Feathered Friends

As soon as I saw this week's picture over at Magpie Tales, my attention was caught by that dejected looking black bird of indiscriminate species.  It made me think immediately of one of my favourite songs - no, not the twenty four in Sing A Song Of Sixpence, but the single insomniac one made famous by the Beatles. It had to have been an insomniac, else why was it singing in the dead of night? Anyhow, I'm glad it did, as this was the result.

This version is rather long winded, but if you move the tracker along manually, you can still arrive at the bird singing its heart out at the end, without feeling like the needle must have got stuck in a record groove along the way...

(I rather liked the choir singing the nursery rhyme, so I added a link for that, too.)

Seen And Heard Scenario With No Pictures

Methinks I feel an attack of verbal diarhoea in the offing. I Saw Sunday can affect me that way... One sunny afternoon this week, after trundling my trolley stuffed with duvet to the cleaners (with no car, this is my best mode of taking it anywhere)  I park myself on a handy park bench (!) while I carefully store the ticket I'll need to collect my duvet next week.

That done, I am in no rush to move from my sun drenched spot on the busy corner where main road, park and shops meet. Traffic lights flank the nearby crossing, and the bleeping 'safe to cross now' noise punctuates the day, as groups of people spill onto the pavement in front of me.

A crocodile of nursery school children straggles by, about twenty to thirty tiny tots in the charge of four uniformed carers, whose bright red T-shirts and black trousers make them stand out against the green grass of the park. They bring the line to a halt as they bend low to issue instructions before they unclip the two smallest children's reins, and send the whole group running, or in some cases, toddling unsteadily, towards the playground at the far side of the park. (And I have found a picture!)

Havant Playpark photo thanks to Google Images

" Do you mind if I sit here?"  A man's voice breaks in on my reverie. What could I say but " Of course not, be my guest!" And as is the way of these things, before I know it he is regaling me with part of his life story.  In next to no time, and entirely unsolicited, I learn he had been on dialysis, but five years ago had a kidney transplant....and so he carries on talking.

He was born in Southampton, but has lived in the Havant area all his life. Now he has a basement flat near Hayling seafront, and he tells me "Some days are better than others." About this point, he suddenly holds out his hand and says "Let me introduce myself. I'm Kevin Butler"and too surprised not to, I shake it and say "Hello", but realise now I didn't give him my name in return. His grip is firm, and his hand and nails clean. He is a natural platinum blond with thick, pale eyebrows and eyelashes that stand out against his skin tone. I remember a teacher at school who was a true Albino, and I'm reminded of her colourless hair, but his is definitely the palest of yellows. He has an air of detachment about him, of not quite being part of life, although he greets by name many of the people walking past us.

Out of the blue, he asks "Are you a spiritual person?" and the conversation takes a different, unexpected turn as he tells of his friend Jenny and her interest in astrology and tarot. The  rather surprising outcome of this chance encounter, is that one afternoon this week he'll be coming to me to do a tarot reading for him....

The Eyes Have It

Okay, here you see a sepia picture. It may need a little explanation, so here goes.

My beautiful eucalyptus tree which grew to ginormous proportions and had to be cut down, continues to delight me in different ways.

It has started sprouting various types of fungus, grey, green, brown, orange - all rather beautiful. But once I'd taken a straightforward set of photos yesterday morning, I had one of those 'What if?' moments once I'd transferred them to the computer screen.

And by simply clicking the 'negative' option in my Arcsoft Photo Studio 6, look what a beautiful image it produced.
Surely those are alien space ships flying towards us in the centre of the picture?

So, Sepia Saturday, here's one for you, and one for me! Hehehe! Thanks again, Alan and Kat.

And if you click on the picture you'll see it in all its full glory!.

The Slow Brigade

Some time back, around the inner sides of an ornamental planter, I discovered this collection of empty snail shells. I imagine they were victims of the harsh weather we had at the start of the year, but I couldn't resist gathering them, for I immediately had visions of a future blog post.

