Well I have moved quickly to get a new bike to replace Shadowfax and picked up for a bargain a new bike I have called Castor (after one of the shire horses in Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising as it will be my work horse or work bike!) Picture tomorrow!
I was Story Telling tonight for Dursley W. I . I finished up telling my Christmas Angels story that I have become very fond of! I think I should get it published at some point. I wore my new top hat!
Old age has caught up with my beloved Shadowfax, my faithful workhorse who carries all my Story Telling props, birdwatching gear and shopping. When I called myself “The Story Traveller” I envisaged my bike carrying me and my props to my gigs, which Shadowfax has covered thousands of miles doing. Sadly the bike has now to go to the Great Bike Shed in the sky. I got the bike nearly 30 years ago when I moved to Dursley as a Headteacher and pedalled regularly to work on it. So it is a sad day- I now have to look for a replacement to do the job, my other bikes are not suitable. The picture above is Shadowfax and some handsome bloke on Clifton Suspension Bridge – I was cycling with my son David from Exeter (his home) to Frampton (my home) many years ago!
I am driving to my Gig tomorrow night for Dursley WI!!!!
What a brilliant result from Pakistan! This England cricket team are certainly entertaining!!! Full credit to Ben Stokes he has certainly surprised me with his captaincy! I was totally absorbed watching this morning and the way Test cricket builds just adds to the tension! Stokes and Brendan McCullum want to make Test Cricket entertaining and they are certainly doing that!
Went out on Starling watch tonight but hardly any appeared! Two hunting Marsh Harriers made the trip worthwhile!
After mentioning sport today and yesterday it presents us with a dilemma for our Book Club entertainment next Wednesday. I think if England win on Saturday we will have to rearrange it!
How good is it at last to be proud of an England Football Team? I have to say the work Gareth Southgate has done with the national team over the last few years has been impressive. Talking sport the last day of the in Pakistan tomorrow looks like it will be a tense affair, fingers crossed. Again the new management of the cricket team has encouraged players to blossom.
Sadly the Starlings last night was an anti-climax- they tended to come in small groups and dropped fairly quickly into the reed bed. I will try again this week.
You often read about people swimming with dolphins etc- well yesterday as I set off on my bike as dusk was approaching I had about 1,000 Starlings flying backwards and forwards above my head. I could hear both their chatter and their wing beats. A special moment. Aiming to go later tonight to watch them at Splatt Bridge – there have been reports of close on 20000 birds coming into roost. It is good to have such a wildlife spectacular on your doorstep.
The cricket has been a feast of runs- hope the pitches for the next Tests are not so dead!
Have managed to knuckle down on learning stories for next week for Dursley W.I. I find I need to go over each story at least half dozen times and at couple of times saying them out loud.
Don’t forget my Book Club are doing our traditional entertainment at The Three Horseshoes, Frampton starting at 8 pm on Wednesday 14th December- all welcome! I will be telling a story and wearing my new super top hat. Will try and get pictures for the blog.
Short blog because it has been a busy day.
Started off 43 miles with a chilly bike ride with my pals – sadly because of circumstances I could only use two gears so it was quite an effort!
Fascinating talk on peregrines tonight from the Gloucester Raptor Group. Gives me a chance to share my peregrine pictures from last January again! Still can’t get over how close we were to the bird!
Despite my lukewarm feelings to this World Cup I do enjoy watching this England team – I didn’t watch the USA game ! Young aggressive and highly talented. Will be interesting to see how we get on against stronger opposition. Bit like sporting heaven- on Thursday morning looking forward to watching the cricket from Pakistan!
Pedalling with my pals in the morning and going to a talk on Peregrines tomorrow evening. Will try and cram some Story learning somewhere in the day!
We have returned from a wonderful weekend on the Somerset Levels celebrating Clare’s birthday with all the family. Our two delightful grandchildren kept us fully entertained. You can see someone really enjoyed the many puddles on offer!
The Levels were flooded as they always are at this time of year making a surreal atmospheric landscape. Certainly you can see why this area is a land of myth – we were close to where Alfred hid from the Vikings and was alleged to of burnt the cakes. Of course the Arthurian legend swirls around this area.
I took the the picture below was taken just after sunset from the window of our accommodation of my eldest son David and his dog Tully!
Last night – glorious sunset over the flooded Levels!
Proper blog when we get home.
Thought the Sister Sledge song would be appropriate for today’s title. We have had the delight of having our charismatic Grandson Owen staying with us. He will be in 2 in a couple of weeks and I was chuffed that today he could identify a Blue Tit – talk about indoctrination! We have a family weekend in Somerset to look forward to.
I mentioned yesterday we saw Show of Hands on Tuesday night , nothing beats live music or theatre! |Think the same about sport so much better in the flesh than through a screen.
Talking of live performances have three gigs coming up next month as well as turning out dressed as the man who lives on the North Pole and only works one day a year!
