Travels with my camera

It's completely freaked me out that someone has taken it into their head to post a very venomous comment on my Christmas day post. Someone who has obviously been following my blog for a long time, who has taken note of what I do, and when I do it, someone who is "stalking" me, albeit from afar, hopefully. From their terminology I would guess it's someone from the United States, but who knows, could be a false trail. However, in the light of these things, I am not going to blog anymore. It would have been hard to keep it up anyway, I did it for a year, which was better than I thought I would last. I normally tire of most things after a short time. It's been fun, but I can do without the freaks reading about my personal life and voicing their disapproval, when they don't even know me. Pity they don't have something better to do with their lives isn't it?

My day so far

5.40 am Woke up and had to go for a wee, Emma then wanted to go for a wee. Got back in bed and tried to go off to sleep again

7.30 am Woke up again, turned light on to see what the time was. Turned it off again, still pitch black, then my mobile went with a text. Thanks nic. Went and made a coffee, let Diddles into the kitchen with the light on. Non stop crowing. Got back in bed and did my normal stuff on the laptop, quizzes, looked at the blogs and the two forums I use mainly.

8.30 am Went and made another coffee, and took my pills. Carried on with the laptop.

9.10 am Went and got my bowl of Branflakes. Gave the guinea pigs their cucumber, uncovered the budgies and did their seed and water. Got back into bed and ate my branflakes. Looked out the window, still half dark, grey and miserable. Snuggled back under the covers and cried my eyes out.

10.15 am Got up and dressed. Went out and did my aviary birds, and the wild birds. Came back in and made another coffee and videoed Emma opening her presents. Even she didn't seem too enthusiastic this year though. I then opened my four. Nice useful things from my mum and my friend Irene.

11.30 am Swept the kitchen floor. Did last nights washing up. Stood at the sink and cried my eyes out again

1.15 pm Decided to take Emma for her walk, so I could sit and relax for the afternoon and watch the telly. I couldn't believe my eyes as I went out to the car, there was a bloke walking up the road in shorts and a tee shirt! (it's grey, and freezing cold - 2c!) Even more amazing was I then saw him round the Spar Shop and looking in disbelief because it was shut! Some people are bloody amazing arent they? Why the hell do people need to buy things on Christmas day? The people who run shops are obviously meant to be open 24/7 365 days according to some people then, so he can buy a pack of beer or some fags I expect.

1.30 pm Got to the park, having only passed 2 other cars on the whole journey. I felt ever more of a saddo, everyone else was either down the pub with their mates, or at home with their families or friends, having their Christmas dinners, and having a great time, and there's me, doing the same stuff as I do every other day of the year, taking the dog out on my own. Walked round with Emma, nobody else there at all. Cut across halfway because Em still isn't wanting to walk that far because of her dodgy shoulder. There were three huge piles of feathers, then I found the carcass of what was once a collared dove. All I could hear then was another one, calling and calling and calling. Really cheered me up that did. They pair for life, he or she isn't going to have its mate to snuggle up with in the cold tonight. Had another cry, couldn't even see to get back to the car properly. Had to dry Emma quickly with the towel as another car was coming down the drive, and I wanted to get away before they stopped and maybe spoke to me. Not in the mood for conversation. I remember three years ago, I went from 11am Christmas morning when I spoke to mum on the phone until mid afternoon on the 28th December before I spoke to anyone. That's my all time record for not speaking to anyone.

2.15 Got home and made my cuppa soup and toast, same lunch as I have every day if I'm home. Sat down with the telly on, nothing I want to see, but I shall make the effort now and watch my Pirates of the Caribbean II video I think.

Well that sums it up so far. I haven't posted this for sympathy. I don't know why I've posted it at all really. I have a split personality you see. Most times I try to appear happy, witty, intelligent, and full of fun. But occasionally my other side comes to the surface. Today was one of those days. When I feel resentful, envious, dissatisfied with my life. Lonely I suppose. I know I have a lot to be thankful for compared with a lot of people, I have a nice home, a few good friends, enough money to get things to be fairly comfortable. But I wanted so much more out of life. Why me? Why couldn't I have been normal and met the man of my dreams in my twenties, and had 2.4 children, and now have grandchildren and family around me? What did I ever do that was so bad, so different to other people? I see stuff on tv and think, yeah I want to do that. Instead, I am stuck here, life passing me by, living the life of an OAP 15 years too early. My life is shopping and taking the dog out, and coming on here.

Sorry for this post, but for once I wanted to tell it like it is, haven't felt this bad for a while now, it will pass, and I will be back to normal, whatever that is.

