SQUID GAME …Grandmother’s Footsteps


On nights, When I am sleeping during the day, I am overseen and carefully monitored by Dorothy.
She will lie with her back against mine facing the door and there is method in her slightly obsessive madness as from that position she can maintain her top dog status with Mary and the ever more slightly cropped Albert.
For as I am happily snoring my best ( Poor Alex….less said about that the better) the animals embark on a strange game of Grandmother’s Footsteps.
The game is started as soon as Mary or Albert realise that I have gone to bed. One or both will then gallop up the stairs and will jump into the foot of the bed.
Then Dorothy will let out a low rumbling growl
She is staking her claim.
To stop any escalation of hostilities Mary and Albert have learned to freeze exactly where they land, and by doing so Dorothy will stop her growling. 
This tableau remains unchanged until Dorothy closes her eyes  thus allowing Welsh Terrier and cat to move another millimetre until the growling starts up again.
I’ve pieced the “ game” together now after several aborted efforts to sleep over the past two years 
And know that the growling and mini movements will continue until all animals are within a knat’s Crotchet of my body and peace reigns.




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Adwick

Solitary oak tree near Adwick-le-Street

Clint came down with COVID three days ago so of course he is still testing negative. Consequently, I had to choose an alternative form of transport to reach my walking destination. I chose the train - paying just £8.50 for an off-peak return ticket to Adwick-le-Street north of Doncaster.

I was up bright and early with my backpack sorted and porridge bubbling in the microwave like a volcanic mudpool. Shirley offered to give me a lift to the railway station but I had plenty of time so I caught a number 82 into the city centre and when I got there I began to saunter down to the station. And that is when a thunderbolt struck me.

Green path near Toll Bar 

Not a large-scale thunderbolt like one that Almighty God might mete out when he hasn't had his porridge but a small-scale one like a cheap rocket on Bonfire Night. I had forgotten to put my camera in the backpack. What a silly ass! Fortunately I  realised my error for boarding the Doncaster train and headed straight back home on a Number 88 bus.

Quick check of the "National Rail Enquiries" website and then back on a bus with plenty of time to catch the 11.11 train to Doncaster. Instead of waiting an hour for the connecting train to Adwick-le-Street I just walked out of Doncaster station and headed north towards Bentley and then on to Toll Bar and finally Adwick-le Street. By the way, if you didn't know it already, the name Doncaster is a reminder of Roman occupation - it means "castle by the River Don".

Toll Bar Grill

It was a great day for walking in spite of the false start. On more than one occasion, Toll Bar has been in the national news because the village is very susceptible to flooding but today it was basking in sunshine and surrounding fields and drains were very dry for April. We have had so little rain in recent weeks.

Bandstand in Bentley Park

I estimate that I walked nine miles today and I was back home for five thirty - ready to make The Duchess of Yorkshire a nice evening meal involving fresh linguine, fresh pesto sauce, fried onion, sliced courgette, parmesan cheese, plum tomatoes, mushrooms and pieces of chicken. Easy to bring together but tasty and filling.

Raggedy little horse near Bentley


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Three things

 Three good things

Rest

Books

Quiet


Your turn?



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