet, and after all, that is what we are, one planet, why can't we just be one people... If there is some greater being, spiritual or alien... They must be laughing so hard right now at our tiny world, tiny short lives... and some very tiny minds!

A Rose, by any other name...

TTFN
Marian

Summer Solstice

Today I was awoken early just after 4am... by daylight and birds trilling loudly!  I woke up enough to record their merry tune... and tried to get back to sleep for a couple of hours more!  Feeling tired now, but near the end of my break so much keep going!!

Today is the longest day as well as summer solstice, after the clear early morning start rain came by and is only just now making way to blue skies... The birds here are abundant!  Never heard so many, nor seen so many, of course the three bird feeders right outside the lounge window help!  All the blue tits, great tits, sparrows, wood peckers and jays all trying to get nuts out of the feeders for themselves and their young, the young fledglings balancing precariously on top of the feeders watching to see what their parents are going and then trying for themselves!

I got right into the whole spring thing last week watching Springwatch on TV, every day, twice!  And the live coverage of a sparrowhawk and its young hatching out!  Even having to continue watching their live performance whilst cooking lunch! lol

I really am sorry I don't have my camera, I just can't get the great macro shots with my phone... my camera is too big too carry here in the suitcase I brought with me this time, and if I don't use hold luggage next time at all the camera will have to stay at home.  I hadn't realised how much I use it, well I do, but how much I need to use it!  It's like I see something and straight away see what I could do with the shot it I take it!  And its driving me nuts!!

One week down here already, only two more to go really, a few days too, but I think just saying two weeks makes the time away from home seem less!

Sure there is something else I wanted to mention, but it alludes me at the moment...
TTFN
Marian

Mijas Pueblo

Some photographs taken on Saturday, we went down to Mijas pueblo for a coffee and to sit and watch the world go by... the street is still up!  The work still going on, seemingly not a lot done since, they are working on the whole area in the lower parque and the area immediately in front of the car park, where the donkeys and horses await their next riders... and the coaches park[ed]!

I think they should have finished the parque area before moving onto the other coach area, but there you go, disorganisation at its best!

The coaches and the buses have to turn now down to near the entrance to the car park, so thats a nightmare zone there... And from there you can take a new road!  It does around the base of the gardens, well, a long way down from the top of the gardens, I have always looked down, there was a building, and a rough old track, and now there is a bright sparkling new single direction road!  It even has parking, for walkers to walk, hikers to hike if you want to go back into town straight up the mountain side!! Er, NO!!

Not great photos through the windscreen are they! LOL Still you get the idea!!

This was the building I have looked down on since the 1980's!!! Still I never thought I would see it from this close up!

And Friday night the great artist in the sky painted the most wonderful piece of live artwork on his amazing canvas.... what a display, it could never be mimicked...

Lets see if it works first! I might have to remove it, the preview won't allow me to access it... So as you can see, I removed the short video, it wouldn't work, but I will post some other time....

And now... here today, back at work, still my free time until later bye the bye!  I slept a long time once I got to sleep, kept waking up as per the norm!  Feel like I have overslept now so heavy eyes and a bit blurry!

I feel completely lost without my camera!  On and off during the train journey, so many times I thought, if only I had my camera!  Really feel lost without it!  But minimising my travel load and it had to be one of things that stayed home... its not small, and then there is the charger, another charger!?!  Not too much, my phone camera will have to suffice!

Just back to edit and remembered, on our way out of Mijas on Saturday a bird flew up from the side of the road, we were by Alhaurín Golf, it flew up and with us for what seemed like ages, while I exclaimed and loved it all the more for doing so.... it was my favorite bird in all the world, my Hoopoe bird and he was there just when I needed him most, like the lady I work for at the moment has a memory of seeing Whistle Jacket in an art gallery shortly after losing her love during WW2, he gave her strength to carry on living; and seeing the Hoopoe has always given me a sense of goodness, of wonder, of adventure... of hope...

TTFN
Marian

A day well travelled...

Station seat at Llanelli

A day well travelled today!  Up at 5:30am, walked the Pipster is the cool darkness of the day, a beautiful time at this time of the year in Spain, it still being dark will be different from when I wake up here now in Blighty tomorrow morning!  We left a bit late for the airport, maybe we are getting a bit lackadaisical about it! Could be a problem if we leave too late!!

Anyway, got to the airport fine, checked my bag in and went through, gate number up already, well, I already had the notification of my phone by before we even reached Malaga airport!  Walked through, sat waited and boarded!  My free seat as I waited until on-line checking in was row 4, window seat!  So off easily, bag came through, out and on the bus to Bristol Temple Meads train station... no stopping, easy ride, in and on the train in due course!  I got on an earlier train than I had thought so was early at the next station, only a few miles away, Bristol Parkway, so sat and ate a sandwich on the platform!  I hate eating like that, I don't usually eat while walking about either, I don't know why, its just not me somehow!  But I ate, and it was fine! LOL, nothing happened to me!

A reader after my own heart in this railway guard office!

That train took me all the way to Swansea, so just relaxed and enjoyed the ride, waved at Briton Ferry and Neath on passing, still seems very weird passing through somewhere where we used to live... surreal somehow!  Once in Swansea I had time to get my tickets from the machine, paid for already just popped in my card, typed in my code and out they came, for my next journey up to Nottingham when I leave work in less than a months time! [Happy smiley face here!]  Also got a Costa coffee! Nice!