Chippy is quite keen I think. Alfie is not so sure, I've put her in the huge cage that has been in the loft for about 18 months. I went to the shops today, thinking it would be a nightmare, and I was amazed at a hassle and stress free time. No huge crowds, no traffic jams, no queues at either MacDonalds or Tescos. Only had a few items to get, but bought £5 of bird toys at Crazy Macs. They are doing all the toys that are ex Pets At Home ones for 50p each now, they sell in PAH for £1.99 to £2.99 so a real bargain. Alfie has a cage full now to occupy her, and I put some out in the aviary, and bought a couple for Cylene (Barry and Christine's little girl) for her budgie Twinkle.

I popped into Lidls on the way out of town just to get their bottled spring water, its the only one I like, and had a look round, and they had some cordless headphones for £18.99. Now I've been thinking about getting some for a while, but they are normally around the thirty quid mark in Currys etc. Well I decided to go for it, mum sent me some money up for Christmas. The lad on the check out said they were great, he bought some, and has been really pleased with them. Well, they are bloody fantastic! Because I have a hearing problem, I always have to have the telly up a bit loud, and if I ever get a neighbour who isn't hard of hearing like my current one, I would really get on their nerves I think. Well with these on, I can have the tv volume down really low, or even off, and have these as loud as I like, the clarity is fabulous, and there are sounds coming through them with the music on adverts etc that I never even knew was there from listening normally. I often miss what people say too even at loud volume, so this should help me out too. And even better, I can walk around the entire bungalow, to every room and still hear the telly,really strange to be able to sit on the loo and hear the tv the same as if I was in the room with it, lol. They are really comfortable too, I can't even feel them on me. Yes, can say definitely one of my better purchases this year.

Now looking forward to the result of Strictly Come Dancing. I've spent my quid again on voting for the gorgeous Mark, well it is for charity after all!

Oh yeah and all you lot up in the Herts/Essex area - keep your lousy grey days to yourselves in future. I want the sun and blue skies back here, we got a load of your crap today!

I had to take Emma to the vets to see Marie again today, for a check-up on her ulcerated eye. Sitting in the waiting room minding my own business, only one in there, and I heard his voice! He was in the office bit talking to one of the receptionists. I was completely unprepared, as he moved across towards the counter and saw me, and he gave me that smile, and said "Hello, how are you?" with that gorgeous French accent. I felt myself blushing but tried not to show how flustered I was. Jesus, what's up with me? I mean, I was looking away across the waiting room, trying not to look at him, he was looking up something on the computer, and I thought why the hell do I fancy you, you are not in the least bit good looking really! Silly cow. Need sectioning. :D

Anyway, Emma's eye was much better, the ulcer is still there but it is half the size. I've to carry on with the drops, but only once a day, and to take her back in two weeks.

Before all this I took Emma to Newcastle Emlyn as it was the most fantastic day after the fog and ice had gone, and took her round the castle. The Canada Geese were back in force, grazing in the field alongside the Teifi. I reckon around a 40 to 50 strong flock. I took some nice photos, although not of them, too far away and I didn't take my proper camera unfortunately, not that it would have done a better job really though.

Round my little estate quite a few folk exchange Christmas cards. One of the neighbours who live on the other end of my bit of road always had given me one, until last year, because a few months earlier I had upset them about a cat running out of my garden with a sparrow in its mouth, which ran to their garden, and they said it wasn't their cat, didn't know whose it was. So I went off about it. Never thought anymore then suddenly they started ignoring me, and I didn't get a card. However, this year, I've chatted with her a few times as she now works in the local shop, and she was at the Steam Rally I went to on Bank Holiday running a stall, and she was oh-so-friendly. So the other day, I watched her doing the rounds with her Christmas cards, and I didn't get one! I thought you bloody old cow! So just for spite, I took mine round this morning and put one through her door. When I came home, guess what? I'd got a card from her and her husband with three kisses on it! Hahaha, PMSL!

Lastly, I'm not sure I've done the right thing. Before I had Chippy as a pet budgie indoors, I had another little one that I bought from Wyevale, a little green one. I called it Alfie and it lived indoors for about 3 months, and was a very tame and playful little pet, very cute, very tiny, but I became pretty sure it was a hen, and I so wanted one that would talk, that I put it out in the aviary and got Chippy. Well this was just over two years ago. Since then, Alfie has indeed turned out to be a hen, but she isn't a very healthy one. She always had a droopy wing, which is why I bought her I suppose, I always go for the sickly ones. Well to cut a long story short, she can't fly at all now, and I have watched so many times as she struggles to get around in the aviary, and falls heavily to the floor. So today, when I went up to feed them, she was all ruffled up inside (it was bloody freezing) and her foot was pouring with blood. I made the decision to bring her in and see how she gets on with Chippy. I realise this may mean that Chippy won't perhaps talk so much anymore, but I will have to risk it. I couldn't bear to see little Alfie falling about out there anymore, she was billy-no-mates as it was, never seemed to make friends with the others. Anyway, for now, I've had to put her in a separate spare cage, as the problem I have it that I leave Chippy out all the time, he's never shut in, but if I leave Alfie out all the time, if she falls on the floor, she won't be able to get back to the cage, so it's a bit of a problem. I hope to overcome it. She seems happy enough now, but I'm not sure if they will be able to share a cage at all. She is still quite tame, she always was right from when I first bought her, she loves to play with toys on the floor, it was one of the things that made me think she was hen, they generally are more confident as youngsters. Oh well if it doesn't work out, I will have to put her back out in the spring, can't do it once she's got used to the warmth. If I had the chance, I would bring the lot indoors when it's cold like this, but sadly it's impossible. Chippy was being a bit of a bully with her at first, he's used to bashing his mirrors and giving them a belting, so he doesn't realise he can't do that with a real budgie! lol.

