Comparison

Sometimes you just know when you have taken a special photograph. That is how I felt yesterday morning as I  walked away from New Mills. There was thin ice on the surface of The Peak Forest Canal and stoves aboard any occupied narrow boats were pumping out steam.

A young woman with a dog checked me out before proceeding along the tow path. After all, all men are potential assailants even when it is three degrees below zero and the sixty nine year old man in question is dressed like an Arctic explorer. I was following her and I could see how her breath was turning to steamy condensation just like the smoke from the boat chimneys.

It was all looking pretty dramatic. I was aware of the dog and the different positions it was taking up.

Perhaps I should have taken multiple pictures in those ten seconds but I didn't - I just took two. I shared one of them with you yesterday. We will call that Picture A. It pleased me greatly that Steve, Dave and Carol were amongst the visitors who complimented  me on that image. It was confirmatory.

I will call the other image Picture B. And here they are next to each other. There are subtle differences. In a moment an image can look so different even though the composition is more or less the same. Is there anything you can say about the two pictures and how you respond differently to them?

Picture A

Picture B

from Yorkshire Pudding https://ift.tt/YpyHPcn

Vigil

 I wrote this post, yesterday.

I’m sat in an empty waiting room. 

There is a tv but it’s switched off and thanks to covid there’s no magazines to read.

There is a small selection of wooden toys in a box in the corner, the sort no children ever want to play with.

I’ve been here for two hours, so far.

The vet and his colleague have been treating Roger for the duration. The surgery is seventeen miles from Trelawnyd and so I’ve resisted the vet’s suggestion of going home .

I think they’ve forgotten about me.

I feel scruffy.

I’m wearing my big blue winter jumper, the one with the hole in the sleeve. 

I’ve poked my thumb through it now which makes a sort of glove and it feels good as the waiting room heating isn’t on. 

The other dogs are curled up in the car. They are asleep.

The vet appears, a fresh faced boy of a professional . 

He’s articulate and doesn’t treat me as though I’m dense, which I like. 

Roger is still somewhat “ jittery’ and needs to be observed a while longer

Did I want to go home and come back later? 

When I shook my head he asked 

“Is there someone that you want to take over here then ?”

“There’s only me” I told him 

Suddenly feeling very alone in a somewhat upsetting day.

I was brought a cup of tea and half a Kit Kat which was kind.

I hate the feeling, today has given me

I suspect many Singletons do when the chips are down a little and you only have yourself to deal with things.

I know Roger will be fine, I know I can afford the callout charges

But it’s all a bit harder dealing with things alone.

No one to moan to,

No one to bounce off…..

Anyhow, sitting here, I found this older blog entry from a decade ago .

It amused me 

I was standing over by the counter , which is in front of me now, in times when the previous junior vet looked like George Clooney.

It’s worth another look

One of the refugees has a chesty cough

I had run out of antibiotics

So I rang the vets

Booked with the receptionist to collect some

And drove up to the surgery late this morning.

The receptionist must have been on her break for only George Clooney

( the GOB smackingly good looking vet) was sat behind the desk eating a sandwich

I straightened my hair and gave him one of my best smiles

And before I could say anything, he stood up and sang out a lusty

" Mr Gray!" 

And suddenly  I went all silly realising that he had actually remembered my name

" you have a good memory for faces, I haven't been in for ages"

I wittered.

George shook his handsome head

" Not really" he answered in his deep chocolate voice

and  picking  up the bottle of antibiotic from the counter,

he added simply and somewhat wryly

" Your name is on the bottle"

from Going Gently https://ift.tt/xaumciF

Chocolate

 An hour, almost two,  after a walk, Roger started to get restless and odd.

He had found something to chew on in a discarded carrier bag  at the lane border and even though I hadn’t witnessed it, I’d seen such symptoms before. 

18 years ago my first Welsh had eaten chocolate and was incredibly poorly, 

The poor lad vomited and opened his bowels all over Bluebell’s back seat

I’m glad he did

A day at the vets, is not what either of us wanted but hours and hours  later , after activated charcoal treatment, various blood tests and close observation he was allowed home looking stressed and tired and upset and I drove him home looking stressed and tired and upset ……but very relieved too.

from Going Gently https://ift.tt/MAyiIZq

Fairy Lights

My New York snow globe on the mantle

 I sort of don’t know my arse from my elbow.

I worked a long day Thursday , then covered a night for a colleague last night and am back doing overtime tomorrow on a long day. 

This afternoon and evening I’m arranging fairy lights and eating comfort food.

And that’s it.

An articulate and rather passionate lady was collecting for the local food bank at Tesco’s  and an impromptu speech to shoppers had me moved to tears.

So much so I left her with some selection boxes and tins of dog food. 

She was aided by a rather charming looking Father Christmas with a big black beard 

I could have have sat on his knee quite happily and shared my Christmas list 

I’ve bought a cheap new phone too and a new unchewable cover , and apart from a brief conversation; with Mrs Trellis this morning , I’ve not seen anyone non work in days . 

Mrs Trellis had brought me a homemade Christmas card made from cotton wool and twigs 

It amuses me that she has signed all correspondence, for a few years now  with the one word monika ….. Trellis 

 

from Going Gently https://ift.tt/SN0945A

Manger

Je suis ici. 

Opening up

The mailbox today

And seeing all

The Christmas cards

From people I don’t know

But who know me

Is exhilarating

So special

And blows my mind

To know I’m so loved

Leaves me teary eyed

You give me so much

And while you tell me

I give you something

It doesn’t compute

When you give to me

Expecting nothing back

I’m beyond humbled

I can never thank you enough

Never did I think 

This physically disabled body

And mentally plagued soul

Would find acceptance

From this community

Much less any community

God sees in me

Value and hope

Worth that is priceless

It’s what a babe

In a manger

Is reminding me

from R's rue https://ift.tt/qKTr48C

Sods Law

Big breaths……

I woke up to snow this morning.

Got the dogs into the car, took them for a walk at Dyserth

Bluebell’s gear stick came undone as we tried to get home.

A garage job. 

I forgot my phone.

Big breaths……

Got dogs out of car, walked towards Prestatyn three miles away, towards my sister’s house 

Dorothy was giving up the ghost by the time we made town.

My sister gave us a lift home thank goodness.

Now I’m grabbing a quick coffee before my brother in law comes to give me a tow to the garage

Thank goodness for him.

No essay writing , 

No car to get to work tomorrow night 

Big breaths …..

What a fucking week 

from Going Gently https://ift.tt/vwcgGrL