Daily Prompt: I Walk the Line

Have you got a code you live by? What are the principles or set of values you actively apply in your life?

And it’s another daily prompt day today, so let’s see what we have to say. The only code I have to live by is the one that the tax authorities need when I pay my debts to my country. Principles and sets of values are not something I dream about applying in my life, but wait a minute, these are old cooked up prompts, so what did I say the last time? I should know, it was not even a year ago when this one cropped up. No, I was wordless. Did I refuse, did I have nothing to say (which is a rarity with me) or was I locked up somewhere in a padded cell trying to get out. Neither, nor, I was in England with my dad on a visit. He had just moved into a new extra care apartment and Mr. Swiss was doing it all on his own at home. So now I have the opportunity to catch up on this old prompt. I have now dusted off the cobwebs and polished the edges, but no, it still does not inspire me. To be quite honest none of these second-time-round hand-me-down prompts inspire me, but I will carry on regardless and hope that one day it will all be different, that we will get new prompt, never before seen, filling me with inspiration and new hopes for my Pulitzer/Nobel prize instead of the garbage can of the year. So let us begin with something completely different.

I am still walking, protecting my moveable parts from an attack of eternal rust and it can only get better. Two days ago Mr. Swiss let me out of my own, so armed with my camera, my trusty walking shoes I departed. I had to take my iPhone with me in case anything happened. Now what could possibly happen? My feet never leave my ankles and I have everything under control. I had to think this walk over. Should I go right, left, up or down? I decided a straight path towards the castle, but noticing it was all uphill, I changed my mind and turned left for a visit to the stables.

“Neigh” the horses said as a greeting. I neighed back and they snorted. 

“What about a photo” said Guiness, the shire horse.

“No deal” I answered, “I have so many photos of you, it wouldn’t be fair to the others. And so he poked his tongue out in annoyance.

“What about me, you never took a photo of me.”

I  turned in the direction of the new neighs and saw a horse I had never seen before. 

“Ok, stay still and smile” and here is the result.

“You are really something special with your pretty pattern on your back.”

“Thank you Mrs. Angloswiss.”

“Stop showing off” said Guiness the shire horse “I am bigger than you and have more charm.”

I decided to leave before a horse fight began. I the chose the route through the top part of the village, past the castle and on the downhill stretch to home, where Mr. Swiss welcomed me with relief that I survived.This was my last walk for two days as the weather has changed. It is colder, raining and I noticed a new layer of snow on the top of the local Jura mountains.

Today I decided it was time to let my orchids out. It is warm enough for them on the porch and they are now settled in a sheltered corner. I told them if they behave and make some flowers, they can stay there throughout the summer, otherwise it will be the happy orchid hunting grounds. They told me they would do their best, so I gave them their weekly dose of water and left them to it. 

Mr. Swiss has now given up with our robot mower. He had a look at the instruction manual which has about 80 pages and as many instructions and he actually got it moving. He programmed it to start at 3.30 p.m. for thirty minutes mowing. It was a success, but our robot lawn mower, known as Mowey, was having so much fun that he didn’t want to stop. Mr. Swiss had to make him stop, otherwise he would still be mowing now. The next attempt was ok, but Mowey started to mow thirty minutes earlier than he should. We have now made contact with the human than installed Mowey and he will pay us a visit for a reprogramming session. Needless to say a few profanities were uttered in connection with the antics of Mowey.

I will see you again tomorrow, when we will probably have a repeated prompt from last week - yes they are running out of ideas.