So they sat in a small cardboard container in a corner near my kitchen sink, going nowhere fast; literally dead slow stop. What else would you expect from snail houses? "For Sale" signs and prospective buyers? I don't think so. They look a little fuzzy, as I opted for natural daylight rather than flash for this photo and its a dull day. But they have a certain charm about them, wouldn't you agree? However, I can foresee a problem now. After babysitting them for weeks and weeks, waiting for the urge to get snapping, how am I going to be able to throw them away?

Mercurial Thoughts?

Which Blogger hasn't had a few of those in their time?
Joking aside, Tess at Magpie Tales had snakes close to her heart this week, as you might say, when she published a picture of The Snake Charmer, Henri Rousseau, 1907 as a prompt.

Rather than my rushing to write a poem, I decided to take a photo of one of my favourite pieces of jewellery. For many weeks I ogled this pendant in a local shop window, and kept hoping it would still be there after I'd managed to earn the £16 it cost - a sum far too great for me to take it out of the housekeeping! It was, and I've been the proud owner of it ever since.

I'd find it hard to explain its attraction  for me, but Wikipedia goes a long way to do so in the following article - especially the sentence I've highlighted in red!

The caduceus ( /kəˈdjuːsiːəs/ or /kəˈdjuːʃəs/; from Greek κηρύκειον kērukeion "herald's staff"^[2] ) is the staff carried by Hermes in Greek mythology. The same staff was also borne by heralds in general, for example by Iris, the messenger of Hera. It is a short staff entwined by two serpents, sometimes surmounted by wings. In Roman iconography it was often depicted being carried in the left hand of Mercury, the messenger of the gods, guide of the dead and protector of merchants, shepherds, gamblers, liars and thieves.^[3]
As a symbolic object it represents Hermes (or the Roman Mercury), and by extension trades, occupations or undertakings associated with the god. In later Antiquity the caduceus provided the basis for the astrological symbol representing the planet Mercury. Thus, through its use in astrology and alchemy, it has come to denote the elemental metal of the same name.
By extension of its association with Mercury/Hermes, the caduceus is also a recognized symbol of commerce and negotiation, two realms in which balanced exchange and reciprocity are recognized as ideals.^[4][5] This association is ancient, and consistent from the Classical period to modern times.^[6] The caduceus is also used as a symbol representing printing, again by extension of the attributes of Mercury (in this case associated with writing and eloquence).
The caduceus is sometimes mistakenly used as a symbol of medicine and/or medical practice, especially in North America, because of widespread confusion with the traditional medical symbol, the rod of Asclepius, which has only a single snake and no wings.

Blast From The Past

Thanks to my Bro again, for supplying me with yet another picture to use for Sepia Saturday in colour! The year was 1976, and Mum and Dad had gone out to New Zealand for a visit. Wouldn't mind a water feature like that outside my door, would you?

Walkies!

Sometimes things take a while to come together. Last Friday, over at Imaginary Garden, Laurie issued a challenge.. In one minute, write a poem with a maximum of eight lines and include the word "Allegro". I guess this got programmed into my Jinksy computerbrain, for today, exactly one week later, I did it! And now, I'm making a meal of it and turning it into a Napple Notes post medly. Enjoy!

and now for my poem:-

"Allegro non troppo "
I say to the dog
who gambols before me
and turns 'walk' to 'slog'.
We route march the pavements
before yomping home -
I wish the darn dog
would go walkies alone.

Time To Leave?

With the week starting on a sad note of disasters, my doodling caught the same idea, to a degree. By playing with a few random brick coloured blocks, my imagination took flight and this image was the result. I know it is a crude representation, but I was searching for a 'feel', not a lifelike image, and I decided to use it for In Tandem to see how other writers might view the prompt. I've written a shadorma as my own contribution..

.

Acrid winds
blew their dust cloud storms
through dying
city streets.
Dejected evacuees
shuffled slowly by.

Panorama...

...Not in the usual sense of the word, but as the name of a television program I watched this evening. It featured some of the Tsunami survivors telling miraculous tales of how the waters enveloped them, but let them live, and gave them back to a completely changed world...Everyone knows of the tragedy, but because those stories are fresh in my mind I decided to write this short post now, and include a suitably watery graphic which I created a while ago. 

