So that was 2024
We whizzed down briefly to Devon before Christmas to see my mother, Pp's goddaughter and her parents and distribute presents.
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The Day the Jazz Came
I wrote this for a short story competition. It didn't get placed (there were 400 entries, apparently, so I don't feel too bad!) so I'm going to put it here.
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Remember remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
should ever be forgot.
though in fact, nobody does seem to have remembered it in our village today, which I am pleased about, as Az finds the bangs very worrying. There were a few bangs yesterday, causing Brythen to rush about shouting "WOO!" and Az to put his head under the blanket and pretend to be invisible, but one night of bangs is easy to cope with, whereas several nights is much more difficult. The cats didn't seem bothered at all. Mind you, not much ruffles our cats.
( Cut for explodiferous stinkitude. And splattitude. )
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
should ever be forgot.
though in fact, nobody does seem to have remembered it in our village today, which I am pleased about, as Az finds the bangs very worrying. There were a few bangs yesterday, causing Brythen to rush about shouting "WOO!" and Az to put his head under the blanket and pretend to be invisible, but one night of bangs is easy to cope with, whereas several nights is much more difficult. The cats didn't seem bothered at all. Mind you, not much ruffles our cats.
( Cut for explodiferous stinkitude. And splattitude. )
Whortleberries!
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Sadly, it seems to be a terrible year for rowans: I know it's too early for them to be ripe, but none of the blossoms on the trees where I normally pick rowan berries seem to have set this year. Perhaps it was the dry spring?
Observed on the hill
I am reminded that I found another commentworthy thing on Kit hill yesterday.
One thing you do have to look out for on the hill is that there are a number of old (19th century and earlier) mineshafts here and there. They are all surrounded by big walls or fences, there are not that many of them and some of them have gratings over the top as well as being fenced/walled, so they are not that dangerous as long as you are aware of them and keep your eyes open. Or so I thought.
Today I was walking past one at a distance, when I saw an oldish bloke climbing over the wall into the top of the shaft. I wondered what he was up to, so I went a bit closer and saw he had 2 dogs with him, one with its feet up on the wall in a 'where has my person gone?' kind of way.
So I called to find out what he was up to. And what he was up to, was fishing out the dogs' ball, which he had accidentally chucked over the wall, and got stuck in the vegetation growing around the top of the shaft!
I stuck around till he had climbed out again, to make sure he didn't slip and got out OK, but I was a tad flummoxed.
The wall was a good 6 foot tall and the shaft is well away from any path, so if he had slipped, likely nobody would have heard him call for help. And those shafts are *deep*.
4 things:
1) playing ball with dogs right next to a mineshaft. Ok, there's a wall, but still, there are acres and acres of hill NOT next to the mineshafts, so why...?
2) climbing into the mouth of a mineshaft!
3) someone lost a dog earlier this year into one of the mineshafts (not that one though I think). The dog died. :-(
4) HOW HAS THAT MAN STAYED ALIVE LONG ENOUGH TO GET OLD AND BALD???
I utterly failed to say any of these things to him, obviously. I am useless. Surprised, but useless. Still, this does mean I have another post for my 'loons' tag...4
One thing you do have to look out for on the hill is that there are a number of old (19th century and earlier) mineshafts here and there. They are all surrounded by big walls or fences, there are not that many of them and some of them have gratings over the top as well as being fenced/walled, so they are not that dangerous as long as you are aware of them and keep your eyes open. Or so I thought.
Today I was walking past one at a distance, when I saw an oldish bloke climbing over the wall into the top of the shaft. I wondered what he was up to, so I went a bit closer and saw he had 2 dogs with him, one with its feet up on the wall in a 'where has my person gone?' kind of way.
So I called to find out what he was up to. And what he was up to, was fishing out the dogs' ball, which he had accidentally chucked over the wall, and got stuck in the vegetation growing around the top of the shaft!
I stuck around till he had climbed out again, to make sure he didn't slip and got out OK, but I was a tad flummoxed.
The wall was a good 6 foot tall and the shaft is well away from any path, so if he had slipped, likely nobody would have heard him call for help. And those shafts are *deep*.
4 things:
1) playing ball with dogs right next to a mineshaft. Ok, there's a wall, but still, there are acres and acres of hill NOT next to the mineshafts, so why...?
2) climbing into the mouth of a mineshaft!
3) someone lost a dog earlier this year into one of the mineshafts (not that one though I think). The dog died. :-(
4) HOW HAS THAT MAN STAYED ALIVE LONG ENOUGH TO GET OLD AND BALD???
I utterly failed to say any of these things to him, obviously. I am useless. Surprised, but useless. Still, this does mean I have another post for my 'loons' tag...4