Storking Around #barnt 4 Sherduck 15

Meanwhile, out in the rushes, a lonesome figure was hovering outside the headquarters. The ducks didn’t take much notice of other animals trying to hide outside of their hideout, as the area was welcome to all herbivores. But this particular animal had found a nice spot just outside one of the windows where he was able to peer into the lab without being seen. He’d just observed one of the detectives at the bar stumble into this particular room with a piece of evidence at the crime scene. It wouldn’t be too long before they’d make a connection, unless he threw a spanner into the works. As the hideout backed onto the canal, there were many areas where the humans lit fires to keep themselves warm during the night. If he could acquire one of those branches, he could at least halt the investigation and perhaps put a stop to these ducks once and for all…

Little Minds

There should be an obstacle course to enter the building, something like a scramble ladder through a hole in the wall followed by a slide into a classroom or hallway. Every door should have a space to crawl through. You should be able to exercise whenever you want. Each classroom should be full of comfy cushions and sitting blocks rather than desks and chairs, and dedicated taps full of orange juice and cola. Ice cream after lunch should be mandatory, and a TV should be available at break times with built-in tablets in the tables. There should be an ample supply of clean clothes and a dedicated team to help with any boo-boos. Staff uniforms should be bright and colourful.

Waheybridge #Barnt 3

Once we’d re-joined the canal, we headed north again to the next bridge where we exited the towpath and crossed the canal. Continuing west past the Crown, we passed through the kissing gate and followed the footpath up the hill. At the top of the hill, the path bears onto a wooded embankment before passing through a residency to re-join the road. Then we turned right and followed the road uphill to a T-junction. Crossing the stile in front of us, we continued north through the field past a mobile phone mast before crossing the footpath across the motorway. On the other side, we continued north downhill through a field until the footpath narrowed to a track and re-joined a road. Turning right, we continued into the village towards the train station. We turned left just before the railway bridge and followed the road uphill until we reached the pedestrianised entrance just before the next rail bridge. Then we followed the platform to the footbridge where we were able to cross back into the car park.

Shakedown #dreamdiary 178

We’re on holiday in America. It’s an itinerary that I’ve put together to see some interesting sights and the others have come along for the ride. We seem to be accompanied by a red petrol mower that we have to cart everywhere. When we’re not pushing it, it ends up in the back of a black pick-up truck. We’re staying at a redneck caravan park inside some motel rooms dug out from the ground. There’s sliding windows on metallic frames with sliding doors, and the bedroom is functional. There’s leather look bedding with brown cushions to match. Outside, there’s stone pillars supporting a porch which has a roof of grass. As I lie on the porch’s sunbed I casually toss a frisbee. It hits the stone pillar and a stone falls out. Then there’s a rumbling. Behind the room is a tower of flats, and it starts to implode on itself.

Voice Arcade

It starts with an interesting beat to get its audience excited. It then asks me if I want recommendations. I haven’t played this before so it should know my browser history. I’m given a variety of games and a brief description of them. I opt for the first which is the daily quiz. I have three minutes to answer three multiple choice questions while eighties pop music plays in the background. I’m not told if I get the questions right, I’m only told if they’re wrong. I assume I have to wait until the final question is read, then I’m told afterwards that I need to get all three questions right to continue playing. It tries to switch me to another game and I ask it to stop. It then repeats itself so I ask it again to stop in mid-sentence. There is a huge pause when I mention the game that I want to play, then I’m asked again. There’s a lot of repetitiveness in this.

A Ribbeting Ramble #Barnt 2

After exiting through the kissing gate, we headed east and followed the road which crossed the reservoir. We walked up the long incline, and just after the left-hand bend was a stile on the right-hand side. This took us through a row of abandoned vehicles, and at the foot of the hill was a barn with a track that led us past a paddock and onto a bridge over the canal. Turning right, we headed south along the towpath with the reservoir emerging again on our left. Heading south, the towpath took us underneath the motorway then took a left-hand bend followed by a right one. Behind us we could see where the canal was re-routed for the motorway. Continuing south, we passed a pub on the opposite side named the Crown, and at bridge 63 we exited the towpath to cross the canal to reach a charming cosy pub named the Weighbridge on the left-hand side.   