Remember, in your prayers tonight, those who died and those who continue to live without them.

Bargain!

That has to be a good thing to spot in any week, don't you agree? So for I Saw Sunday, here is one of mine. The pashmina was a gift and the darker blue fabric I've laid it on is my bargain - a pair of culottes which look like a gently gathered long skirt when you can see all of them. And here comes the fun part...
I ordered them online, and was delighted with the colour co-ordination when I opened the parcel which arrived yesterday. I rushed to try them on- perfect! Except...They were so long, they not only covered my feet, but stretched out a good few inches on the floor in front of my toes, like a pair of all-in-one flippers. Hehehe!
If I could have reached my camera, I'd have taken a picture for you, but by walking across the room to pick it up, I might have broken my neck! Hehehe again. The sight was too funny, I tell you!.
Of course, with a little nifty stitchery, they will eventually be fine, but I do believe I found the reason why they were reduced to a silly price...There can't be too many seven foot tall ladies around whose legs might be the right length to wear them without alteration!

And just for Monkey Man, I've summed up the whole thing in a mere 160 characters!

It seems a bargain can leave you with more than you bargained for. This rumination certainly has a kind of poetic justice to it, would you not agree my friend?

Second Childhood?

With the relegation of Panda the Relic to a dark but safe corner of my universe, I was left with a black hole which had to be filled with something. One by one, these little creatures arrived, and, as a rule, sit scattered around my home to afford finger fodder for inquisitive, visiting tiny tots - or big ones, if they have a penchant for bears...
With damp and dismal weather prevailing, what better excuse do I need to bring them all together for a Teddy Bears' picnic, minus food, to brighten the day? Care to join us?

Wet,Wet,Wet...

So to bring in the Green Wheelie Bin today, I needed to put on my Red Wellie Shoes - don't you just love the colour?

And while I had a camera in my hand,  I took a picture of this sad relic of a lifetime of loving. Meet Panda, the one my cousin Peggy gave me for my first birthday. I think maybe the years have been kinder to me, than to him... No eyes, no ears and his plush is long gone, but he still has a place in my heart.

Silent Plea

This week, I've spent quite a lot of time peering at photos on my computer, some to share with a friend who came to lunch, some to crop, some to drop! For I Saw Sunday, this cropped one called out to me to share, rather than drop.
It could never be called a thing of beauty, but each time I've looked at it, I've been fascinated by the thick black snake of that coiled cycle lock, and the the pained expression on its 'face'. Doesn't it for all the world look as though it's crying out for help? A silent plea, but one which will not let me rest until I have acknowledged it by posting its dying words...
Sometimes people who need help can only ask for it silently, too...

Ready, Steady, Go?

I found this little collection of photos today, and for once, they will tie in well with the subject on Sepia Saturday - a  little girl.  For these were taken by my Bro in 1968, probably in June, and are of my daughter who crawled when she was six months old...

And you can see how pleased she was! 








 

She certainly had the urge to get up and go. She walked at eleven months, and has been getting up and going ever since - only these days, that's all over the world!

Bad Hair Day?

Seems to happen to plants, as well as humans... When I saw this collection of seed heads (?) in somebody's front garden I couldn't but feel sorry for the one at the top, who seemed to be hanging its straight-haired head in shame...

Brush Up Your Smile!

For Sepia Saturday! I do believe I missed this one out when I posted a series of my Dad's drawings a while back. Anyhow, even if  I didn't, and you've seen it before, I'm sure the smile will be just as welcome. And look at that brush! How apt, since my recent escapade into the painterly world of pictures - even though mine are created with a pen, not a brush.  
(Some of them can be seen HERE, on In Tandem, if you're curious, as I've been posting one or two each week as prompts for Blogpal's writerly muses!)
Now remember - keep smiling!

Late Edition Extra - or something...
It's six o'clock Sunday morning now, and  here I am, wondering about an I Saw Sunday post, and thinking how Happy's smile has no sell by date attached. He is as chipper today, as he was yesterday, as indeed, he was in 1939.
At this point, I decided he'd make an ideal subject for Susannah's ISS, too. The more he can paint a smile on people's faces the better. So I hope he can add one to yours for a moment, regardless as to how the rest of your day is unfolding. A smile always makes a day better...

