A mind is a terrible thing...

Fi says I should blog. Personally I think she should stop telling me what to do when she can't even control her faculties enough to keep hold of a poxy set of car keys...

Anyhooo, here I am. I've recently been taking much supplements, such as glucosamine, vitamins, fish oil stuff and ginkgo bilbao (which are not related to Rocky, seeing as his name is Balboa, and he's not real). The latter are taken the world over for their brain boosting properties which is something I've felt like I've needed recently!! To be honest, I can't say I noticed much difference at first but I can certainly say that I seem to have become a bit sharper mentally.

I've also been occasionally taking gotu kola but I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this just makes me loopy. Last night I was laughing my socks off at a combination of this and this, much to Fi's bemusement! To me Cosmo, Dibs and Foggy seemed like the ideal sitcom...and I suppose you're probably just as bemusedright now as Fi was back then....

I don't think the ginkgo is working...

The Car Key Adventure...

Hi there everybody, it is me, Fi, I told you that I wouldn't get to blog very much, my time is taken up with looking after Nate and the rest of it working.. Sometimes I even get to sleep but not much and certainly not nearly enough!!

I just have to tell you about how clumsy and baby-brained I have become since getting pregnant and giving birth to Nate..

I managed to finish work early on Tuesday, I usually work 8am to 9pm 3 days a week but managed to get away early to take one of the hounds to the vets..
I got back home, safe and sound but 'D' had called to see his mum & dad with Nate and was not yet back. Seeing as how good I am, I decided to take the aforementioned hounds out for a nice walk whilst waiting for 'D' to get home... I put the dog leads on 2 of the hounds but had left the other 2 dog leads in the car so I needed to go and get them....
Now then, the car I am using at the minute does not belong to me, it belongs to 'D's father who has kindly lent it to me for a while...
So, I picked up the car keys and left the house to go round the side to retrieve the leads and then, PLOP! the car keys are down the drain, right down the gully, in all the horrible rain water that we have been having... Oh no!! thinks I and calls 'D' to ask what to do, he has no idea really what could be done at that time in the evening.. I was advised to ring the council in the morning...

Now here is the good part, the following morning I ring the council at 9.10am, I spoke to a lovely lady who's name was Lorraine, after the expected jocularity at the stupidness of my actions, she said she would ring me back in 5 minutes, she took my number and indeed, she did call me back. She said, hello, Fiona, its Lorraine, there will be somebody with you in 10 minutes, I have asked them to divert to you.. Thanks, I said and off she went off the phone. I had to gallop upstairs and get dressed, by the time I came back downstairs a huge gully cleaner was parked at the front of the house.. Out pops 2 men, both enjoying the hilarity of the situation, we've come about some keys love, they say to me... I point them in the direction of the gully and they quick as a flash whip the top off and fish down in it with some big claw-like graspers that I am reliably informed are called gully scoops. Then, a few fishes later up comes the keys, full of dark black goo, they take them to the van and clean them up for me and hand them over.... Phew, i think and thank them in an embarrassed way and off they go. By 9.30 am I have the elusive keys back, now that is pretty good going, Lancashire County Council can be proud of themselves...

Anyhow, this is not the first adventure I have had, in fact 'D' and I had a great one a couple of years ago on the way to see a friend who was living in Glastonbury, but I will leave that for another time, I will also tell you about a short but life changing weekend 'D' and me had in Hebden Bridge
I hope you keep visiting us and we shall post more regularly when we get time..
Bye for now...

Out in the country...

I've mentioned before how lucky we are to live so close to the countryside. In an attempt to lose a little weight and trim up my already svelt figure (!) I have taken to going for a half hour walk at lunchtime.

I have a choice of walking through the backstreets of the wonderful town in which I work or heading the other way to have a quick wander over an old quarry which has now been filled with muck and rubble. Despite its proximity to a couple of busy roads it's so peaceful there with wild fruit growing in abundance and the sound of grasshoppers filling the air.

There's a little lane at the back of the quarry and it was from this lane that I took the pictures below...

This week I did also go shooting things. A few of us went clay pigeon shooting to Cloudside where my boss is a member. I wouldn't have been able to hit a cow's arse with a banjo but it was still fun none the less. I now ache like you wouldn't believe and have a big bruise on my right shoulder...maybe my technique needs a little work!

I should be off now. I have an early night ahead of me as I am heading out at around 2.00am to collect akelamalu from the airport. I'm sure you will read her tales soon!

Be safe...

A Viscount..? But I am a Prince...

Isn’t it odd how a little nudge to the senses can transport you to times and places past?

I have just eaten a mint KitKat, and jolly nice it was too. From the first bite I was transported back to the dining hall of my old primary school, though only in my minds eye...don’t be rushing out buying mint KitKats thinking that they have the power of teleportation!

What prompted this jolt of the memory? It was the taste. Back in the days when my Mum would make me a packed lunch – and I’m sure if I asked her now she’d still make me one – there was always a little bit of something to go with my cold toast and jam (yummm!) & flask of Vimto and that normally took the shape of a biscuit. The biscuit I remember the most was the mint Viscount a wonderful creation round in shape with biscuit and mint stuff covered in milk chocolate. My Dad and brother always seemed to go for the orange Viscount but I preferred the mint.

Anyway, there I was, sat at my office desk in body but talking childish nonsense with my very earliest friends in spirit.

I do post some rubbish...

Up at the res...

Hello all!

We've been transferring some pictures fom our old pc to the laptop. This little exercise has given me the opportunity to post a few pictures taken up at a little reservoir close to our house.

Clowbridge reservoir is located at Dunnockshaw between Rawtenstall and Burnley and there is truly some beautiful countryside there. It's so goodto be ableto travel acoupleofmiles outof the town and beconfronted by sights such as these.

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves...

Fancy a quickie...?

Hello friends...

The pressures of work and two pre-school delinquents have lead to a complete standstill in the corner of the blogoshpere inhabited by D & F but we thought this link may interest you after our previous post detailing the wonder that is the singing ringing tree...

Be safe...

More Tales From Bulgaria

Hello Friends...

We must apologise for not posting any tales of wit and wisdom for a few days but we've been otherwise engaged. In other words we've found a good deal on alcohol from one of the local purveyors and have been befuggled.

Anyway, this post is not exactly a tale from Bulgaria but rather a few photographs taken in the historic town of Old Nessebar. We took a walk one day, as you do, just to see where the road lead to and got almost to Old Nessebar. We later discovered that we had turned back literally yards before getting to what is a beautiful little town. A day or so later we climed into a taxi and headed off...

To get to the town you have to go down a causeway with views of the harbour on one side and what I think is Sunny Beach on the other (though I am willing to be corrected if anyone knows different!). The streets of the town are very narrow and therefore only pedestrian access is allowed, hence the large bank of taxis congregating outside the town walls!

Above can be seen the fortifications at the entrance to the town. These are thought to originate from around the 4th - 6th Century although their foundations probably date from around the 5th Century B.C.

Entrance to the town is just off to the right of this picture where the archeological museum is located. We didn't go in there as we were in need of food. And it was shut.

There are so many fabulous building in this old town and information can be found on them on this wonderful little site. A lot of these buildings are former churches that have now been turned into museums or art galleries. Have a look below:-

Then there's the shops, a lot of which look Tudor in origin...

And finally, the signs...this one found on the pavement directing the traveller wearied by the midday heat...

Have fun and be safe!