Tower Of Lies #vampress 20

The tower was starting to gain a lot of attention. It was getting tall enough to block out the sun, and it had started to expand outwards too. They tried to tell visitors that an eccentric was constructing a hotel to create views of the ocean, that was until they’d persuaded them to join the fold or be fed below once the secret had been discovered. Then there were the people who occasionally came after the missing, but by then the townspeople were used to lying to outsiders. ‘We’ve never seen them’ was the standard reply, followed by ‘They left a few days ago’, that was if outsiders could a response out of these bewitched residents at all. Forests were constantly being felled to make way for timber, and it wouldn’t be long until they’d have to rely on sources from nearby towns. The only way forward was to dig underneath her, and take the town with her if need be.

Training Tracks #Barnt 1

It’s great when you get out to a walk on public transport. You can wander off in comfort without worrying about how much time is left on the car park ticket or how your vehicle will be in an unfamiliar place. The only downside is that you might not be able to be whisked straight back to your door after your walk. After disembarking from the train station’s east exit, we followed the road downhill to the high street where we turned left towards a mini roundabout. At the roundabout itself we turned right, then once we reached the church we headed north through its car park passing the building on its right to gain access to some playing fields on a footpath just beyond it. In the north-east corner, the footpath continues through some woodland then bears alongside a hedgerow in a field then bears diagonally across a second field to join a road. 

Kirbside

He's a big man with a big, happy grin. He loves being a jester, but he seldom uses his size to help others as he’s retired now. He'd rather be at the receiving end than at the giving one. He’s seldom seen without a thin brewery shirt promoting something which doesn't really do anything to hide his paunch. His grey hair has brightened to a beautiful snowy white. Sometimes it's thinned and trimmed with a moustache. He's not afraid of the cold and is always happy to bear his legs, especially if he knows that he's moving around a lot. He's also a man who likes to explore, especially abroad. In a crowd, he’ll happily take a turn at the karaoke. He lives to entertain. And he's not afraid to rough it. He likes to be sociable with people his own age. You've got to wonder how long the caravan bug will last for. It probably depends on how many home comforts he's got.

Training Time

Occasionally, I have to take courses to refresh my knowledge of certain subjects. Most times it’s an online test when they change the terms and conditions and we have to prove our knowledge to demonstrate that we’ve understood the changes. It’s usually in the form of a multiple-choice quiz where I either have to tick the box or drag the right phrase into a blank box on a paragraph. The questions themselves are often wrong, and sometimes they specify that there’s only one answer when there’s actually several answers. Sometimes the managers don’t believe that I’ve already done the training. I have to log on and send them a picture at my end to show that it’s done. They then have to e-mail the IT department and show them the status at both my end and their end and get them to figure out why the training hasn’t been marked as completed at their end. Some people like to do these outside of the work environment and get paid extra for it, but it’s not my place to do this.

"The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything."

It all sounds a bit selfish. You have to have everything your own way. You might have a fortune to do what you want with but are you disappointing others? Are you focusing too much on your own goals and not enough on your fellow man? You're aiming to get what you want, but you might be missing out on a lot of things and other people may only want to be associated with you because of your status. It's not wrong to say no, but if you're not prepared to negotiate anything then it's going to be difficult to get everything you the way you want it (unless, of course, you’ve already got your millions and you can just buy another team). But on the other hand, you do have to set your expectations of others, and they might do the same for you. Everyone only wants the best, but sometimes you have to settle with what you have.

Pub Crawl #hanbury 3

Once we'd reach the top, we'd understandably created a slight thirst, so we decided to try the Ewe & Lamb. This is normally a restaurant pub, but as it was a hot day we decided to sit outside in the beer garden where a large patio with high stools surrounded barrels which served as tables. There was also a grassed area which was roped off. Nearby, a bunch of suited up chavs supped on lager and wine while phoning for their partners to pick them up in SUVs. We managed a swift half of Wye Valley HPA  which was reasonable, then followed the road north to reach our destination pub, the Hanbury Turn. This was the first time that we had managed to visit this pub since its new ownership. We were still under COVID restrictions so we couldn't order at the bar, but we came in to look at the beers displayed on a screen. Then we found a bench in the courtyard where the car park had been sealed off to make more room for patrons.

