Him behind the wheel

In the past I have scoured the news pages, watched the 6pm and the 10pm news, worried myself sick and got very angry at many of the items covered. I am at present weaning myself off of such drivel and trying to absorb the headlines (radio 2) etc and then investigate in detail anything which interests me without getting too worked up about it.

A recent example has been the bin saga in Calderdale. It would appear from the local rag that the miscreant had been warned previously and had agreed to pay the fixed penalty. He was only taken to court when he failed to pay.

The real question ,however is the cost to the environment of each household having to take rubbish to recyclingfacilities rather than the local council being required as they were under the public health acts to remove all household rubbish as part of their local government remit.

Maybe I am going to start ranting again!

I have now spasmed my back three times in 9 weeks.

1. Early December while visiting my sister  pain killers from local quack and about a week’s discomfort.

2. 2nd February while visiting no1 son, visit to own quack on return - more painkillers and an anti-inflammatory (which caused havoc with the innards) but the option of having pins stuck in me was mentioned.

3. Sunday 10th February. This was the worst by a long shot so occasioned request to sadist to try sticking her needles in me. Tried to walk dog at 14.15hrs managed about 50 yards and then had to return to car. Proceeded to Drs where 14 pins were inserted in lower back, twirled twice ( I think) and removed after about 10 mins.  Gingerly left couch and walked outside  AND REALISED THAT I WAS WALKING NORMALLY.  Quite incredible only a slight discomfort remains  STRONGLY RECOMMEND.

This was the scene at the river bank this afternoon after a week of frost. The temp has hardly been above freezing for about a week and certainly stayed below for the last three days.

It is absolutely beautiful.

1.  Wendy Alexander has seemed to admit that she has ‘technically’ broken the law. I wnder what her punishment will be :- 30 days of first ministers’ questions?

2. Codes of guidance are drawn up by various bodies such as the Care Commission and the Scottish Social Services Council. Surely social work departments should follow these and not augment them to make their administration easy. Professional social workers are paid to make decisions surely - not to follow some slavish book of rules that cause damage to their clients.

The two situations are very different but both show a disregard for the intention of the legislation.

The above is the one and only apple on the new fruit tree this year.  The tree was a present from no3 son to his mother and was planted in late March 2007.  There was only the one flower that we saw and from it came this apple.  We should probably have taken it off at inception but decided to leave it expecting it to fall early.  It didn’t  it tasted lovely so we wait with eager anticipation for next year.

The very weekend that the clocks went back this photo was taken on Monday morning from the ‘Porch’ room thru’ the glass door.  No the porch is not finished yet.

He looks bigger than me! Help mummy and daddy!!

It seems a bit strange to be thinking of winter hobbies when we are still very active campervanning, but with the ’summer’ we have had perhaps it is not !

You never have a camera on when you need it.

SWMBO and I were walking the dog in the wet along a forest path. Said path bounded by deep ditches with perpendicular sides. The bottom inmost places relatively dry but occasional pools which looked deceptively shallow. Bold Misty decides to enter (for drink I suppose) in the same manner as down at the river expecting to find a gravel bottom. NO BOTTOM - perpendicular sides and so - whoosh said animal has to swim for it scrambles out covered in filth and proceeds to roll on verge to clean herself seemed to be very surprised when she resurfaced this time twice as filthy as the first time because she had rolled in upside down!

I am not in her good books because I laughed.

This sparrow hawk sits awaiting its breakfast to fly into our nut feeders. It appears most days and has nearly had our joiner of the roof of the extension by flying at great speed exceptionally close to him.

Cruel to our way of thinking, but beautiful.