Meadow in the Middle

It’s amazing what you can find in the middle of a housing estate sometimes. There’s a green area that’s cared for and you don’t have t pay for it and just hope that it won’t get misused. We park at the community centre where not much is going on at the moment for obvious reasons. A kissing gate leads us into a field where there’s an information board, and we have to choose which direction we want to take. We make our way along the nature trail through the marsh and into the woodland. Occasionally we take a wrong turn and head onto the outside concrete path, but we can just follow the footpath towards the next kissing gate. At one point we follow a boardwalk that crosses the marsh, and there’s cows kept on the other side. We don’t want to miss out on anything and backtracked on ourselves, even to find it’s just a stream flowing through a wood.

Central Heating #Titannabell 16

Titannabell looked at the view in front of her. ‘That’s a bit small, don’t you think? The belt’ she added as she realised that the guard she had addressed had begun to turn red in the face while his colleague was struggling to keep a straight face. ‘Oh come here’ she said as she lay down which caused the whole building to wobble. Specks of dust and loose mortar came down from the ceiling and both guards thought there may have been a cracking sound from some of the slabs in the floor. ‘Leave that tin hat on, it helps to keep me cool’ she said. Titannabell lifted him up and placed his head between her breasts and he couldn’t see much else. A minute ago the princess was complaining of being too cold, but he knew better than to correct her. He wondered if his colleague was about to get involved.    

Studley Branch

Imagine all the fun you could have here. A tree, long since died, has one strong branch reaching out over the river, which isn’t that full enough to be dangerous. You could add a swing or reach down and touch the water with the tips of your fingers. If it wasn’t for the weaker twisty bits at the end, you could attempt to run off the branch and jump onto the opposite bank. But how did the tree get uprooted in the first place? Was there a flash of lightning or was man involved, either through foul play or just a decision to make it safer? And what thought made them think that it would be fun to leave it like that? Is it to offer a pose or seat while on a walk? Or is it a hazard that hasn’t been deemed dangerous enough so that it doesn’t require any action yet? Maybe it’s a home to something beneath it.

The Last Stand

There’s some impressive and novel stunts in this. There’s also a bit of dry humour alongside famous names that don’t get involved with the big adrenaline stunts but still draws the crowds in for the names. The plot is well thought through with every incident explained, though some of the protagonists’ backstories could have been expanded a little. Every incident is explained, but it’s hard to fathom a sports car being able to outrun a helicopter without having to refuel somewhere. I thought that the decoys planted to distract the cops during the escape scent was genius. You can feel the compassion of the townies as they come together to defeat the antagonist, and you have to wonder if it’s just money that empowers the other side. There’s not many escape lines in this and Arnie blends in well as an outside sheriff put to stay, but his character too needs a bit more of an insight.     

Insect Spotting

My mind eludes me as to what might be the subject of this photograph. This might just be a quick fumble of a finger placed over the camera button. A simple action which would have been costly in an earlier time of photography but with today’s technology it can just be undone with the touch of a button (after it’s sat around in your cloud for thirty days while also be automatically downloaded onto your hard drive). But there could have also been something interesting perched amongst the bushes, or even in between them. A flower in bloom, a butterfly perhaps, or maybe even a dragonfly. There’s something on the middle lower left that could resemble something with wings. It’s either well camouflaged or it’s moved quick enough to escape the lens into the bushes. Or maybe there was just too much focus going on and the button was pressed at the wrong time.

My Muslim Daughter wants to marry a Hindu boy

It’s the classic Romeo & Juliet story. You could just add some saris and turn it into a Bollywood musical. So unless the boy’s got something wrong with him or there’s a huge age difference then what’s wrong with that? If the two people are willing to make sacrifices to make it work then why not let them? Traditions might be broken but sometimes that’ s how people evolve. Depending on the time period, it could cause riots or a mere second glance in the name of progress. You could protest the union but it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have the authority to ensure that it doesn’t go ahead. Banning the action could cause the union to become even stronger. But spending time to ensure that they care for each other and are well supported . You’ll also enjoy watching them grow and develop as they try to work thing out for themselves.

All the Ducks in a Row #Sherduck 5

Buttons peered over the hedge where Sherduck was busy organising a line of constables to do a sweep. A box of gloves were being passed down and some of them had brush sticks under their wings. He sighed. This never achieved anything. All it was was a display for the public to look as if they were doing something. The constables were under a strict regime not to speak to each other as they moved through the line but they’d still mutter the odd comment, usually about their oddball detective. Back in the canal, Jimmy had just leapt back into the water and was swimming between his siblings enthusiastically. He wondered if this excitable young duckling had seen anything. He’d have to get him away from his mother first. Maybe an opportunity would arise after  talking to the local crackpot.