World Laughter Day

It’s hard to create laughter when there’s so much cruelty around. Of course, you could just laugh at yourself. You could be cruel and laugh at the misfortunes of those with less success than you, or find irony in someone else’s situation, especially when they should know better. But sometimes we all need a good cheering up, and to remind ourselves that there’s still hope. You need to jest in the knowledge that someone will understand the pun and can take it. There’s a good reason why a lot of fictional characters are created. Or it could be an act which excels in someone’s delight. And if you can echo that deed around the world to make good to others, they will do the same in return. But you need to know that there’s a day organised for this to start you off in the first place. And not everyone has the same taste in comedy.

Railway Wanderers #hanbury 2

Crossing the stile,  we followed a narrow path alongside a field where a taller stile over the other side took us over some railway tracks and into some fields. On the left hand side we could see the Queens Head pub in the distance. A few yards later, we’d joined onto the Worcester to Birmingham Canal. We bore south along the canal through the bend as it turned westwards, and at the second bridge we rejoined the road to visit the Navigation Inn. Sadly, no cask was available at this time, so we decided to split a bottle of Shipyard Pale Ale in the deserted beer garden instead. It was quite quirky, with lots of memorabilia on the walls and canvas deck chairs, but it was also quite fake with its astroturf. We now had to get back to the car and the easiest way to do this was to head north back along the main road. This also meant that we had a bit of a hill to climb.

Gladiators

It’s great to see this show back in action. There’s just so much nostalgia to be had here. The general format is mostly the same, though a few of the games have changed. I really would have liked to have seen Atmosphere and Swingshot, though the latter has been developed into a similar game called Collison. I would have liked to have seen more of Hang Tough, and perhaps a format can be developed to include all the games in an episode or develop a phase which lets the contenders choose. We have a new presenter team which focuses on the family side of things and are certainly belittled during their interviews, but perhaps we could have done with a female presenter and more behind the scenes coverage. Of course, the producers could have been cautious with a comeback series. It’s great to see heated rivalry between contender and gladiator; though sometimes it’s overdone for the camera. What I really want to see is this same rivalry between the contenders. But despite all of the injuries and swaps this year, it’s still a fun show to watch.

A Winding Walk #hanbury 1

We started this walk on the recreation ground opposite the Hanbury Turn Pub. We’d originally planned to park at the Avoncroft Museum, but since it hadn't reopened yet, its car park gates were shut Instead, there were a few spaces at the rec ground just before the school gates. Since school wasn't in session, we didn't have to worry too much about the school rush. After crossing the cricket pitch via a kissing gate, the footpath headed southwest to the main road then met another path heading east where we entered a restored meadow. We continued on a narrow path alongside a hedgerow where we had occasional glimpses into the museum grounds beyond. We did find a gap large enough to get a great shot of the windmill. Continuing along the path, we joined a small road where we descended the hill past a garage and several local workshops that we wouldn't have discovered otherwise. Then after the road crossed a small brook, we turned right and follow the road alongside it until we reached a style on the left-hand side.

 

My boss called me on a Saturday to let me know that due to financial reasons, I was no longer needed effectively immediately. Three days later, he send me a text about work issues. How do I respond?

The bigger question is why should you respond? Are the bridges burnt or do you still see yourself to have a future at that company? Do you still need that job or can you work it as an opportunity to hire you back? If he’s that desperate, maybe you can negotiate a better salary before agreeing to answer his query. Perhaps your contract states that you’re still obliged to answer these requests and you might want to do it out of professional courtesy, or at least until your final paycheque is in the bank. They’re trying to get more out of you for nothing, or at least hold you to ransom for a reference if you need one. But if you have no further obligation or desire to honour this request, then there is absolutely no reason why you should. You could even waste their time as vengeance for wasting yours.