Winter arrived in no uncertain terms today. Thick freezing fog, which cleared mid morning to a beautiful blue-skied day, but by god, it's been so cold. It never went above 0c on my wall thermometer by the back door all day. At 3pm when I took Emma out, I had to scrape a quarter inch layer of ice off my car windscreen (it gets no sun up here this time of year, it's too low in the sky.) I only took her down to the park just to get out for half an hour and get some fresh air. Her eye is looking a lot better today, still giving the drops and antibiotics of course, I am hopeful that I won't have to have another 17-quid bottle of drops!

So the rest of my day has been spent sorting out my broadband problems. I was having so much trouble with the new USB modem. Yesterday, I'd sorted it all out, could use the phone without the line dropping, so left it alone, and trailed leads all over the place. Switched on early this morning (I couldn't sleep, it was about 5am) and the bloody thing dropped the connection about 6 times in a hour without even touching the phones. It's such a nuisance with this type of modem too because you have to keep opening up a dial up box much like using the old system, veryfying user name and password, over and over, it was driving me barmy! So I reported back to PlusNet as they had requested, having made absolutely sure that I had all the correct filters and leads in the right places. They are in agreement now that I have a fault on my line and have referred it to BT. They say to wait up to 72 hours for an update, so with it being Christmas, I doubt it will get sorted. However, because of this, I decided to have another go with my wireless router, and I sat myself down with all the instructions, and a cup of coffee, and went through the whole lot again, using the ethernet connection. I reset the thing to factory default and started from scratch. I had all but given up after about 2 hours frankly, but then just thought I'd look at one more thing, as I couldn't see anything wrong with the settings, they all checked out with the handbook. Then I found that my user name and password hadn't been saved, plus another couple of things weren't right. Put them back, and saved and rebooted (I hadn't done this last week, it must have wiped them off again as soon as I changed pages!) and hallelujah, IT WORKED! before my problem was that I was connected, strong signal, but couldnt load any webpages or get email. Just the error Page Cannot Be Displayed all the time. Limited or no Connectivity. Anyhow, I hardly dare look as I pressed Enter with Google loaded in my browser, and almost cried with relief when it came up! YAY. Well that was the good news, but I still can't use the phone, it disconnects immediately, but then it's not a terrible problem with wireless, as it reconnects instantly and I hardly even notice, the only time it will be a pain is on Yahoo chat if my phone rings of course, but it's not the end of the world. I feel like I've won the lottery, because I was considering either buying another router (minimum cost £59) or getting someone in to sort it out for me. What a relief to know that there was nothing wrong with it. I shall keep the plug in modem though incase it goes again, at least I wont have to use dial up and spend an arm or a leg to get online. Also will be handy if I take the laptop elsewhere to anyones with broadband but not wireless, it will mean I can connect I would think.

I set up the heater in my bird shed today too, it needed a good clean up, covered in sawdust, seed and cobwebs, probably wasnt a good idea leaving it in situ all summer after all! Didn't want it to go up in flames of course, so had to make absolutely sure it was cleaned up, and the fireguard in front of it too of course. I didn't want to fry any spiders either, so they had a chance to make their escape all day. (It's a little oil filled rad - doesn't actually make it tropical in the shed but stops it from freezing) My poor old birds out there, the cockatiels that are 15, and my budgie Misty who is arthritic and over 11 years old will appreciate it I hope, as it costs me at least £1.50 a night to run I think. Still I don't care, its worth it to me. I will never have pets that have to live outside again after these have gone, its too much of a worry, poor things.

Few pictures from the park anyway, and now to get the tea done.


Still frosty at 3pm

Well, I have been AWOL for a few days I know, but my week of things going wrong went even wronger, and I ended up with no broadband for over two days, I won't go into great detail though, as it is really a yawnfest of the first degree, I spent a fair bit of time using dial-up, had forgotten how awful that is (not to mention the cost, I hate to think what my phone bill will be next time) but in the end I did away with my wireless broadband as the routers are too bloody complicated for me to set up, and I bought a little USB plug in one, and am back in business.