For The Curious

This is a YadaYadaYada currently available from John Lewis. Now you know.

After you've listened (for the umpty-ninth time in one afternoon) to the piercing "Beep!"of the button which sets it recording , you may wish you had remained oblivious to its existence...
Your children, or their children, however, will love it.

Silhouette

Thanks for all the kind wishes on the previous post - itchy fingers all better now!

For a quick post this morning, before the busy part of the day begins, I thought it only fair  I let you see the third member of the group that visited on Friday...  Mum-to-the-girls and my No.1 Girl, looking very tanned after her recent holiday.

We are a right pair of numpties, when it comes to presents. Since March, daughter has had a (breakable) Mother's Day gift for me, which kept getting forgotten on previous visits, and wasn't the sort she could sensibly send through the mail.

I, on the other hand, had recently bought a collection of 'caravan gifts' which I thought I  might stow away for her family's Christmas Stocking. When I realised their caravan would be in use this week, I thought "Hang it all! Why wait for Christmas?"

So we happily exchanged late/early presents on the spot! I got the best deal, for mine was a pretty, hand crafted, glass coaster all the way from Spain.

They on the other hand, had a lightweight bat-and-ball game, a 'Yaddda-yadda-yadda' device which alters the pitch of  one's recorded voice, and two enamel mugs with the inscription 'Keep calm and carry on.' What else would they need on a wet day in a caravan? Hehehe!

Postman's Knock

When I ordered a new kitchen bin yesterday from an office supplies website, I thought it strange - but not half as strange as the HUGE boxes delivered to my door a few minutes ago. Look at them!

And look what touching the cardboard did to my hand... The right one is just as red an itchy, but it had to hold the camera.
Silly me for not remembering how corrugated cardboard brings me out in a rash...
But what a magnificent yellow bin I now have!

Full Colour

Full colour Sepia Saturday from me again, and the only link to their tree theme is my Family Tree!
One day, this shot will be a reminder of our technological age. Granddaughters and their Ma came for a visit yesterday complete with mobile phones, an iPod Touch, and a WiFi lap top and cable for loading their holiday snaps of Gibraltar.

 

As if that wasn't enough, daughter returned from Tesco's with yet another phone- the white one in the picture. It has GPS, which means eldest grandchild will be easy to pin point at all times come September, when she starts 'big school' and will be taking a train journey back and forth each day. You can't be too careful when youngsters start out on their own...

The girls always come armed with a selection of paraphernalia  - toys or games either to show me, or to play with, and suddenly my living room shrinks - or seems to - as they fill chairs and floor with bags, boxes, bits and bobs. No travelling light for them!
The picture is a little blurred, as they were twisting gently from side to side on my whirly chair while I was trying to snap them.

But I did manage to catch the the younger one up close and personal, a little later, and thought her cheeky little face might brighten your day, as it did mine.. Thank goodness for more technological wizardry with digital cameras and computers, eh?

OK, Now Roll Up, Blogpals!

Here I am, spelling it all out for you in words of one syllable, HELP ME!

Before a team of white coated gentlemen or uniformed fire fighters start breaking my door down to come to my rescue, I'll explain. I've given birth to a brand new blog, and am asking for creative types to come and Oo! and Ah! over its cradle, in the hope that what they find there will inspire them to birth their own poem or piece of prose to welcome it to Blogland.
The easy way to get to it, is by clicking on the square in my side bar which looks like this.

You may think this is stating the obvious, but I learned long ago, that many Blogpals, especially those new to the vagueries of Blogger, have yet to get to grips with the concept of "If in doubt, click on it, and see where you end up."

Old hands at the Bloggame will need no such advice, I'm sure. In which case I may content myself with imploring them to help spread the word, so that my Tandem gets some other strong legs to help it travel the highways and byways of our wonderful Blogland World, i.e.join in and play, O ye writers! I need you!

Life's A Beach!

