Join me on my trips

This very black bumblebee was at the table up at the Coln cafe today  The sun just about giving it enough energy to fly away. This is the front cover of my printed booklet  and the Colophon  still needs the date. My gift to Darcey made by Bill Maddox. It incorporates two tiny sapphires from earrings given to me by my godmother about 70 years ago.

Six nations today with Ireland facing Wales should be a walkover for Ireland. I notice when they play at home they sing a national anthems in Irish but when in England only one in English or is my hearing going ,- that's right. Phil Coulter wrote Ireland Calls which is sung in English and when away and the soldiers Song in Irish when at home. Also today Ophelia Otis and Heath are selling for their Grow a fiver for the school build. I spent some time with Miles printing my poems. That's the page all set up for printing. the most precarious heater. Hanging to get dry before being printed on the other side.

Got the train tickets today. Have two people to meet up with in Nova Scotia

 Trump will meet Putin, US and Russia want to devise peace deal for Ukraine without Zelensky or Europe in attendance. Trump still insisting that Gaza will become devoid of Gazans and be transformed into some US built resort.  This has energised the Arab countries such as Egypt to come up with their own plan. Appeasement is being called out by some.  Today the sky is blue. Train trips I took a train from East to West There was no time for eyes to rest While fields flashed by  I caught the cry  Of a bird wheeling Resisting the turbulence  Rivers glinting in the distance Birch trees standing, fallen, criss-crossing each other  White and black with deeper black further in I took a train from East to West Passing other trains going West to East  Loaded with grain and cotton bales Coal and timber Huge trucks grinding over the tracks No people in sight just truck after truck after truck A brutal yet mesmeric landscape Almost imperceptible pathways and tr...

 Netting over the beds and the arrival of a red kite has deterred the hens from scratching up all the plants. After a flutter with bitcoin I have cashed in making a 50% profit but as the initial investment wasn't much that is still not much.  Knocking in car was a broken spring another £320 worth - thanks to all the potholes they say. Heath and Otis created a new game which I called Habitation as they didn't seem to come up with a name. It does however cause quite a lot of fights as they both want to win, as does Heidi and the strategy is such that that is almost encouraged. Only Ophelia is more sanguine about it all. At book group the book was Vita Sackville West's Europeans which I found heavy going with all this stuff about dukes and lords and ladies but others enjoyed it for the glimpse into another world. 

Back to gym but cold and wet. Found the gym work easier than I expected I am experimenting with different cakes so far. Orange almond = little flavour Light fruit cake= went down well but dries out quickly Drinking chocolate = too sweet and made with brown flour so a bit grainy  Bara brith with mixed fruit good with cheese don't take out of the oven too soon. Coming up Lime drizzle Malt loaf Chocolate and hazelnut First bulbs are actually coming up in the new garden for which I need to find a name — just two snowdrops but quite a few tulips.  Took blood pressure seems I'm quite healthy in that respect. Quite an odd thing to put here I guess. In London farmers have had enough and took their tractors to town. Trump is causing havoc on trade and saying he will buy Gaza. No one knows who from.  On a completely other note a stolen GC has been found. Today I spent researching who should now get it as previous owner is dead without children. Trump and Putin talking o...

Very sunny. Stopped at LB to get food for Ellan £17. Got cream and then chocolates for Chris Fox who I hope to pop in on where he is recovering from a stroke. Chocolate dates for Diana then had almond croissant and coffee at Gail's in Summertown. Full of young people on laptops. Then dropping off painting of Annna and Thomas.  Full day.  Nice mistletoe-covered tree near St Edwards and two of Summertown.

Started with heating problem, then the TV stopped being able to access some connection for IPlayer and Netflix, etc. Car has some kind of knock at the back and outside lights trip on side of the house, then one of the windows in the  kitchen has water in the middile of the double glazing. So to counter all that I have been finalising plans for Canada, despite the tariffs that Trump is going to put on imports therefrom with retaliatory ones from Trudeau and similarly Mexico then both Presidents chat to Trump and make a deal — what a farce as they all roll over to this man. So Canada here I come. Canada After some emails back and forth from Jim will go with them up to their cottage in Tofino up the West coast for a few days so no trip to Seattle now as originally thought — even got my ESTA. Patti's friends in Halifax and other places coming up trumps too with lots of ideas. Then Romania with Sheila No sooner had we booked our flights than BA cancelled them so now having an extra day...