I went for a walk

Going for walks is not really something out of the ordinary. Basically it is supposed to be healthy, only to be quite honest health has not meant well with me over the last month or so. After having a sort of collapse, breakdown, burnout, whatever modern science calls it, I have really been only fit to sit at the computer and do some writing or other such things, but lively actions were put onto one side.

Of course the daily shopping was done, but mainly with Mr. Swiss. I just felt a bit overwhelmed in the shops with the people and the action. I also stopped taking the car as felt quite giddy now and again. Gradually I am getting back on my feet. Prompted by an appointment at the dentists which I had to keep yesterday and walking into town and back again, I seem to be gradually finding the ground under my feet once again.

So what did we do today. Well I sent Mr. Swiss into town this morning to get the daily survival rations whilst I cleaned the kitchen. It was raining all morning, but this afternoon cleared up a bit so out of boredom we decided to go for a walk, the three cats all being in cat nirvana.

The castle Waldegg is just around the corner from where we live on a hill so we walked in that direction. Naturally I was armed with my camera, but had to keep telling Mr. Swiss to move over as I did not want 20 photos of Mr. Swiss with the scenery in the background.

We took the path threw the country roads and made our way to the frog pond.

Looks a bit like a pea soup at the moment. The frogs have had their fun in Spring and have now moved out. There might be some spawn under the surface but as I was sinking slowly but surely into the surrounding mud I decided not to tempt fate and just made a couple of photos.

On the way back we crossed paths with the two riders. There is a riding school and stables near to where we live so is a common sight in this area.

When I had a look at the photos I realised that one of the horses was probably a stallion. Just don't look at those things when I take a photo. In the background is the building belonging to the riding school.

This is the side path leading to the castle. The trees must be at least one hundred years old.

We eventually got back to the village and passed this garden of hollyhocks which I just had to take a photo of. I have some as well in my garden, but not such a variety of colours as here.

Eventually we arrived home tired but happy (well I was tired and someone else was probably happy). I was just glad to get my shoes off, dress in something relaxing and take it easy. Mr. Swiss found it did me good to get out a bit so I suppose he is right. My cats were still in Nirvana when I got back home. Here is another view of the castle close-up.

The Toilet out of a Cat's Perspective

„Nera, that is not water for drinking purposes“
I was angry with my black long furred cat who thinks she owns the place. There she was in my oldest kitten’s bathroom. I mean oldest son, sometimes I think my cats are really taking over. Anyhow I watched her make a graceful jump to the edge of the toilet put her head in the bowl and have a nice long drink. First of all she ignored me as all normal cats do when the human aspect shows forth and then she glared at me with her yellow eyes looking like the midday sun.
“Mrs. Human how long have we allowed you to feed us and care to our daily needs?”
“That is not the question, Nera. I have been looking after you long enough. Your food is always there, on Wednesday you get tuna fish and there is a large dish of water for all three of you, so please explain why you are sitting on the edge of the toilet with your head in the basin drinking water.”
“Mrs. Human your biggest kitten has now gone on holiday for two weeks. With him out of the place it is much easier for me and my sister Tabby and the stupid Selkirk Rex cat Fluffy to take over a bit more territory. Big kitten does not need his shower room at the moment and you and Mr. Human have your own bathroom so we cats are just spreading a bit.”
“Nera this place is big enough for all of us, also when my oldest son is here. There is always water ready for drinking at all times.”
“Nera, what’s that two legged cat called human working herself up about?” and Tabby arrives on the scene.
“Hi Tabby, she wants to throw me out of big kitten’s bathroom.”
“Mrs. Human I don’t think that is a good idea. This is our place and if we want to spread out a bit we do. During those hot summer months we have to find other things to cool down with.”
“Tabby, I really don’t need your ideas as well. The water in the toilet is not a feline drinking fountain, understand.”
“If Nera wants to drink it why not, although I must say it’s not my taste. I prefer the puddles outside after the rain, the water has a sort of earthy taste, much more in my style of things.”
“What’s human getting worked up about?” and Fluffy arrives on the scene. “By the way Nera when you are finished with the water in the toilet, let me know, I want a couple of mouthfuls as well. Nice and cool and refreshing. Better than that stuff Mrs. Human serves us in that big metal bowl. Has more depth and taste, especially if it is laying there for a few hours.”
I was gradually losing my temper with the three cat conspiracy, although I was getting a little bit curious.
“Fluffy, what do you mean about it laying there for a few hours.”
“Mrs. Human do I have to explain everything. Humans can really be a bit slow to catch on sometimes.”
“Fluffy, I will explain, being the oldest of us three cats”