‘Okay Madam, thanks for your time’ said Buttons. He flew over to the other side of the canal and landed on a mooring post.

 

Techno Man

He’s taller than your average man, but not skinny. He has a fairly large build, but he likes the quiet life and the simple path. Short blonde hair leads to a spike over his forehead while big cheeks dangle below. Everything around him often seems tiny in comparison. He never likes to exert himself and likes to take the minimalistic approach. He’ll sometimes try to get thing going but it’s often hard to distinguish between whether he wants to learn something from you or whether he’s just making conversation to pass the time. He enjoys wearing baggy clothes, but he’s not afraid to suit up. His youth often adds to his naivety. I wonder if  he’ll excel in  a task that requires investment in people. He might have the knowledge but will he be willing to pass it on or would he be more likely to complete the task as  quickly as possible? He does speak another language but it’s unclear whether it’s his first or second.

The New Kingdom by Wilbur Smith

The New Kingdom by Wilbur Smith
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I couldn’t really get into this book. The plot felt a little repetitive as we followed the protagonist from settlement to settlement and is rejected for the same reasons. His problem is that he’s unable to pledge allegiance to any group, even when he’s It was also hard at times to keep track of the characters and their relationship with the protagonist owing to very similar names. At least with his intelligence he’s aware of how each group operates. But Smith does attempt to introduce humour in the day-to-day situations as they each try to gain the upper hand and see the negatives as well as the positives. A lot of the landscape is from his own personal experience and it doesn’t compel the reader to follow in his footsteps. The mission comes together at the end, but by then it’s hard to draw in all the other characters and calculate what happened to the ones that the reader does get attached to.

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Don't Spoil the Fun

It’s annoying when someone spoils the ending for you. It’s a secret that must be discovered by itself. That moment when you haven’t seen it but when everyone else knows what to expect can be so frustrating, but everyone has should have the same opportunity to learn it by following the same path. Often you can benefit from a shortcut, but it still ruins the journey and emotional turmoil. There’s a lesson to be learnt or a discovery to be made, and taking the shortcut may ruin the experience, although sometimes it’s nice to be spared the pain or inconvenience depending on the situation. But in general, those in the know can be equally delighted by the reaction of those who have been surprised when they discover the knowledge, though a few may be frustrated that they hadn’t discovered it sooner. And some may have forgotten their previous experience. It’s all part of the journey.

Right of Way

You sometimes have to question if you’re heading the right way, especially when it appears that you’re travelling through a section of someone’s garden. It’s also questionable as to whether you should linger to admire the features on the route, or stop to take advantage of benches. If you can see a yellow arrow depicting the direction of travel, and as long as you don’t deviate away from that path, then you’re good, even though it might not the most attractive of routes. Hopefully the occupants are out so that they won’t put you in your place or you have to admit to the embarrassing situation of being lost to earn their sympathy. And you might have a piece of paper to prove where you are it but it might not necessarily be up to date. Or the thing that might be running loose in the field might not be remotely interested in what you’re holding.

The Worsies

We always take pride in the best, whether it’s being in the top rankings or seeking out the best in reviews. But sometimes it’s worth seeking out the worth for the experience. You might have an idea of what to expect, whether it’s because of the place’s established brand or they might pay a minimum wage, but you could be pleasantly surprised. There could have been a change of circumstances which means that the organisation has begun to address the concerns and they’re slowly climbing the ranks again. They may have retrained or replaced staff, improved how they operate, or could be following a completely different business model. Or you may come out with an interesting tale to tell your friends which will only add to their reputation. It’s all about how you react to the experience. Are you sympathetic if they are busy? Will you be understanding if it’s a new chef and you’re the only one there? Do they value your presence?

Garden Invaders

It’s weird to think that you can’t have the one without the other. Those fixed leaves in the water offer shelter as well as camouflage from all sorts of predators from both above and below to whatever’s just spawned out of the eggs. The leaves might even catch algae for them to munch on too. No wonder it’s easy for a frog to choose to settle here, but I often wonder how he manages to find it in the first place. Is he a stray from another pond? Has he deserted the army to form his own troop? I wonder if the tadpoles have anything to do with fertilising the flower. Nevertheless, it’s quite a find in such a wild patch of land. The conservationists might have had something to do with it, and they probably don’t want to publicise much of what they’ve achieved until they’ve observed the best bits themselves.

