New Blog

I have another blog! It's called Grumpyoldchap and that just about says it all!

If you want to have a look, go to www.grumpyoldchap.blogspot.com

Where we live.

I thought, when I moved down here to Surrey, I would miss the countryside I was leaving behind. Well, inevitably, there are one or two things I miss - the empty roads and some of the people, of course. But Surrey has so many lovely trees and so many nice places to go and be with nature. We have a beautiful river walk a short way down the road, which leads through our cricket field to a lovely park.

John Clare verse

I like this. It takes me back to some good times....

Why can't a gray haired dreamer

who wanders slowly along the

lanes of his garden of memories,

realize he's wandered

too far away from the

pleasures of his boyhood days.

Will he ever know again

the joys and laughter he did

when he was a boy?

He'd better stop

and remember when he

was a barefoot carefree kid.

Let him stop by the creek,

take his shoes off and wiggle

his toes in the mud again,

and be free of all the

restrictions of a man.

Just forget all the

riches he has won,

and all the struggle and

strife through his life,

and be again the carefree boy

he can see in his dreams.

Stretched out on the banks

of a fishing stream,

with not a worry in the world,

remembering the splendours

that surround him,

as they seem to

rise and taunt him,

with memories of his

boyhood that has fled.

The richest man in the world

has lost the greatest

treasures life can bestow,

if he never, ever slows

down enough to dream

of when he was a boy again.

Our Secret Garden

Having posted those photos of our garden, I feel a little explanation is required. That area, at the bottom of the garden, was impenetrable a year ago. Pam had an incinerator, where she used to burn garden waste in one corner - the rest was taken over by dead trees, Russian vine and huge mounds and holes where foxes had settled in. There was also a shed that was totally overgrown and collapsing beneath fallen trees. We tackled it all with much vigour and energy; but it was such hard work at times. We had huge bonfires to clear all the debris and filled many sacks with logs, for those that had wood burners at home! We got there in the end - the foxes went elsewhere to set up home but still pay us a visit as they pass through, on their way to next door's chicken run!

Now the Secret garden is a peaceful haven with a lovely summer house, two armchairs, a book shelf with our favourite books and a TV running off a 12volt battery.

One of my favourites.

So much going on here. Great atmosphere, brilliant players, lovely singing.

Off we go again!

Well....here I go again. Different life style...change of interests. Yesterday I sold my last remaining two wheeled vehicle. Biking is a thing of the past and I'm not really sorry. It gave me a wonderful 5 years or so and filled in for a gap in my life that was needing a lift. But down here the roads are too busy - too full of people in a hurry and who don't "think bike" enough. Too dangerous.

I have a lovely partner and friend in Pam, a whole new family full of interesting people, a really nice car we call Daisy Juke (remember the Dukes of Hazard?) .....this Daisy is just as shapely as her namesake and twice as fast! I have a great air rifle, a wonderful 'secret garden' that we built together and a very welcoming summer house, where we can lounge and read, listen to the birds and smell the flowers on the breeze. And I have a new camera that I hope will stretch my creative desires a bit. In fact, here's a photo or two of our garden. Ahhh......so peaceful!

Doom and Gloom?

Is it really just because the media seem to be preoccupied with doom and gloom these days, that I sometimes despair with the direction we are all going? Is it true, or acceptable, that a 13 year old boy is now a father, having concieved the child when he was 12?! The mother of the child is 15 and unsure if the boy is the father as she had several other young, potential sires. The parents are separated and squabbling over who will get the most money for their stories. The boy, when asked how he proposed to financially support his child, asked, "What's financially?"

When I was 12, I was out with my brothers, collecting conkers, falling off our bikes, or furtively smoking dog ends. Girls weren't fit to join in these activities - let alone be bedded by any of us. I didn't hold a girl's hand until I was 15 and that wasn't for very long!

Maybe I'm old fashioned.

Rainy Day Picture

This is a short excerpt from the children's DVD made by Jeff Bullock and S J Smyth, in the USA. He contacted me to ask if he could use my piece of music 'Celtic Queen'. Wrote this and played it on my Yamaha keyboard.