My ex and his other half came over on Saturday and he connected up my new shiny calor gas cooker. It was a hell of a job for him, but in the end it cost me the price of a piece of hose (£5) and our meal down the local restaurant (fish and chips for four and our drinks £18) So to say I'm chuffed is an understatement. Bit better than £130 don't you think which was the cheapest price I was quoted. I even managed to help by changing all the natural gas jets to the calor ones, which I thought was beyond me when I first read the instructions, it's surprising what a bit of moral support does for your braincells. Today have cooked up a batch of spaghetti bolognaise, enough for four meals (three lots in the freezer already) and a bread and butter pudding! Yay, the first one I've made for about 5 years, my speciality, everso fattening but I don't care! And I boiled an egg last night too, so I've already used my new cooker more than I used the electric one in 9 months!

Yesterday they asked me if I wanted to go with them to the huge carboot sale and market at Stormy Down, and then down to the beach at Porthcawl, I've never been there before, so was a new experience for me. I was on my way to their place just as it was getting light, and I saw a V-formation way up high of some migratory birds - miles too high to see what, but thought it was an amazing sight, there must've been around 50 birds. We were very lucky with the weather, being as all we have had this past week was gales and lashing rain, it was cold, but no wind and lots of sunshine. Didn't see anything much that I wanted at the market, but we had a look round Porthcawl and I got a few bits and pieces. We went in Barry's camper which was fun, hadn't travelled in one for a few years, you see so much more at that height, going along the M4 there were some surprising things to see that you miss when you are at car level, or driving yourself of course, which I normally am. Good fun on the beach with the dogs, Barry & Christine's Misty is a real livewire, never stopped still long enough for me to get any decent shots of her and Emma together, but I did get one when she was a bit more worn out in the camper on the way home. She's a really lovely friendly dog, definitely about 75% border collie and I think maybe 25% greyhound. She's got the odd eyes that collies often have too, which is interesting (one blue eye, one brown)

Talking of eyes, poor old Emma has bad ones. I had to take her to the vets this afternoon, (damn and blast, why couldn't she have been ill tomorrow - Damien's day - but I couldn't risk leaving it any longer.) She has had one bloodshot eye for a few days, and I've been putting drops in it that I bought from the chemists, which are apparently the same as you would get on prescription, but it hadn't really cleared up. Well last night I noticed her other eye was all puffed up, and it looked awful this morning, she could hardly open it. Turns out she has an ulcer, Marie showed me it clearly by using the green dye (see picture below) She has drops, antibiotics and some other stuff which forms like a contact lens over the eye, so that it is protected from everything. This stuff costs £17 a bottle, and she may need 2! I've got to take her back on Thursday or Friday for a check up. Poor little devil. It was obviously bothering her too, she wouldn't let me touch it. Marie thinks I can claim on my insurance for this course, but I have to pay the first £50 excess anyway, so not sure, will have to see how much the bill is when it comes. It gets worse. I asked about her limp on her right leg that she's had for a couple of months now, and she has the start of arthritis in her shoulder. Theres also a treatment for this, course of injections, but we are going to sort her eyes out first.

Well I've now had two on the trot. Yesterday wonderful British Gas were coming to change my token meter to a normal one. Appointment booked from 1pm to 6pm. So I waited and waited and waited. I thought, well they will surely need to have daylight to do it, they must have to turn all the power off, so how will they do it in pitch black. So it got to 5.15 and was dark Meanwhile, I'd let the credit run to a very low amount as I didn't want the same hassle I'd had with Swalec and losing out on what was in there. So I thought I would ring just to check. So the usual press button two for this, then sorry all our operators are busy, holding on. Well at least it was only 10 minutes this time, and not forty like the last two times I've had to ring them. "Hold on please while I check" ........ "I'm sorry, the engineer has been called to an emergency, he won't now be able to come to you today." I went mad. I was so livid, I thought I would explode. That's the second time they've done it to me. And it will be the last. Unfortunately though having checked last night it seems that if I change suppliers its going to cost me around £150 a year more because I am on a fixed tariff till 2010, and everything has gone up already a lot since I took out the agreement. I had to then go round the Spar Shop and buy some more tokens. I shall just carry on with the bloody tokens and clambering up to put them in, and worrying about it running out. But it does seem that its the cheapest option. I am going to write a letter of complaint though, last time I did an email, and they never even gave me the courtesy of a reply. Bastards.