Some people build castles way up in the air.
but a castle of sand is enough for this pair.
Close to the sea edge, the waves will surround
and devour its ramparts too soon, I'll be bound,
for the girls to complete it. That's part of the fun -
it will give them a reason to make a new one!

This is my In Tandem offering for Margaret Bednar's painting this week, and it's also linked to The Poetry Pantry.

Painting The Town?

"You can always tell a tradesman
by the way he keeps his tools."
said our art school teacher.
"It's one of the golden rules.

Buy brushes of the very best -
and they will serve you well,
if you clean them after use."
Who didn't listen? You can tell!


Thanks for your painterly Magpie Tales prompt, Tess, which reminded me of this very handy tip that I've always tried to follow!

The Best Of Days

Yesterday I saw my new granddaughter for the first time, and got my first Napple cuddle!

What better offering could there be for Susannah's I saw Sunday - and a bit of a late offering for Alan and Kat's Sepia Saturday ? In colour!! lol

More Mayhem

In a week when chaos seems to have struck the money markets of the world, England has added riots to the overall madness. It makes me wonder what has happened to common sense? Who are these deluded beings who think burning shops and pillaging like pirates can add anything positive to their lives, or the lives of those around them?

When I began making marks on the screen which produced the image below, I was thinking about how the Earth would look if a giant machine carved it into thin layers, the way one of my sharp kitchen knives might slice through an onion.

I've watched enough archeological digs on Time Team's TV programmes, to know that humankind leaves traces in the earth which tell the stories of multiple lives lived on one spot, every bit as much as a rock's striations mark the many ages of our ancient planet. Somehow, thinking like this puts the world crisis into perspective.  All things change in their own good time...

Energies within our layered planet build
their calendar in sculpted, bedrock folds.
In slow progression, land mass shell-plates
move,  until a force - which levels all
over time - unleashes mayhem in motion.

Earth, Fire, Wind and Water join
in unholy alliance and Nature trembles beneath
their wrath. Peace is banished. Quakes create
tsunamis. Land, slips. Red molten rock flows
from volcanic dragons breathing fire
to  demonstrate dominion over Man,
a feeble being in comparison.

Where then lies Man’s greatness? Could it be
that mind and heart will balance out the scales,
should he be weighed against this universe?

This is my In Tandem offering this week....

Mercury Retrograde

And communications tend to go haywire at such times...Maybe that's why I couldn't get Dr Who on the line here this week!

This is my offering for Susannah's I Saw Sunday.

Oh, What A Grey Day!

But it was only for a few moments - soon blue patches began to appear...

Waterworld

Starfish sky
holds luminous life,
populates
deep ocean
where dark devours all light
but creates new rules.

See HERE for the prompt's Linky List if you'd like to join in...

Nothing Special

Or is it? A garden hose I can no longer use, as it won't fit any of my taps now; every so often, I think I've found an adapter that will work, and it comes out of the cupboard, only to go back in when it still won't connect...

But how delightful does it look, coiled on the remains of my Eucalyptus tree? I think it deserves its five minutes of fame, despite lack of function

On The Up

And here you must realise, I'm talking purely temperatures. We have 29° to 30° forecast over the next few days, and while many of our American cousins have been sweltering among far worse, in dear old England, these are enough to send us in a flat spin at the thought.

Owners of posh cars are about the only people who have come to expect air conditioning as a given. The rest of us sweat and look forward to the next drizzly day, which to be fair, is mostly just around the corner.
So while the morning is still pleasantly cool, I thought it about time I did a waffly, Napple post with no 'prompt' nudge needed from anybody else.  In fact, Blogland occasionally feels so devoid of free thinkers, that I despair.

Okay, so I'm guilty too, for indulging in a Mr Linky widget, but in my defence, I do try to use pictures which will leave interpretation wide open, and I've not been disappointed with the tangents peoples' minds have followed as a result.

But enough of that. Here's the tangent my mind went off at yesterday, as I was getting my lunch ready... However, it didn't stop there, because then I got the "What if?"urge that so often leads me astray from those things I should be doing. And I ended up with this... and this... and this...
Do click on the pictures to see their full glory...