Tha' Wot?

I'm watching a rather confused Sparkle the cat, that's sat atop an 18 foot Hawthorn tree.

Sat very, very still, with a blackbird sat on it's head, preening itself. The bird is hopping around in circles, causing one cat ear to twitch, then the other. Priceless.

The bird perches on that tree every morning, and isn't going let a gormless cat stop it. I'd love to take a picture, but I fear my presence would get one or the other in a flap.

I'm very fond of that tree. It escaped the wrath of my tree-hating father-in-law ( "Bloody giant weeds, get in the way of the bloody mower..." ). I told him it was protected by the Wildlife Trust, as the remnant of an ancient boundary hedge. Which I thought was a little white lie to prevent it turning into a five foot sharpened pencil.

Only, it turns out I was telling the truth. It is, and it is. That serves me right. I really must stop doing stuff like that. "Your reputation" commented my Bear dryly "as a brilliant, scrupulous honest yet very creepy man continues untarnished. What are this weeks winning lottery numbers going to be, again?".

Sometimes I think wives should be like cars. Part exchange them for a new model when the starting handle  starts to go cranky, for something with electric heated reclining seats and a pair of furry dice. Big ones. Sarky cow.


Managed to get Skype working again, after many epic battles. It was me versus the computer, and the computer was not going to win. I built it, cajoled it, nursed it, and it will do as it's told. A tip of the hat to Dazman, who helped. By talking to me. Actually, it's quite difficult to stop him talking to me. God knows I've tried for over twenty years :) Now I have to remember why I needed to get it back up and running in the first place.......

Teen daughter, she with the bright purple hair, has returned from a few days at her cousins speaking with a foreign accent. Somewhere she now calls 'Baaarnsly'.  Near 'Joomp'. Apparently. Needles to say, it sounds like an all nations café here. Northern all nations. 'Er indoors has reverted to her Stocksbridge accent, Teen has gone all 'Baaarnley'

I'm told if I don't shurrup speaking my native Pitsmoor (just up from t'wicker arches) and get back my normal voice I'm going to get me 'ead slapped. "Tha' can go off wimmin" I reminded them. "You know what that makes you then Dad".

Yeah. Married. With children.


Catchya :)