So today, my new cooker was being delivered, time slot 7 am to 12 noon. So knowing my previous experience, I was half expecting a no-show on that too. So I am fast asleep this morning, pitch black still, and the phone rings. "Hello it's the Argos delivery driver, whereabouts are you, on the main road?" "No" says I, "turn by the Spar shop. How long will you be?" "We're outside now" SHIT! Quickly throw on my joggers and sweatshirt, let them in. It was 7.20! Cheeky git says "you can go back to bed now!" Anyway, chuffed with the cooker, now getting it installed is another matter. Has to be done by a Corgi registered engineer. I've been given the number of three, one rang back, can't do it till the New Year, one didn't ring back at all, and the other one has rung me back when I wasn't in, so I rang him back, and it's an ansaphone so I'm waiting for him to ring back... And the one who I have actually spoken to said it will be around £150, which is more than the bloody cooker cost! Jesus Christ, I'd like to earn £150 for about an hour's work. Change the jets - 10 mins, and fix a chain to a hook on the wall, and connect hoses either end one on the cooker, one on the bottle. Nice work if you can get it.

Mum frightened the life out of me this morning too. 10-15 the phone rings, shows Mum on the display, it only rang twice then cut off. So I rang it straight back, and it was engaged. So I tried and tried, was engaged for about 20 minutes. Starting to panic incase she was ill, and had collapsed. Finally she answered and denied that she'd even rung me! She was ringing the council about the lamp outside not lighting.

Next I finally decided to brave it and go out with Emma. (weather was awful again today) Went out the front and had a wander down the path towards the side gate as it looked like the wind had almost wrenched it off the hinges. Came back in to get my coat, went into the kitchen, and looked down, and I had trodden some of Emma's poo all through the hall over the door mat into the kitchen, all in all about 9 sodding places. Bloody dog going poo on the path! I was just about to go out so wasn't impressed at having to get down with disinfectant and clean it all up. I took the outside door mat round to the back and turned the hose on it (it's one of those plastic astro turf types) gave it a good old jet wash, and then thought, my legs are getting cold out here. I looked down, and there was a bloody split in the hose, and about 40% of the water was spraying all over my jeans. They were soaked!

Highlight of the day, was looking out the living room window this morning and there was a Great Spotted Woodie on my fat balls, not four feet from the window. Went to take a photo but of course he was off like a rocket as soon as I raised the camera to my eyes.

Well, the rain has been sheeting down now for at least 40 hours, I don't think it's stopped at all unless it's done so during the last two nights. It started around 5pm on Saturday night, now Monday morning. It does look as if the wind has eased though, can't see the trees moving much outside through the gloom. It's now 8.40 am and almost dark, need all the lights on indoors. So bloody depressing.

Saturday I went over to see my friend Pat, as she'd been away for about 10 days, it was bitterly cold, but dry at least, and we managed to get a walk with the dogs. Poor Emma isn't too keen to walk very far at the moment, I hope it's just a temporary thing, but she seems to be a bit arthritic already, and she's only 7. Normally she huffs along with Ben, and on the way back is ahead of us keen to get back for her bonio, but this time she was lagging way behind and we had to keep stopping to let her catch up. We are only talking about a half hour walk here too, not miles.

Yesterday I was meeting up with my ex and his new partner and her little girl at the big car boot sale, and then going to take our dogs down to the beach, have a bit of lunch in their camper etc. He has an hour journey to get here too. Well, they still came, but the weather was bloody horrendous. On my way there I needed fast speed wipers, headlights, and couldn't see far for the spray. Anyway the boot sale was okay, loads there which surprised me, and market stalls too, I thought everyone would be in town doing their Christmas shopping. We didn't get too wet. We ended up sitting in the camper at the boot fair, having a coffee, thoroughly pissed off, would have been pointless going down to Llansteffan, wouldn't have been able to stand up with the wind, it's windy enough down the estuary on a nice day, let alone when we've got a force 8 here. So we ended up going back to MacDonalds for lunch, and then we went home.

Nothing else to report except that I need to get on and do some things here, having a day in today, the electric meter is being changed today (hopefully!) and my new cooker is coming tomorrow, so will get my arse into gear and get some stuff sorted again (like cleaning!) My aviary is in a state too, but its too evil to be out there for long.

Mum and I came to an agreement last night, so I am not going up to see her again before Christmas. Mixed emotions there, relieved at not having to worry about sorting out stuff here, and the journey and the expense, but pissed off that once again I am not going to be with her, and that I've taken the easy option. Annoyed with myself I suppose. I will get up in the new year though weather permitting, and certainly before or on her birthday at the end of March, when she will be 80. I can't believe it. How can my mum be 80? She doesn't seem any different to what she has done to me for years and years. Get very depressed just thinking about it all so try not to most of the time.

Anyway, I uploaded a couple of new videos to YouTube, of the budgie and Emma and my cockerel Diddy Boy, so the links are here if you want to see -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml-bWC7mAKw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8ic0fo29jE

I'm not sure if you can post full urls on here, so if anyone can't see that, and wants to, just let me know and I'll email you the direct link.

