The last sermon I heard preached of the importance of community spirit and neighbourliness. I agree in principle, but there are limits.
For instance there are those that malinger around our neighbourhood. The group I’m specially thinking about might be described as black, female and noisy but the wife says that they are harmless and that I should tolerate them. There were originally four in number and they would gather at the side of our house most afternoons to the acute discomfort of the cat who likes to spend her afternoons sleeping on top of my pile of grass cuttings. Now it is usually only one of them – watching, alert to sudden movement, waiting to see if the wife is around, wondering what can be scrounged, making eye contact with the cat.
With the warmer weather, we’ve been leaving the side door open during the day to let some air into the house. Big mistake. The damned chicken now marches confidently into the kitchen demanding more Scott’s Porridge Oats, muesli, or whatever other treat the wife has for the bird. I wouldn’t mind so much if we got some free eggs out of the deal.
Talking of chickens, my wager on David Toms for the US Open fell apart on the second round when for the first time he led the tournament. He must have looked up at the leaderboard and been so surprised to be leading that the wheels literally came off his trolley and he dropped five shots in two holes. He got a second chance on the final day but dropped a further seven shots. What with the NatWest one day matches between England and Australia and Bangladesh during the day, plus another Lions match, I finished the weekend with square eyes from watching too much TV. But well done Michael Campbell, Mohammad Ashraful, Kevin Pietersen, Ryan Jones et al.
More square eyes coming up with the Lions Test series starting on Saturday. We’ll stick with experience says Sir Clive, but I worry that by doing so the Lions are not fielding their best possible team. I’d be much happier (and I’m slightly startled to find myself saying this) if there were more Welshmen around, and I’m sure that by the third Test we’ll find Gavin Henson, Michael Owen and Ryan Jones all in the starting lineup.
Old fogey, less-than-totally-successful bookseller, husband, parent and grandparent holds forth on his own issues of the day.
About Me
- Rumbling Nappa
- Sometimes referred to as the Rumbling Nappa I occasionally return to blogging. This time it is to comment on the Languedoc marriage of my neice, Louise Ticehurst to Rich Astley.