Maze of Gates #dreamdiary 160

We’re on a footpath that runs through a farm. There’s a series of gates that run underneath a network of barns that we have to pass through. There’s also a lot of commotion as there’s lots of sheep and goats roaming about. The first gate is a steel one with a spring latch and a catch on the end, though it’s raised so high up that any small animal could just duck their head underneath it. I suppose it was used to obstruct cows. There’s a goat who’s trying to brush his way past as we pass through, and once we close the gate again he just gives up and vaults over the whole thing. There’s a sheepdog that just stands at the other end barking, but we don’t know whether he’s barking at us or the goat. There’s no farmer in sight, just the noise of hens clucking as they run amok in their shelter.

Milling Around

The last stretch of footpath descends through a farm where a small watchful dog makes sure that you don’t stray from the path. Here, you reach a road back to the village, or there are other footpaths to extend your walk if you can find other ways back. But if you turn right and head towards a stream, you can follow the river back towards where you started. It’s not the most glamourous of returns as you pass a sewage works, but once that’s over you can follow the river back through some fields, and you may even see some avian spectacles. The land is quite open and occasionally it’s used for grazing but the paths are quite worn and distinguishable. You may even want to take a dip as the river is usually quite low here. But when you’re ready to finish, just head north-east and you’ll reach a kissing gate which leads you back to the road corner by the church.

Don't Underestimate the ease of Delivery

My brother asked me to sort out a new Tv for him. I chose the model after carefully reading the reviews and waited for our extra discount day at work. It would save him an extra twenty pounds but when the day came I found that the price had dropped even further. This meant that all the delivery depots had ran out of stock because they were so popular. The only place where I could get one was in a central city branch which required finding a nearby car park which wouldn’t be free. I decided that my best option would be to park at one of the free car parks on the outskirts and travel in by train then lug the TV back again. Fortunately, it was a bank holiday and most people got out of my way rather than risk stopping to hinder me. But there was a big sigh of relief as I returned to the car unhassled. Only one other person joined me in the annex of the train door.

King of the Castle

There’s a church placed in in its own stretch in the countryside, yet it’s a stone’s throw away from a large village. There’s a layby to let people park their cars outside the church but there’s only enough room to let one other vehicle pass. The church itself has an impressive steeple dominating the countryside and contains some commonwealth war graves. The path goes down a hill and past two other footpaths to reach a modern cemetery at the end. Cross through the cemetery and you enter the Heart of England Forest, an organisation dedicated to providing land for outdoor enjoyment. There’s plenty of trails to wander off and explore, including a mill pond,  a castle, a forest and acres of fields, but you have to know where you’re going or keep track of where you’ve been. Once you’ve left the forest, you can climb the hill to the south for some scenic views of the town.

What was it like to be a child of a Mobster living in Chicago in 1920?

You’re innocently playing in your childhood home when there’s a knock at the door. In walks a group of men in suits and you suddenly feel unwelcome. You’re asked to stop what you’re doing and move to another room. You have to make yourself scarce. These people would stay up late into the night with no effort to conceal themselves and you can hear them talking. Their odour lingers after they have gone. You find yourself delivering little errands for the family without knowing what they are or the consequences of them. Others begin to fear you. Your father spends more time away from you at night. You try to stay up late waiting to see if he comes home safe. On the one occasion that you do something wrong, you will suffer. You may also be used as collateral and have to pay for someone else’s mistake. But at least you have a nice house with fine things and a wardrobe full of smart and fashionable clothes.

Mystery Box

This is another piece of junk that I have in the garage. My brother knows what it’s for. The only person who used it had a background in engineering and is no longer with us. I thought it was to safely store saw blades that I don’t have and that mitre was a brand, but it’s apparently used to cut angles for skirting boards. Since I’m probably never going to fit a skirting board and would probably use a chop saw if I did, it’s just taking up space. I’ve got no idea if it’s valuable enough to sell. My brother said that he would take it off my hands, but that was nearly three years ago. I can’t see the advantage to it over a workbench would probably have a vice, and you’d have to drill through it to attach it first. I suppose I should try to use it when I need to make neat cuts.