This week has flown by, I've done a lot, had some nice days out this week, but there's loads getting put off (like doing my Christmas cards ....) I have posted a couple and handed over a couple, but that's about it. Been having some very frustrating times with my pc this past few days too, mainly trying to do things which should be simple, but in fact turn out to be very complicated. I finally managed to do a dvd of my budgie talking, but am still trying to do a clip of a dvd to put on YouTube, (thanks Martin, we'll get there eventually I'm sure....;) My main headache this week has been problems with my broadband, still unresolved. Diabolical connection speeds during the evening, instead of about 1800kpbs I have been getting around 80-95 kpbs and all sorts of checks have been done on my line by BT and my isp and they say there is nothing wrong. I have been less than pleased to say the least. There is definitely something wrong in that if use the telephone, it cuts off my signal, although it doesn't show it has on my laptop, but it does on my router settings page. This seems to be the reason why my Yahoo cuts off too, although I don't ever use the phone at night much, but my Sky box is connected to the circuit, so when they do system upgrades could be the reason for that. It may be something simple like my ADSL splitter, but why should it suddenly start doing it? It's been fine for months, and I haven't changed anything....

I had the great pleasure of meeting Pauline yesterday and her son and daughter, and she laid on a wonderful lunch. Thanks Pauline for making me so welcome. Emma behaved herself too, but got fidgety eventually, so I decided I'd best take her off for a walk. As it turned out the wind was so horrendous that she was frightened to death so we didn't get much of one anyway, and were glad to get home. I was going to pop in Morrisons, but as I had to pass Tescos to get there, ended up going in there instead, and having a browse. They had some bargains in there yesterday, so was slightly more impressed than I was the last time I went in. On the way from Paulines though, I was behind two cars heading just past the back of the market and I saw something come flying down between them - slates were being blown off a roof! Christ that would have been nice going through your windscreen or smashing down on your paintwork. The bloke in front didn't even brake though, I don't think he could have seen it!

Today posted off my parcel to my Sponsor dog Amy, who resides at the Dogs Trust Home at Merseyside. I got a card from her the other day, and had all her latest news, and it made me shed a tear I have to confess. It's so sad that some of the dogs can't be rehomed because of behavioural problems, but lovely that people care enough to look after them like that permanently. Still not ideal situation though is it, poor things.

Today I bought my new Gas Cooker, it's being delivered on Tuesday hopefully, so am looking forward to that. Now it seems that I am going to have a job getting someone to instal it - managed to get an answer from one guy who is booked up until after Christmas. Left a message on the phones of two others and they haven't rung me back... Great. Good job I don't rely on a cooker to eat!

Oh well, may make it onto chat tonight, but I am trying to get some other things done these past few nights, which need concentration, there's so much I want to do on my pc, and I just never get round to it. Wish there were about 40 hours in a day, then I may have half a chance.

Coming back from my friend Irene's tonight, I took the photo of the sun setting down over the hill from the car window, I couldn't pull over because the road is too narrow.

Spent the morning messing with the camera. I mentioned to OC the other night about the chickens I used to have being the same as a couple of hers, so had a rummage through my old photos. I took some photos of a couple of them with my camera (who needs a scanner...) Then I found some old ones of Emma as a pup, and ended up doing some of them too.

Still haven't done my Christmas cards. Oh poo, I just never seem to have time.

The weather was awful again last night, even worse than Saturday I think. I was in the kitchen at 2 am and 5 am looking across the garden to see if the aviary was still there. Feel wrecked again now because of disturbed sleep.

I had a mammogram (has it got two m's? ) this afternoon. Now two of my friends had one recently too, and I know they say it hurts, but it didn't hurt my boobs, but hell it hurt my shoulder and back because of the contorted position you are put in! Ouch.

I sorted out selling my electric cooker too. I've had it for sale for ages with no interest, because I want to swop to Calor gas, because it's cheaper and it means when we have power cuts I can still have some hot food and drink, not to mention you can have the oven on low to have a bit of cheap heat in the kitchen too. Irene uses hers to cook on every night and a bottle which costs around £35 these days lasts her about 9 months. We always had one before, and I have always regretted not getting one. Anyway, I went into the local electrical shop, and had the most wonderful piece of good fortune. He had one for sale, exactly same as mine. Only difference was, he is selling them for £70 more than I paid for mine! I told him mine was mint (it is, have hardly used the thing) and we haggled a bit on the price, but he is going to give me only £10 less than I was advertising it for anyway! Yay a result! He's coming on Friday morning to collect, so I am going to order my calor one and should have it for Christmas then. The only downside is its going to cost and arm and a leg to get it installed I think, cos it has to be done by a corgi registered bloke and of course, I've got to have a hole drilled through the wall to have the bottle outside. Still it will be worth it.