Station seat

 And I was on my final leg... of the journey, a two hour and ten minute ride on a small two car train to where I am now!  Near Builth Wells in mid Wales!  The weather was okay on the way, some sun, a drop of rain, and its been full lovely sunshine since I got here!

A view I had always wanted to 'snap' when we lived here, but hadn't got around to!

I don't start work until tomorrow at 13:00, so just relaxing now, unpacked my small bag, that took all of 30 seconds and its feet up and writing to you'all now!

TTFN
Marian

Didn't sleep well last night, ie worse than usual, which means I slept bad.  At one point I realised I had a headache, and having a headache appear in the middle of the night is never a good omen... so no surprise I got up with a migraine, I ate some breakfast, feeling positive, maybe I hadn't eaten much yesterday? Half a cup of tea, yes, should have been coffee! Took meds and painkillers... and went back to bed, in this heat! LOL not really complaining, but when I've got a headache heat makes it worse.  Got up I don't know what time... oh yes, half past one!  Couldn't believe what the time was, ate half a piece of toast and attempted another cup of tea!!! They made me feel sick, so I risked taking a strong, [shouldn't be taking] pain killer for migraines and went back to bed... its now over 40 degrees C on the terrace! Phew... Got up later, I think five thirty or so, and pain gone, just normal weakness and dyslexia!

Noticed just now, nearly midnight, because I am going to off kilter now to sleep tonight, anyway the shopping list I started earlier, apparently I am going to buy god food in the morning... and for some reason that makes me want to buy honey.... ??? Anyway, its dog food we will be buying!

Just done some washing too, and that'll dry by morning on the terrace, I've been cleaning and tidying up and trying to tire myself out so I can sleep tonight!

                                             

Franco has been busy making more pallet furniture for our terrace, he is still not feeling too good, but keeping busy helps while he is doing it... so we have now, apart from the wonderful table, also a BBQ area and a bench!

                                             

The bench is more finished than the above photo and in situ now, next to the table!

We also put up our hammock and its way too cool sitting in that! LOL I can't believe waited so long before getting one!!!

                                            

It is so comfortable!  We just need to get a chain to support it from the beam, or its south one of us is going to go when the cable can't stretch any more!!

Couple of days left before I go to work on Sunday!  Trying to work out how to take even less than I already do, this is going to be the last time I take a case, its small already, but its the lugging it about bit!  Mmmm, is that why luggage is called luggage?  Its lugged about??

Can't take any less clothes than I already do!  So I am thinking the camera and its charger will have to stay at home... next time? This time?? But no way can I leave my lap top or kindle!! phone/s, chargers!!  Its the getting on and off of trains and buses and worrying about where my bag is all the time if I can't keep it close to me, at least with a squishy bag, or backpack type of thing, I'll just keep in on my lap!! And no separate handbag...? Don't know about that, maybe a small across the shoulder thing!

Okay rambling now, good night folks!
TTFN
Marian

E&OE

Some photographs I took at the local garden centre during the week, met up with good friends there, coffees and a bite to eat, and a relaxing time spent talking and walking around the centre, full of plants and wildlife!! bees and the local turtles! Always feels like a private garden there, lovely and calm...

And today Franco made us a table for the terrace!  Two pallets, some of chalk paint we have used in the house, and four small plastic containers later... we have a wonderful table!  Beautiful!  Good job Franco!

We are off out to a BBQ with friends, we're ready to go now, but I just had to Blog... something reminded me of my bracelet...  Thinking what to wear I thought of it, as I do now and then...

Lost/found:  Gold bracelet with a small cancer the crab charm attached.  When? Christmas of 1990

Yeah well, I still remember it, I still remember losing it; my dad gave it to me, it was all I had of his, until my brothers brother gave me some of his treasured jewellery...

TTFN
Marian

View from Miramar shopping centre down near the Fuengirola coast, yesterday.... beautiful day, shops were busy and we enjoyed wonderful tapas in the food hall...

Looking across towards the new pathway that spans the river coming down into the Mediterranean just here... Mmmmm. medi-terranean two latin words, 'middle-land' or 'inland' strange name therefore for a sea.... But then many [many many], years ago there was no sea, no water, only a land that came between where we are now and the land and islands on the other side of it!  So middle or between? lands, or a sea in lands [surrounded]... That's the problem when I am trying to learn new words, Spanish, or Welsh!  I always try to break the word down to work out where its coming from!

Yesterday morning took a couple of photos, above, what appeared to be a petrified fig! Cut perfectly in half?

And these empty snail shells! Have I posted these before?  They seem strangely familiar, either that or I keep on finding the homes of a million past inhabitants of shells!  What happened to them? Did they just crawl out and move on? Did a night time spirit eat them all over night? Are a local restaurante dumping the empties here in a waste land far from sight!!! I think none of these options!

Yesterday I decided, as I do many times over the course of every year, to try to get back into some sort of keep fit regime, I chose a couple of Zumba routines from YouTube, wore appropriate footwear, made sure I had plenty of space around me, and Pippa would not try to join in!

I ended up putting on YouTube, an old Jane Fonda work out video from the 1980's!  I used to have the real video and put that on a lot... I always did the warm up routine, and then the real hard work would begin and I would not be able to keep up!  That was 30 years ago, and would you believe I only got to same thing yesterday, and I couldn't go any further!! The exact same spot, well, mas o menos!  Now what would one conclude from this?  Either I was well out of shape 30 years ago?  Or I am in better shape now than I thought?? lol I am sort of thinking I was in bad shape before and not much better now then!

TTFN
Marian