“Oldest, my paw Nera. That was only because you pushed me back when I was ready to come out. Sharing the womb with you was no fun. You was getting bigger every day and I had to move over to make room for you and the other two that were there. At last the time came when I could drop into the world, couldn’t wait for a bit of space after being cramped up next to you and just as I saw the light you gave me a push with your hind leg and jumped out. Typical.”
“Tabby I will pretend I didn’t hear that last remark, I was the first one out and enough. Those short haired tabby cats are always jealous of us black cats with the long silky fur. So if I may continue.”
“Nera looks like you will continue one way or the other and I am sure we will now hear some words of wisdom.”
“Tabby” piped up Fluffy “I think I now know why the population of the black cats was decimated in the middle ages.”
“Another remark I overheard” said Nera “although we came back again. There is no way of stopping us black cats when we start.”
“You can say that again” said Tabby, “so let us hear your words of wisdom about the water in the toilet.”
“Are you all listening, well it is like this. A toilet that is not used for some time has water with a special taste. Mrs. Human are you listening.”
“Yes Nera, do carry on, I am sure I am going to learn something I did not know.”
“OK, well you humans make a big fuss of that stuff that comes out of the grapes. You leave it for months, years sometimes and then if a human kitten becomes a human tom cat and finds a lady cat there is a big party and a bottle of that stuff is opened to complete the celebrations. At Christmas and human birthdays it is also customs to drink it. Now with us real cats it is something similar. We don’t need that juicy stuff from the grapes with a terrible sour, bitter or sweet taste as our delicate taste buds cannot recognise the taste, but water that has been laying around for a long while, such as an unused toilet or a puddle after the rain, that is our special thing and we don’t save it for celebrations. If it is there, drink it. It ripens and acquires a taste that only the taste buds of a cat mouth can recognise. The longer the better. Now that your kitten is on holiday, his toilet is not being used and the water is the best to be had at the moment. Why even Bobinette next door was asking if she could come in, as well as Mr. Grey from opposite.”
“For once, Nera is right Mrs. Human.” Tabby now took the word. “So just to let you know if they turn up this evening they would like to have a taste of the water.”
“Tabby, Nera, I would not let them in this evening. It’s Wenesday and Tuna fish day. They might not stop at the water, they might want some of your tuna fish as well.”
“Now that’s true Fluffy, why didn’t I think of that?” said Tabby
“Well I though of that of course” answered Nera “but I didn’t want to interrupt. I said they were asking, but did not say I gave them my permission. Bobinette won’t be here this evening. I heard that her humans are taking her on holiday again to the Swiss mountains.”
“I want to go to the Swiss mountains as well” said Fluffy.
Now it was my turn. I said there would be no more using my son’s toilet as a water supply when he is not here. The door will be closed and Fluffy, “Swiss mountains would definitely not be your sort of thing, you would only get lost and I had enough of that experience a couple of weeks ago. So cats understand what you drink outside in a puddle is your business and your bowl of water is also there for you, but there will be no drinking from toilets.”
“But Mrs. Human” and now all three spoke in unison
“Nothing doing cats and now go and do what you always do when you sulk. Curl up somewhere sheltered close your eyes and have a five hour sleep. In the evening when you wake again there will be tuna fish.”
“You heard what she said” said Nera, “so we will have our sleep, but cats don’t forget, keep your ears open you never know she might forget to close the door to the feline reservoir.”

Challenge #42: The Escape

“So it's time to sleep David, tomorrow is school and we don’t want you falling asleep in the class, now do we?“
David’s mother found that ten in the evening was late enough for her twelve year old son to settle in for the night.
“Ok mum, will do, but I just want to finish this last instalment about Dan Devil. It’s just getting to the part where he can break away from the gangsters.”
“No, no, David, you can finish your story tomorrow and I am sure Dan Devil will survive without you for today. Lights out and sleep”

And with that last remark she gave her son a peck on the cheek and put the light out.
Did David go to sleep, well not exactly. He wanted to finish the story in the comic so took out his torchlight and read the remainder of the story under the sheets. He had just got to the part where Dan was going to be pinned down by the enemy and he was pulling away from them with all the strength he had when the lights went out in Acacia Avenue where David and his parents lived.

“John dear, what is going on?” called David’s mother Alice to her husband. “We have no electricity – did you do something to the tv or switch too many appliances on?”
“Definitely not” answered John “it is not always my fault when the electric doesn’t work. Look outside, the complete street illuminations are down. It looks like a breakdown from the main power station.”
“At 11.30 in the evening, just what we need. I will go and have a look to see if David is ok.”
She made her way up the stairs to his bedroom when a strange thing happened. Alice just froze on the spot. If Alice had remained in the living room with her husband she would have noticed that John also froze, but as Amy was also frozen she probably would not have noticed it. The only person that noticed anything in Acacia Avenue was David her son. David noticed quite a lot in that moment.

