not to mention the actual primroses and primulas in flower beds, and the surviving roses and dog-roses.
Yes, the apple and pear trees are in blossom too, along with other things I don't recognise, and the tree just outside here, American thing whose name I have annoyingly forgotten (duh!)*, big purply-pink flowers now shedding dead brown petals onto the grass.
Cock pheasant in all his glory, hen in attendance, and a couple of fat grey guineafowl strutting and waddling on the back lawn. I've never thought of myself as a lucky man but I must be one on some level.
*Just checked: it's a magnolia, used sometimes as a girl's first name. There's a song: 'Take a pair of laughing eyes ...( etc. etc. ) ... And what've you got? You've got Magno-o-lia!'.
An old record I remember. When I used to listen to it back in the day it didn't occur to me that I would eventually be sort of in it.
:o}
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>> There's a song:
>> 'Take a pair of laughing eyes ...( etc. etc. )
Thought you were talking about one of my favourite G&S numbers:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7WcJLoGSCk
But you weren't :)
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We took a zigzag walk through the forest just now, a couple of miles perhaps, hard to tell, about an hour all told. The mud in the muddy places quite firm if you didn't fail to look where you were putting your feet...
No deer to be seen even in the distance, but a lot of their footprints everywhere.
Our little black cat followed us all the way. It got worried once or twice and miaowed plaintively but we were granite. When we got back Herself gave it a sachet of dubious meaty stuff to make it feel better about its muddy and abraded paws.
Must say I am appreciating this drink of V&O. Of course I would have liked it just as much without all the gratuitous exercise, but I might not have felt I deserved it as much.
No need for a fire or any log-splitting, alhamdul'illah!
Cheers, if you can stand the expression...
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>>
>> But you weren't :)
>>
See a pair of laughing eyes,
not
Take a pair of sparkling eyes.
I see I've quoted this one before
(www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?t=6077),
but still don't know where it comes from:
There's a beautiful blue in a beautiful sky,
There's a beautiful blue in the water.
But give me the blue in the beautiful eye
Of Betsy the butterman's daughter.
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Wafting along a country road yesterday, (arm out of the window stuff, and far too slowly for you guys, sorry!), halfway round a double 's' bend i came to a stop to allow mother duck to continue her "follow me across the road" progress.
Tried to count the 'lings, but lost it at 6, maybe because my mind was half on the expected thump up the rear from the next 'making progress' meister following behind.
Thankfully it didn't happen.
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Ducklings are very cute, far nicer than chicken young. Indeed ducks are far nicer than chickens.
Drive gently in the lanes. I do now although I used not to.
It's a rare day when I don't see a mangled pheasant or two on the road.
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Tue 10 May 16 at 19:55
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Some years ago I came close to causing a major shunt. I was at the head of a line of traffic, travelling quite fast on a straight country road. Up ahead, on the left, I could see a lapwing doing that strange zig-zagging flight they have. As I got closer, I saw that it was shepherding a line of chicks across the road. I put the brakes on so that they made it across in front of me. I heard rubber being burnt behind, but no metal being bent, and then saw a lot of fist-waving as the line overtook me. I hope it doesn't happen again as I doubt if I could ever drive straight on in those circumstances. It was on the A272 leading into Petworth from the east.
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Another walk today, different route, about a quarter of it on the road, some on the same muddy path.
It's quite warm and very humid. Not doing the bluebells any harm but they look and smell better when it's dry.
The local roads are without pavements or decent verges. There isn't much traffic but every now and then one has to sort of scrabble and squelch up the bank a bit. Very few drivers go fast or dangerously thank goodness.
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Green and white and pink, - Focusless