A Bridge Too Far #astoncantlow 12

Sometimes you feel that there’s not enough bridges in the world. You have to travel a fair distance to cross, unless of course, it’s safe enough to brave the water, get wet, and plough through it. And if you find yourself doing either of these things often enough at the same place, it might be worth gathering the resources to invest in your own crossing point. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a bridge. It could just be a boat that you use on a track to pull yourself across from one side to the other. You could even make a business out of it, either charging by the crossing, or renting it out to someone else who uses it more than you. You’ve just got to be clear on who’s responsible for it and who maintains it. If it’s relied upon, you want any deformities corrected quickly if it’s still to be purposeful.

The Balls-Up #dreamdiary 177

Lisa headed onto the court. The other players were nearly double her height and twice as wide, and there didn’t seem to be much movement going on as most of the players were able to just throw the ball to each other. When she did get hold of the ball, she managed to move quite nimbly between them all, albeit having to take some very wide detours. When they ran to intercept her, the whole court shook. After practice, Lisa had to hit the showers. What she saw was the most bizarre sink ever. There was a porcelain trough built into the bottom of it with a metallic drain at the end. This was bolted shut with a piece of wood, and a chain stretched over the whole thing. The rest of the room just consisted of racks to hang clothes with benches underneath. One of her teammates came over. ‘That’s not for showers’ she said.

Komoot.com

This is a fun and handy website which works well both as an app as well as on a desktop. You can search for routes to explore in areas that you’re interested in, as well as adapt them to create your own. There’s also a social option to see what other people are up to, and you can add your own views too. The footpath tool is easy to use and gives you a good calculation of both distance and gradient, and it even shows where hinderances like stiles might be, though sometimes a satellite and street view feature might assist in the planning, which forces you to use other applications. The map software itself is some sort of freeware. And there’s also weekly suggestions of local things to explore that can be e-mailed to you. The majority of it takes place online, though you can download routes to your home area or if you subscribe.

Stuck in the Water #astoncantlow 11

This could be anything between a log flume and an open sewer. Though it does seem to be endless, it’s a shame that a boat didn’t come through while I was there. But what’s bubbling in the water? Could it be lily pads or twigs? Or could there be something swimming around underneath? If there are fish in the canal, do they navigate between locks or are they contempt to reside in the section that they’re in? When a lock opens, is it their gateway to possible freedom, or does it confuse them? They may be lucky if the odd board has a hole in it, or nature and good fortune is able to assist them. Maybe there’s a secondary draining system if they can find their way, or they can wiggle their way out of something’s clutches. If it’s something bigger, it might be able to leap out providing all is clear.

Random Passages

It’s nice when you get a quiet train all to yourself. You may be lucky enough to afford first class travel; in which case you’ll geta quiet carriage every time apart from when the train manager cancels the service due to overcrowding. You can sit back and relax, let the world go by, maybe take a nap if you know that you can wake yourself up again so that you don’t miss your stop. Or you can delve in and get ahead or catch up on some work or life planning. But if you’re on a train that’s completing a smaller journey, you have to face the rabble, the great unwashed that can’t travel without a can of lager in their hand and can only communicate by shouting. You may be able to block them out unless they insist on involving you. It’s particularly frustrating if you’re trying to get things done. You might even consider changing trains. And of course, the only other way you can summon help is by texting the British Transport Police, unless you can stand up to it.

Weather Watchers #astoncantlow 10

Sometimes I’m wondering if someone’s watching over us as we complete these journeys. Although we don’t plan to do these in bad weather, we rarely encounter it when we do walk these journeys. There might be clouds about, and we seem to miss the worst of the showers when they do occur, though sometimes it is fate which diverts our route. There’s cloud on this one, but it’s warm enough to get away with wearing just one layer. And then there’s the determination to complete them. It’s the act of posing to how that we’ve been out into the countryside to explore somewhere, and it’s the reward of a pub meal afterwards that motivates us to keep going. Either that or I’ve photoshopped us standing in a field full of sky together with some broccoli and a water pipe. But I certainly could have done with a shave for my close-up.