When the lights went out in Acacia Avenue they went on with a revenge in David’s bedroom to the effect that for a moment he was blinded from a flash coming from beneath his sheets, to be exact from the comic he was reading. Just as the hands of the gangsters had made a grip on Dan Devil, the hero of the moment made a jump to save himself and landed ….. in David’s bedroom.

“Where the hell am I?” was the first sentence he uttered.
“Help mum” shouted David, but mum was frozen - remember. “Mum, come quick, there is a man in by bedroom and he looks tough.”
“Well thanks pal” answered Dan Devil, “I am tough and I will get tougher if anyone stands in my way. Who are you kid?”
“I’m D-D-David Smith” was the nervous answer.
“Well, kid, just so you know I am Dan Devil, but something is wrong around here – hey I am wearing blue jeans and a black t-shirt with a green jacket.”
“Well, you look ok to me Mr. Devil, it suits you”, although David was thinking if Dan Devil was dressed up as Father Christmas he would have said the same.
“Well, son, something is wrong. I am not supposed to be coloured, I am black and white with a bit of grey, sort of a monochrome thing. And I still want to know where I am.”
By this time David noticed that there was no help to be had from mum and dad, so he decided to do the best he could.
“Mr. Devil”
“Call me Dan boy”
“Ok, Mr. eh Dan it’s like this. Either I have fallen asleep and am having a bad dream, or you are really here and that is not so good.”
“Well I think it’s fine, son. I like your room, hey you even have a poster of me on the wall. I already feel at home here, but all the same I shouldn’t be here. I was just thinking about how to escape from those gangsters, made a jump for it and left them behind.”
“Yes Dan you really escaped but you jumped out of the comic I was reading and you are now in my room. I think you should go back.”
“If I go back they might kill me and you don’t want that to happen do you? If they do that I won’t be back with next week’s comic.”
“Now that’s true Dan, but it’s a weekly comic and I am sure you will be back next week, if you return to the comic.”
“Well just how am I supposed to do that? I don’t even know how I got out of it in the first place. Do you have something to do with this boy. Is it your fault, because if it is….”
David was getting a bit worried and had to come up with some sort of idea. He didn’t want to get on the wrong side of Dan Devil.
“I didn’t do anything, it just sort of happened. All the lights went out and then there was this flash and you appeared.”
“So now it’s my fault. I don’t decide what happens with me it just happens. Who put me in this comic in the first place.”
David had an idea. He had a look at the beginning of the weekly story and saw the name Jack Hobbs as the author.
“Dan, have you ever heard of someone called Jack Hobbs.”
“Of course” answered Dan “he draws me and puts these balloons in my mouth every week.”
“Do you know where I can find him” asked David.
“Well I don’t know his phone number, but if you have one of these computer things you might get him somewhere. My boss in the comic story, Mad Morris, has one of those computers to find out where the gangsters are hiding.”
“Yes, Dan, but without electricity this is going to be a problem.”
“Well it looks to me that your computer is working, there is a control light showing.”
And surely the electricity in David’s room was still working. David switched himself into the computer and fed the names Jack Hobbs Dan Devil.
“Show me boy” said Dan Devil “well look at that, you have an e-mail address and telephone no. Now you go and ring that man or mail him and ask what the hell is going on and whether I am still alive next week.”
David crept down the stairs, nearly knocking his frozen mother over on the way, but found her cell phone.
“Call that number David, Jack Hobbs must be there.”

And funnily enough that number started ringing at the other end and someone picked the phone up.
“Hello Mr. Hobbs, this is David Smith – can you hear me”.
“Of course I can, who is David Smith and how comes you wake me up in the middle of the night.”
“I’m a fan of your comic figure Dan Devil and want to know if he survives the attack of those gangsters this week.”
“Well just read on in the comic and you will see the answer”