Highlight of the day was when walking Emma round the park, I was thrilled to see various small flocks of Long Tailed Tits feeding on bushes along the river bank. There were 10 on one, then a bit further round, another 6. Don't see them often here, such pretty little birds. The river was scarey today though, and it had already spewed over onto the playing field, all sorts of debris laying way in on the grass, but the water had subsided so we could still walk all the way round.

Okay, here's the piccies

This is the one I mentioned on Anna's blog. I am sitting with my friends cav on my lap, and the look on Emma's face, I just found it so funny, she really has the hump!
















Okay this is a cutesy one of Emma on the night I got her with her very first toy, a bunny wunny. She is 7 weeks old, and the toy is around the same size as her, around 7 inches long.
















This is her today with the same toy
















This is her when she was about 5 months old showing a young Diddy Boy, with his two ladies, Crystal and Jo, sadly long since deceased.
















Here's the chicken ones for OC. They are the small flock in the snow, (see we have it bad here too sometimes, but thankfully not as long) There's also the one with them on a nicer day in the field, and my old Cavalier Amy sitting keeping watch, and the third one is of another little Pekin Cockerel we used to have, Little Harry, he was given to us as he was widowed and the owners didn't want to get any more. He is standing in front of the greenhouse we converted into a chicken house, when we had to keep two separate flocks going, the main lot were in the acre field (with Amy)

The pits today, so bad that I've only been outside the door twice, once to do my birds about 10.30 this morning, and then again to go and shut them in at 4 oclock. I managed to refill my peanut feeder by hanging out of the kitchen window and grabbing it to save going out, lol. I threw a handful of suet pellets and sultanas out of the window for the wild birds at 3 oclock but they went untouched. I've had the lights on indoors all day. I'm sick of the wind and rain now, poor Emma didn't get a walk today of course. The really strong winds are back again tonight, with lashing rain, so another night spent worrying if my aviary is going to stand up to it. Saturday night was horrendous here, I woke up about three times because of the noise, and at 5.20 there was an almighty crack, together with a loud beeping which woke me up from a deep sleep with such a fright, I nearly jumped out of my skin! Turns out we had no power for over three and half hours (I checked my immersion heater timer luckily, else that would have been switching on when my cheap electric had long gone) The beeping was my phone coming back on with the power. The noise outside from the wind was horrendous and I ended up throwing on some clothes and my wellies and going out with a torch to check my aviary. All was still standing thank god. My poor birds though, having to put up with all that noise, and no light on in there either. The forecast is like this for the week I think, how delightful. I suppose the only thing to be grateful for is that it is not freezing cold, it's still coming mainly from the south, which unfortunately though is the way I catch it so badly in my garden as it howls straight across the open field till it hits my bank and trees.

I've been absent from chat for a few nights, due to the fact that I'm really into my tv watching at the moment, what with Im A Celebrity final, the X Factor, Strictly Come Dancing, Saturday night I was in my element! I watched An Audience with Take That, followed by their concert from Manchester which didn't finish till midnight. Wow was that fantastic, how I would have loved to be there, the effects they had on stage were amazing. I've done some searching today and managed to find the dvd of all their greatest hits plus a lot of other stuff from Tesco Jersey for only £8-ish, and have ordered that. I already had the cd, have done for a year or so, but they are such a visual group, and of course Robbie will be in the original line up. I could really kick myself that I took no interest in them when they were around the first time, I can't believe it! I love their stuff so much. Only other one who can compare and I'm really into again at the moment is George Michael. My lucky friend Lesley will be at Birmingham right now I think, seeing him live. One of my all time favourite tracks is Cowboys and Angels.

Anyway enough waffle, today I've spent wrapping Christmas prezzies, most of which were for my sponsor dog with The Dogs Trust, I did enjoy wrapping them up with Emma's help - isn't it amazing that a dog can smell goodies through the cellophane paper? She so wanted some of the things! I've done her stocking too though, but waited till she was out of the room to do it, so she wouldn't know what I've got her. Yes, I have lost the plot, but it's something I've always done with my dogs, it gives me a lot of pleasure, and them too I guess! I only have a couple of things to get now, got some bits and pieces for mum, including a new phone. The bombshell is that she doesn't want me to go up now, she worries too much about me travelling, it's too much hassle for me etc. I really don't know what to do now, I'm going to play it by ear I think, but if I'm not going I shall have to post her stuff up by the end of next week I suppose and it's going to cost a fortune. Bloody hell, I wish I'd not told her now, and just turned up as usual. But in all honesty, she is right, and if the weather carries on like this, I don't fancy the journey much either.