Midnight Snack #titannabell 20

Inside was the princess, lying down, naked, right in  front of him, on top of her towering breasts. Her butt was lying on what was left of a mattress, though the size of her ass practically made her horizontal. Surely she wasn’t that big earlier? He forgot all about his lost colleagues. He became enchanted by the creature in front of her, rising up and down with each breath, snoozing peacefully. But her exhaling seemed to be shorter than her inhaling. Was she growing right before his eyes? He just had to touch them. A man could certainly get very cosy in there without bedsheets. He got closer and closer. A mound of silky blonde hair rested on top of them. Suddenly, a hand shot out.

‘Come on in’ said Titanabell, and she dragged Polonius in between the mountains of flesh. She pulled him up so that just his head was sticking out, and brought her mouth down to his.

Claim to Fame #astoncantlow 9

So how do I feel about crossing the UK’s longest cast-iron aqueduct? I feel as if more people should know about this. It sounds very impressive, but it’s just there. It’s basically a narrow trough that you can walk alongside, and it’s not even deep. You could probably swim in it if there aren’t any boats around. Perhaps it’s not well-known as there are aqueducts in greater beauty spots, or there are longer aqueducts made out of different materials. After all, the longest is actually in Wales. It’s a technical whim, and the locals are trying to blow their own trumpet. There’s a nice bit of land below, but there’s not much in the sense of elevation or scenery unless you’re not used to a bit of green. There’s not even a busy road. Still, it connects one point to another, and it was probably an experimental engineering feat in its time.

Drum Roll please!

I’m not expecting much out of this one. There’s going to be a roll of drums, possibly followed by a fanfare at the end. How long will it be for? Will it keep rolling until I give it the command to stop? I might be able to set a time for a drum roll or programme it to respond to key words. But it’s just a simple two-second sound. It doesn’t even conclude with a cymbal, and you can’t differentiate between a short and a long one. If I ask for a drum roll in twenty seconds, it switches to a radio station that plays harmonic noise. Occasionally it asks me if I want to start a free trial. It just doesn’t understand the concept of time, especially if I ask for a specific time or give the time first followed by the command. There’s so much more that could have been done here.

Angle Pals #astoncantlow 8

What’s the best angle to take photos? Obviously it depends on the subject. Serious photographers might want to take pictures in both portrait and landscape to cover themselves. Digital photography used to be free, but our clouds are filling up, and the platforms have found a way to make money out of this. Soon we’ll have to have a subscription to use our devices alongside another to take possession of them. So you really need to know how to use your device. There’s angles to pose, lighting conditions, not to mention all the filters you can play around with afterwards. There's lots of options to create the best quality images at the expense of filling up your device. Selfies need a stick to capture landscape shots, otherwise you're not going to end up with much other than faces. And if you haven't got a guide, the only other way you can learn is by experimenting.

Bobbing Around

He’s a stern man with experience who’s used to teaching people the old-fashioned way. He’s a man of discipline, but he’s also got to earn his keep putting up with young people and what they need. A crisp, plain, white shirt always appears over a pair of black trousers and smart polished black shoes. He wasn’t happy when I hit the kerb a few times. But he has his faults as well. He’d often pop into places for his own little errands while leaving me alone in the car. And I got one up on him one morning when I’d spotted that he hadn’t placed his L-plate cone on the top of the car. And he was absolutely shocked when the news broke that I’d passed with only four minors. Interestingly enough, I didn’t get offered the chance to do an advanced course. I think he wanted me off his books as fast as possible.

Off with his Head! #astoncantlow 7

There’s a few pubs out there that claim a royal connection. Perhaps they were popular places to go to toast a new leader when his predecessor had his head cut off. It might even have been on display at the pub for a while. It all sounds a bit gruesome! The trouble is that when pubs get taken over, artefacts and histories are often lost in a refurbishment, and you have to revert to local folklore. This one’s now a restaurant, and a lot of the focus is about the food rather than the atmosphere and what you can expect to find inside. Are the ghosts still celebrating their executioner? It doesn’t even tell you which King they have! But many often refer to the King after Henry VIII’s separation from Catholicism, and were previously called the Pope’s Head. This one is right next to a church, I wonder if that’s a common factor?