“What shall I say Dan, he says to read in the comic and the answer is there, but you have jumped out so the comic does not go any further.”
“Give me the phone David. Hello, now listen to me Jack Hobbs, my son David is a sick boy and looks forward to your story every week. The dog made off with the comic this week and chewed up the last pages, so just let us know what happens on the last page. I am sure you don’t want my son to have more problems than he has already. Oh and Mr. Hobbs, if you cannot do us the favour of letting us know, you might get a visit from me and my brother.”
“What’s your brother got to do with it” asked Jack Hobbs
“Nothing much, but he happens to have a black belt in Judo of the seventh dan and he likes to practice on people that annoy me and my family.”
Jack Hobbs decided it would be better to answer. “You know it is midnight and I would just like to get some sleep tonight. Just to keep your boy happy Dan Devil has a hand grenade in his pocket. He pulls the pin out, manages to wrestle away from those gangsters, throws it on the floor and jumps out of the window. The building explodes and the gangsters are killed. As Dan Devil lands on the pavement a beautiful blond with the bluest eyes picks him up. To be continued next week. Happy?”
“That will do Jack, and just remember, Dan Devil always comes out on top or otherwise my brother will……”
Jack Hobbs intervened “No problem, I am sure Dan Devil will always win”
Dan and David returned to the bedroom and Dan sat on the comic book.
“So what now” asked David.
“We just wait for the next flash” said Dan and just as he said the last word there was a flash of blue light and Dan Devil was gone again.
David picked up the comic with shaking hands and had to force himself to look at the pictures. The comic fell out of his hands and when he picked it up to look it opened on the last page where Dan Devil was in the arms of a blond lady, very curvaceous, with blue eyes.”
Suddenly the door opened to David’s room and his mother stood there.
“Just what do you think you are doing David. It is way past midnight and you are still reading that stupid comic. Now just give it to me”
“But mum”

“No buts, David, finished for all, now you go to sleep.”
In Acacia Avenue it was again quiet. The illuminations were on in the street as if nothing had happened and David eventually fell asleep.

************

The next morning David got up and got ready for school. He was a bit tired, but still wondering if what had happened was a dream or not.
“Well just look at that honey” said David’s father John “the writer of that comic story about Dan Devil, you know the one our son thinks is the best.”
“Yes John, well what about him?”


“You know, Jack Hobbs. Apparently in the house where he lives there was an explosion yesterday evening and he got killed.”
David was suddenly wide awake. “Hey dad, when did it happen”.
“I told you yesterday evening, wait a minute, the newspaper says at 11.30 in the evening. OK David and now can I read the rest of the paper in peace and quiet?”

Writers Block

Pictures to Words

“Well that’s done with“ Emily Baldock said with a sigh and was glad that it was over.
The midwife made sure everything was ok and had left. Jason looked a bit weary, but happy.
“It’s a girl Emily, what we have been waiting for all those years.” He said.
“Jason, what you have been waiting for. I was just waiting for the day when I would stop having babies. At the age of 39 I think we could give it up.”
“Now come on Emily, think of all the pleasure our sons have given us and now we have a little girl. That will definitely be the last.”
“Jason may I remind you what you said by the birth of our twin sons two years ago. No more children, and now we have a baby girl to look after. And the twins were just not able to survive. Thomas dying last year, poor little mite, and Rueben a month ago, just as if he wanted to join his little baby brother at the churchyard. No, Jason, I love all my children, but please let Emily be our last. She is sleeping so peacefully in her bed.”
“Of course, you are right Emily, but the children are really a product of our love for each other.”
“Jason Baldock, we must be the most loving people in the village, even Hetty Gurr down the road only brought it to eight children and she has been married for at least thirty years. I sometimes think I am in competition with mankind. Have you thought of a name for our little girl.”
Jason looked at his wife “You must know my choice.”
“Yes I do, it will be Emily Agnes, named after me and my mother.”
“Our first daughter” and even a hardened farm labourer like Jason Baldock had to wipe a tear away from his eye, although he hid it in pretending to blow his nose. After so many years of marriage and bearing children Emily knew her husband well, but pretended she didn’t see through the handkerchief.

And so life went on in the Baldock family as usual. Emily made a quick recovery from the birth and within a week was back in the midst of her family. Jason was not unhappy with that, with six other hungry mouths to feed he could not stay at home looking after his wife. Little Emily was their eleventh child, although not all had survived.

Jason had married his Emily when he was only 19 years old and Edward, their first son, was born a month after the marriage. There was a bit of talk in the village about not being able to wait, but as soon as Jason and Emily were married things got back to normal. Jason would have married his Emily earlier, but being a farm labourer and her being in service at the squire’s house the only holiday they had in the year was Christmas day and on that day they married. Eleven months later George was born. The two boys were so close in age that it was just like having twins.

One fateful day Edward and George decided to go fishing. Children then did not have super fishing tackle: all they needed was a length of string and a wooden stick, the rest looked after itself. Near the house in a meadow was a pond filled by the rainwater. Suddenly George reached out too far and fell into the pond. Edward was only seven years old, George six, but Edward knew that his mother’s sister lived only just across the path and called her. When she arrived at the pond there was only George’s cap to be seen floating on the water. In the meanwhile help was organised and the village constable together with some men from the village and Emily and Jason had been called. The constable waded into the water but could only recover the lifeless body of George. Although by that time there were two other sons, one aged 3 and the other only one year old, the loss of George was so very sad. An inquest was made into the death, with the result accidental drowning.