I also put up some decorations! First time they've seen the light of day out of the loft in four years. I don't know why I feel Christmassy for some reason this year, dunno why I'm bothering though, I doubt anyone else is going to see them, maybe Irene I suppose, the only person to have set foot in here in weeks. I must get round to doing my cards tomorrow, I keep putting it off for some reason. I've got them out two or three times lately and then just put them back on the table. Plenty of time though I suppose. I am well ahead of myself this year.

Without going into every detail and being terrible boring (as if...!) Okay Wednesday I went to visit my ex and his new partner at Neath. Barry is still one of my best friends, and Christine is a real laugh and I'm really pleased for him that he's met someone else. So anyhow I see them every few months I suppose, but I'd built a backlog of videos for him because I was recording the Speedway from Sky Sports for him all summer and ended up with 5 full vids, 30 hours of it for him! Had a nice day out, apart from one thing, but it won't put me off visiting them, I couldn't possible tell them either, but they both are heavy smokers, and we went in a caff at lunchtime, and it was like a fog. My eyes were streaming and I had a good cough, but thankfully I got used to it after about 10 minutes! It was awful to see an old lady at the next table, who had hardly picked at her food, but still had the fork in one had, and a lit fag in the other! Oh well, I believe it's to be February here when the ban will come into force, I guess Barry and Christine won't be eating out very often then. Anyway, I saw the new place that they are doing up, (they do up derelict houses to re-sell for a living) God they've got some work there, rather them than me but that's another story... I also met their new dog, Misty, a rescue dog from Bridgend Dogs Trust Centre. Border collie cross. After a few uneasy moments with me and Emma, she was then fine and wanted to play and kept trying to round Emma up who was decidedly unimpressed. Got home and had to put all my clothes in the wash and have a bath to get rid of the stale smoke smell, yuck. Sorry to all you smokers, but if you ever get around to giving up yourself, you will know what it's like. I am however blessed (or not) with a very oversensitive nose, and the slightest smells tend to make me feel queasy, however faint, so perhaps not everone is affected quite as badly.

This is Misty














Thursday stayed in all day apart from a short walk with Emma, as my friend Irene came round. But I did at last get round to doing my 24-hour urine collection test for my diabetes insipidus. Won't go into great detail, you can use your imaginations! But I had to collect every bit for 24 hours, put a bit of each one into a small tube and make a note of the time, and then the bulk into a big plastic container. Interesting to note that I actually wee'd 2,200mls of wee in 24 hours, and I drank 1,500mls of liquid, and I went 11 times. I'd be interested to know how that compares with other people, so if anyone else has every done it...

Yesterday went to Carmarthen looking for Christmas pressies, and picked up my new glasses from Specsavers. I've got varifocals, they are going to take a bit of getting used to, but I only need them for when I'm on my laptop and trying to watch telly at the same time, I don't need them for out and about, I've got a pair for driving which are okay. My prescription hadn't altered this time, which is nice, at least something isn't wearing out rapidly - my eyes are still the same as two years ago. I also bought a bit of lino for the kitchen. I've always hated the floor in there, it's those red quarry tile things, and whilst they look okay, they are so cold and make the room echoey, so I've always had various mats and rugs down. Now that Diddy comes in there all the time though, it's not such a good idea.

So today I put the lino down in the kitchen. Went pretty well, much better than I expected, because I did the bathroom a couple of weeks ago and got very angry and wound up doing that, it nearly ended up outside on the lawn in the dark! (Nightmare cutting it round the loo, washbasin etc) However, the kitchen was a doddle compared with that, but with bodger being my middle name, I'm afraid I had to cut it round my fridge/freezer. These are actually a separate fridge standing on top of my freezer, and there is no way I could ever lift them to put lino underneath, so the piece I cut out is now under the doormat and can be stuck in the gap should I ever need to move. Pretty chuffed with it though, it's so much warmer underfoot, and will be easy to keep clean. Yay, I can buy a proper squeezy mop now, was useless on the quarry tiles, because it just ripped all the sponge off on the uneven bits.

Diddy Boy approves I think...


















And finally, I took Emma round the park. The weather has been really weird today, sun and blue one minute, hailstones and dark the next. I managed to avoid the latter on our walk, but it did start to spot with rain, and got a nice piccy of the rainbow as I got back to the car ...

















Oh and one more thing. I bought a little fibre optic Christmas tree in the pet shop. Had been looking at them on eBay, wondering whether to bother (I don't normally "do" Christmas) but thought they are so pretty. Anyway, this was a good price, and I said to Clare I'd seen them on eBay, and they were hers! She's been selling them on eBay, I got the last white one. I know it's early but I couldn't wait to see it going, have got it on the little coffee table by the window, it shimmers in pink, gold, silver, green. Now all I got to do is all my cards and get some presents....



There's still some more stuff, but this blog is now so long, I won't mention all my reality shows that I am loving at the moment, or the fact that Take That are on tonight either, but I shall be glued to the box for sure.