Monday 8 June 2015

Flaming June

Well somehow that's another month gone, but there is no point in asking me where it went! I think my target at the moment will be a blogpost per month and if I exceed this then instead of feeling bad for not posting regularly I'll have exceeded my target so it will be a success. I once marvelled at this tactic some years ago when the ambulance service were splashed all over the papers for failing to achieve their target of arriving at emergency calls in under 4 minutes. Their average response time was around 6 minutes but they raised their target time to 8 minutes so that, without changing anything, they not only met their target but exceeded it in one simple manoeuvre. I thought it was totally disingenuous but inspired at the same time so I'm going to give the trick a whirl to assuage my blogpost absence guilt. This post doesn't actually have a theme other than a whizz round of some random pics from last month.

The weather here is vile and feels like November with the dark skies, howling gales and lashing rain. The promised heatwave obviously was incorrectly addressed and we'd like it returned! There were a couple of nice days which only made the grass go mental and my dandelion crop was taking over. I couldn't do anything definitive so I cheated and pulled them up then strimmed the tall grass to stop the place looking derelict. I know they will be back but I've got weedkiller for the survivors....!
I also stripped some of the prolific ivy out of the hedge revealing what can only be described as a 'bluddy big hole'.
I hadn't realised it had killed the privet and actually WAS the hedge! I'm lost as to a solution, so my plan is to lob in some Miracle Gro and start praying the hedge rather than the remaining ivy sprouts.
My strawberries have come on brilliantly since this pic in March.
I had one single lovely big juicy strawberry ripening up nicely but last Sat I looked out to find it had been robbed and to add insult to injury it was only half eaten.....grrr. Who knew birds stole them? I should have twigged really as the strawberry thief is one of the patterns on my William Morris mugs! There were two more ripening yesterday so I snaffled them before any predators just to be able to say I'd tasted one of my very first homegrown strawberries. Although not perfectly ripe they were deliciously sweet. I'm not feeling homicidal towards all birds, just the ones with sticky strawberry coated beaks!
For many years I've watched successive new little seagull families being raised between these chimney pots and though you can hardly see him the little grey chick is the latest generation. Typically, he was having a wander round the outside but when I tried to picture him he played hide and seek! 
Random car sitting in front of me at some traffic lights - clearly a woman with her priorities right!
In Glasgow, the hospital provision is transitioning over to the new South Glasgow University Hospital on the site of the old Southern General Hospital.
It's been nicknamed The Death Star due to its external shape which might or might not be an improvement on its old nicknames of Sufferin' General or the Sufferin' Genitals depending on your outlook!
It's very bold architecturally but a bloody nightmare if you have difficulty walking as the parking is inadequate and none of it is near the actual entrance.
 
I am always mystified by why hospitals, which are generally for the injured or ill (!) are now based on a single entrance/atrium design which entails miles of walking.
Last month I joined instagram to see what it was like and I have been enjoying it, even doing an obligatory 'what's for my dinner' shot. Before joining I was rather dismissive and couldn't see what all the fuss was about as all I'd seen were supersaturated combination shots which all seemed a bit 'samey' and meh! However, since joining I've realised there is more to it. Obviously, when posting you are selective and want to present everything in it best light and I've been trying to blend in. However, just for a bit of realism, I thought I should provide some context to the arty dinner shot as it made me laugh.
This is the true state of the table at the time. Due to the weather the laundry was drying in front of the patio doors to catch what sun there was and, as I'd been craving Chinese dumplings for ages, this was a solo snack made for scoffing with no time to clear the table of my laptop or craft stuff or to fold the dry laundry strewn over the sofa on the right. The tea towel is not there because of carrying hot plates, instead it is because slippery steamed dumplings, thin dips and chopsticks are an accident just waiting to bounce down the front of my jumper. I may be a slovenly housekeeper but heck those dumplings were worth it!
Right that's probably enough randomness for now. Hope everyone is doing well and I hope to be round to say hello soon. 

5 comments:

  1. I think that it is called managing expectations! As you say, overstate the time and then outperform and people will be impressed! I am sure that we will all be happy to see you on your blog whenever you are able to post, however frequent or infrequent that may be. I hope that all is well with you. xx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good to hear from you! I'm beginning to think I should adopt your strategy for blog posting. You've reminded me about birds stealing the strawberries. It's really annoying. Sometimes they just graze the surface of the berry with their beaks but you still can't use them. I'll have to remind my husband to put a net over them. I always pick them when they are just starting to turn pink. A day in the house soons ripens them fully.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am not so sure I want to visit the Death Star, aptly named for sure based on the outside of it. Has my Max been over to visit you without telling me? He is the strawberry stealer around here. I am sure he would travel miles to get some more.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am not so sure I want to visit the Death Star, aptly named for sure based on the outside of it. Has my Max been over to visit you without telling me? He is the strawberry stealer around here. I am sure he would travel miles to get some more.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

    ReplyDelete
  5. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete

Comments are welcome and I read every single one