Emily decided on that day that she wanted no more children. To go through life watching the little mites start to stand on their own feet and then be taken again, but this was the nineteenth century and birth control was something then not known. Emily’s sons all worked on the fields as labourers. Even when they got married and had families of their own, they moved into another village perhaps, but were working on the land.

The Baldock family grew and eventually there were six surviving sons and little Emily out of 12 children. One of the boys, Henry, had left the family to find fortune in America with a friend from the village. Emily and Jason were sad, but Jason’s brother had gone there some time ago and had made his way and Henry could stay with him until he found his feet in a town called Kansas City which sounded so far and strange to the likes of Jason and his wife.. After the birth of little Emily, Emily’s mothering days were not finished. A year later she gave birth to Annie Isobel who only lived for one and a half years, but she was disabled from birth so the village doctor said: something wrong with her lungs and could not breathe properly.

Emily junior grew up with her parents a happy child., Jason and Emily were proud of their little girl, When they attended church on Sunday mornings Jason always took Emily by the hand and she always had her place between her mother and father. As she grew up her elder brothers got married one after the other and went to other villages to live with their families. Emily found work in the village diary. She was also a help to her mother in the household.

One day Emily was sent to her uncle Thomas’s house. Her mother’s brother Thomas and his family had relations visiting from London and help was needed in the household. Emily welcomed the chance to visit Uncle Thomas. When she arrived at his house the London relations were already there. Amongst them was a tall good looking young man who quite took Emily’s fancy. He was from London and was related to Uncle Thomas’s wife Alice.

“Well, uncle Thomas I didn’t know you had such pretty ladies in the village.” the visitor said.
“Henry, you are making the young lady blush. That is Emily my niece and the youngest of the Baldock family. She is the only lady in the household, except for her mother, but has many brothers.”
“Hello Emily” said the London stranger, whose name seemed to be Henry. “I don’t know this place very well, would you mind if I called on your parents and asked for permission for you to show me around.”
“Not at all sir” Emily answered, blushing just a little bit. That was the only time she said “Sir” to Henry. Emily became my grandmother and Henry my grandfather.

********
I just couldn’t resist that one. My grandmother grew up at Sissinghurst castle in South East England and according to what I have pieced together with my family history studies it probably happened like that, although I added a bit from my imagination. Although I knew my grandmother and grandfather quite well they both died when I was still a teenager, and as it was, you just did not ask the questions you should have. My grandmother left a lot of photos showing family members as well as the area where she lived. I made a short visit to Sissinghurst two years ago. The castle is now famous for its gardens. At the time when my grandmother lived there, it was really just a farm.

The case of her brother George drowning in the pond is true. I got the records on the inquest from the authorities in England. They are written in the old handwriting and very interesting to read. There are reports given by my great grand parents and my great grandmother’s sister who was first on the scene. Very said, but George Baldock has never been forgotten, he would have been my great uncle.

The thing about marrying on Christmas day is a fact at that time. Looking in my family records I see that nearly all got married on 25^th December in the last century. My grandmother and grandfather were married on 25^th December 1900.

Brother Henry did go to America, did well and became a well-known figure where he lived. He was a composer, played piano well as did most of the family, and when he died my grandmother received a newspaper from her American relations showing the obituaries.

I just had to set this to paper as it is part of my family long gone, but as we say not forgotten. The story based on facts.

The Butterfly

Have you ever wanted to photograph something and it just wouldn't work. Since a week I have had visits from cabbage white butterflies. They are not particularly colourful, mainly white with a few spots. Their children are very unpopular. Mainly long and green in colour and they have a very large appetite for green leaves, mainly salad and other edible vegetables. Funnily enough I had not seen any caterpillars in the garden, but I stopped doing veg a couple of years ago.

Anyhow mummy butterfly has been flying around all the time, but was very busy and just would not sit still for a photo until today. We have had torrential rainfall in the last couple of days and my hosta leaves had a few butterfly sized puddles on them, the ideal place for lady butterfly to have a drink. I then spotted her sitting on a leaf so sneaked up and took a photo, trying not to shake while I was doing it (these days that often happens). This was the result and I though with this I must be satisfied.

I decided to hang around to see if she decided to spread her wings out and relax, and my patience was rewarded. I think I took about ten photos of her and this is the best one I made.

So the next time you want to assassinate a green caterpillar, think twice as this is what they grow up to be (or just don't grow any salad in the garden).