A Summer Song

It starts off with a happy generic guitar jingle that you’ve probably heard before in children’s programmes that’s written to dub a character’s song. You know it’s going to be short and sweet and all you need to do is bob along to the music. But that’s all you can hear. She’s in tune when she sings along to the music but she’s overwhelmed by the sound and you can’t really make out the lyrics, especially when she stretches out the words at the end of each line. You know that’s a happy and positive song and everything rhymes but that’s all you can make out. There’s probably something about sunshine and being outside featured in it somewhere. The beach is also featured, which isn’t good news if you’re confined to your home. But it does make you sit and ponder as to what the missing words are and it could encourage you to make up your own.

System of a Down

Bugger. The system has failed so this means you’ve got more work to do. Fortunately, all it means is that there’s no reception and you just need to fill in a form when you return to the store. Unless the internet’s down which means that the form won’t get sent. You could call someone but if their internet’s down then they won’t be able to do anything either other than write the reference number down to update when later, which is what you’ve already done. Things can get very complex if loads of people need to access the same system. But if we didn’t, we’d either have a very long wait while someone flicks through a book or we’d need someone with a very good memory. And now they’re trying to taker the phones away to totally rely on the broadband. Hope we don’t get any emergencies. A text just doesn’t convey a sense of panic.

Food Shopping #empress 16

‘Hmm, a pig in blankets’ said the Empress. She grabbed the man’s robes and lifted him high in the air. The man dangled towards the ground like a performing acrobat. He came to a halt suddenly and the shock of it forced him to tumble out of his robes and onto the ground. The Empress picked him up by his feet and without even meeting the man’s gaze she inserted him into her mouth. Zhong realised that he was the last man that this man saw before he entered a tunnel of pinky darkness, yet Zhong was powerless to do anything about it. A few moments passed and Zhong felt that the pillows around him were beginning to tighten as if they were expanding somehow.

‘Right then. The eviction. Are we finally in place?’

‘Yes my Empress. We’re clear of the city. The Zhong residence is about a mile from here.’

‘Excellent. It’s finally time to have some fun.’

When the Cherry has Popped

It sounds quite pleasant but the cherry trees have vanished a long time ago. There’s a small strip of grass dividing the road where they once might have been but the locals have loaded them up into their chevies by now. Instead, there’s a special school and a social club alongside a community centre and a building that hosts a doctor’s surgery. The houses look pleasant enough and there’s an attempt to line the road with trees to offer shade and hide the larger buildings, but it’s the people who live in the flats behind them that you need to worry about as they’re always trying to borrow things. There’s a few functional cars scattered around but nothing too upmarket. No-one would risk it. There’s painted lines and sloped walls which indicate which lots belongs to which building, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the locals use them as skate ramps. Who knows what’s inside?

Whisper of the Heart

I’m not usually a big fan of anime, but with the help of a bit of music and by ignoring the voices, this story was quite realistic and tolerable. It was a charming tale of inner-city romance as well as examining the al modern culture of Asian childhood. The backdrops are beautiful, though there is little empathy when it comes to family and there’s a lot of it that you have to enforce upon yourself as everyone must do their bit to achieve their goals. There’s also an interesting soundtrack and the adaptation of it is hilarious. The protagonist is obviously a bit naïve to have to follow a grumpy cat, but it’s the independence of it that charms her. I wonder if it crosses her mind that she believes that the cat is borrowing library books? The grandfather also has an amusing talent, and he’s not bad at his day job either.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I envisioned a tale of a child trying to preserve history and the truth as the world began to disappear around her. Instead, it’s a very grim account of life for normal people under a new rule. Through the eyes of a child, the politics is taken out of the situation and it shows the humanity of different people and how they cope with changing situations. You’ve always a sense of the plot as the narrator wants to let you understand the inevitability of the situation from the very start. Sometimes, the text is to the point, short and cruel; either to hit home a plot development with clarity; to aid translation; or to develop a sense of humour into a situation that you wouldn’t expect. But despite the despair, there’s always the childhood innocence of characters trying to do what’s right or carry on regardless of the regime. And despite knowing about the plot, the reader develops a sense of care towards the characters and wonders how they will react.

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A Justified Punishment for being banned on a School Bus

How do you punish a bully? Carers can only do so much to make a real impact so it ultimately comes down to the people that provide for them to stop them from being so entitled. Rather than take an extra responsibility which increase her sense of entitlement as it would look like that she’s being chauffeured, the parents have decided to make her walk to school instead. Of course there’s nothing to stop the child from making her own arrangements provided that she’s connected enough to fund it or make her own arrangements. They might have friends or a stash of pocket money to rely on. But there’s also a risk that anything can happen to an unsupervised child. The parents have then gone one step further and have ‘advertised’ their punishment on social media to demonstrate their parenting skills, which just makes the child even more exposed with less chance of redemption. But at least the lesson has given the pupil a sense of responsibility towards her fellow pupils.

