Good spell tonight on my story. Went over the first five chapters. I am pleased with how it reads so far.
More work on our Children’s Centre Presentation and again tomorrow.
Cheltenham Literature Festival starts this weekend, will write about some of them later.
A lovely unexpected visitor this afternoon. A juvenile Green Woodpecker on the back grass for over 40 minutes. Managed a few snaps through the telescope.
Spent most of today at Park Children’s Centre working on our presentation for the Children’s Centre bid. This is taking up time so not able to write and finish off my story.
Had a good 15 mile ride first thing and it was actually dry!
I am doing some voluntary work at Wick Court (a farm for City Children that we did the cycle ride for) and my job is to do a count of birds on the farm. I’ve been counting since January. I have been trying to take a picture of the Little Owls (a family have nested in an old pear tree) for information sheets for the children. They normally sit out and take little notice of you so are an easy bird to snap. Last week they waited till I got the camera out and then flew off. Yesterday it was a lovely morning so I thought they would be sunning themselves in the open. Did I see them? I spent over an hour hanging around but no sign! I’m sure they were watching me and waiting till I went before coming out.
Clare is off to London tomorrow to meet up with our Peter and visit an exhibition. I am preparing the presentation for the Children’s Centre bid!
Hopefully won’t have to write about being too wet now. Just ordered waterproof trousers and new overshoes to combat potential “Trenchfoot”. Might mean I will be able to turn up for a gig and not have wet shorts etc! Having said that no gigs booked for October, although that might be a blessing with a few jobs to do round the house and for the Children’s Centre bid. I also want to finish off tidying up my story and start looking for a publisher !
We went to Luton yesterday for the game. Good lunch and pint in the Highlander in Hitchin before the game. The game started well with a super goal after 4 minutes and Southport were poor. However we seemed to drift and stop playing and they equalised on the stoke of Half Time. A different team game out second half and we played good attacking football and won 3-1 could of been a lot more.
Much better day today! Cycled to the WWT at Slimbridge to do a couple of hours bird watching. Highlights were a Black Tern and a Pectoral Sandpiper.
I cycled in to Dursley yesterday for a meeting about the Children’s Centre-we have quite a bit of work to do for the bid to run the Centres in the Stroud area. Popped into school to see old friends and pick up some sponsorship money for the cycle ride. Once again I got really soaked pedalling home so much so I am reviewing my wet weather gear to make sure I don’t end up with webbed feet!
Went to watch Luton at Tamworth and for 60 minutes we were poor and disjointed. 3 subs changed things and we looked a different side and we sneaked home 2-1. Most of us in the away end think we have more idea on what system to play-well I have run under 11 teams so I have some experience!
I pedaled to my gig at Whitminster today; could be said to be an interesting decision, Clare might of said foolhardy! It had rained for a good 24 hours non stop and it was really heavy at times – cats and dogs, horses and cows! Lots of surface water on the road and deep water in places. I had the misfortune to ride through this deep water when a car decided to come from the opposite direction – ouch! I ended up wetter than I should have been as a result. My bike Sir Gawain was only cleaned a week or so ago and will need to be done again!
Had great fun at the gig telling Anansi stories, Russian Folk Tale, Harriet the Hippo, the Six Swans and dream story I wrote that had Arthurian themes running through it. I was asked some really good questions about the content of the stories.
Knew the rain was coming today so got up promptly and worked in the garden-not sure if I will be able to get any gardening done the rest of this week looking at the forecast. Made the most of yesterday’s lovely day and went down to David’s to return his stuff from the cycle ride. Had a lovely walk in Topsham.
I am still cycling to my gig tomorrow. I may be bedraggled when I get there! I am doing my Hippo story to the whole school and will put my tutu on as I tell it! I am then telling stories to different classes.
Very down about football and how Luton appear to be incredibly naive playing four forwards. We were hammered on Friday night. I am hoping our manager doesn’t go all stubborn about his system!
We have booked tickets for a few music gigs this Autumn as well several Cheltenham Literature Festival sessions.
Carried on proof reading my story Misty the Magician. Getting close to the end over 19000 words now. I am then going to read it through as a reader to make sure it fits together. Then I shall invite some friends to be critical. I need to think of a title because it isn’t quite right. Will keep the blog updated on progress etc.
Had a good ride today on my usual training run. So much better at hills since the great ride. Hardly had to stand in the pedals going up Cam Pitch. I am determined to keep my fitness levels up.
Spent today going over stories for next week. Pleasantly surprised to re-read a couple of mine. I am doing my Harriet the Hippo to the whole school, that is the one where I wear my tutu (look on the web site for the pictures). Anyone who comes across me cycling will hear me telling my story out loud! Hopefully the men in white coats won’t take me away.
I went to Wick Court today to do my bird count. A Little Owl was sitting out in the open. I got off my bike, and started to set up my telescope that the camera fits on to. This was going to be a great photo that was until the bird flew off just as I was fixing it on! Such is life!
Had a lovely time picking blackberries today. It is a wonderful fruit that is aesthetically pleasing on the eye! Even better in my favourite pudding, blackberry and apple crumble.Got me pondering on how many poets have written about blackberries, I am going to look through the various anthologies I’ve got later. Surely someone has written about them!
“Sir Gawain” my trusty mount got a good clean today, was caked in mud from the great cycle ride. Almost now at our target of £3000 with gift aid to add; we should do it this week. About to write-up the ride for the village newsletter.
Yesterday’s football was a dismal goalless draw. Not sure about the balance of our side because he wants to accommodate all four forwards. Need a tough tackling midfield player, would offer my services but I’ve lost my boots!