The Interview #Sherduck 4

‘Excuse me madam, could I have a moment of your time?’

‘Well what is it? I’ve got my wings full enough as it is looking after this lot.’

I just wanted to ask you a few questions; there’s a police incident that’s occurred over the hedge.’ Some of the ducklings stretched their heads to see if they could make out anything upon hearing this news. ‘Firstly, do you live in this area?’

‘Yes, that’s our nest over there.’

‘Thank you. Has everyone been accounted for lately? Is there anyone who’s gone missing or has been acting in a suspicious manner?’

‘Well, I’m not a grass but I haven’t seen anything to worry about. No-one that I’d miss anyway. Birds are still chirping and there’s nothing out of the ordinary. Sergeant Quackers over there is still sulking about his squad deserting him but he refuses to abandon his post. Says the humans are going to take overs and stops them from feeding-JIMMY COME BACK INTO THE WATER!’

Barry's Drum

I’m sad to learn of the loss of Barry Drake. He didn’t achieve much in life. He had no noteworthy accomplishments. But he was loved all the same. Barry had several hobbies. He loved wearing sunglasses and sitting on a park bench on a hot summer’s day.  His voice will be remembered for filling in the boring radio slots that no-one really listens to, and those that do just wish he’d shut up and play another song. His time on the radio managed to make him so knowledgeable about music that he managed to become a lecturer on the topic. Here he earned his Australian doctorate as he translated what everyone kept on their computer into terms that leaders and government members could understand. Once he retired, he enjoyed taking his grandchildren to the funday at the greyhound track. And now the name  shall pass and shall never be used again.

Buttons Investigates #Sherduck 3

It's body wasn’t a pretty sight. He’d seen plenty of roadkill before where animals had been squashed by those shiny boxes that the humans liked to transport themselves in but this was something different. No metal box would be able to get through the stone walls in here unless the body had been oved for sone reason. Each part had been cut out and had been re-inserted into a different joint of the body. It was sadistically comical in a way, almost as if it was a warning that there was something even more cynical to follow. But what?

‘Not yet sir. There’s a family of ducks with some newly hatched ducklings in the river over the hedge, but I haven’t been able to quack at them yet.’

‘Be sure that you do before we leave. We want everyone accounted for.’

‘Righto sir. And what will you do?’

‘Consider the impossible. The body has deliberately been moved; no animal would choose to leave their work out in the open. Of course, the victim could have been killed by a third party and we might have a sadistically graffiti artist on our hands but we must not waste time Buttons. There are deductions to be done!’

‘Very good sir.’

Ticket to Ride #dreamdiary 159

I’ve been riding a bus to the town centre. I can’t remember where I’ve been but my next port of call is a ten-minute walk home. There seems to be groups of people wearing hi-vis pink jackets at every exit who are asking to see tickets. When I boarded the bus I wasn’t issued with one because I boarded at a stop in the countryside and the driver couldn’t reception for the card reader to work so he just waved me on. I don’t really want to walk past the jacketed people without explaining that I haven’t paid, then I wonder if they actually witnessed me getting off the bus. As it’s a public throughfare I believe that they can’t stop me from exiting the area especially if I’ve spent my time browsing in the shops above. I leave and explain that I’ve been for a meal in a restaurant and they let me through. Hooray for half-arsedness, I think. But as I walk down the road, there’s one woman who just won’t let me pass despite me reciting my earlier reason. Is she onto me? And just where do her powers of jurisdiction end? 

Your mission, should you choose to accept it...

I don’t know what the draw is with me and canals. Maybe it’s the tranquil mixture of urban life mixed with natural surroundings and tamed waters. But I’d like to explore them. I’ve got an ambition to walk my local one, though it’s about twenty miles end to end and not all of it is walkable owing to some tunnels but I can usually find a footpath that heads in the general direction of the towpath. I’ve managed to do the northern half in various stages where I’ve walked circular routes combining both footpaths and towpaths. Often I’ve managed to make the walk linear by using public transport. I’m tempted to do the last stretch in one go. I’ll have to heck the nearby pubs. There still might yet be a chance to find a circular route. Then I’ve got to find someone who’s crazy enough to attempt the journey with me.