THE DAY I SAW A NEW BIRD

The patio is red.

The language is blue,

The pressure washer's playing up

and Stephen's working hard....  who knew?

Well the patio tiles are red anyway, something that we had an inkling of but without the entire resources of Tony Robinson's Time Team it seemed that we were doomed to mere speculation. However Stephen was keen for a task and I had a Pressure washer that I had bought in a sale some six years ago which was still sealed in its box and frankly needed to see the light of day, I wonder if the warranty is still good?
     So I dug it out of the garage and started to read the instructions, foreign translations eh, always a challenge. Stephen meanwhile climbed into his germ warfare clothing. I'm not sure why he has got an ex-army germ warfare suit but he was a student for the last few years so discretion being the better part of valour we just don't ask. In fairness he didn't appear to have a traffic cone in his digs but that said I did notice that he was using a street bollard as a waste bin. So fully protected and the washer assembled the task of discovering the patio commenced. Bit by bit, layer by layer, tile by tile and with a tsunami blasted out of the washer the patio started to materialise. Sadly there was so much grime that it will take several more hours to complete, but the tiles that have been done are bright and a pleasing 'brick red'.

I visited the quack today who thought it a wheeze to stab some steroids into my wrist. I'm a bit concerned that my lower arm will bloat up just like Popeye!

Don't get me wrong whilst I find spinach wanting I am partial to a little Olive Oil.

Anyway as far as my carpal tunnel goes he says it may help, or it may not, but it will probably hurt a bit more for a few days (well it bleeding well hurt when he stabbed me with the needle). Also even if it does work it may not last long or it might last for ages but you can only have three injections in a year so at that point I might  have to have an operation, but then again I might not, it all kinda depends on where I'm at and if there is an R in the month or if the moon is a blue one or I may have to run around an oak tree 7 times in the nude or jump into the sea dressed as a woman on the first day of the year.....

As if!

So I was driving home, did I mention I was in pain which is ironic really as the reason I was given the injection was because my hand keeps going numb. You'd think that he might have injected me in the numb fingers but hay, that would be too easy.

So I was driving home when, whilst paying attention to the road ahead, I noticed a very grey bird on a twig on top of a hedge, a bird that I was sure I had never seen before so I slammed the breaks on doing an immaculate emergency stop, I Looked at the proverbial bird in the bush, then thought it might be a good idea to check my rear view mirrors. All clear (luckily). It was very grey and the size of a small blackbird and had a very distinctive black eye stripe. Now I am no Bill Oddie although I have a bit of a beard and I haven't cut my hair for three months, oh and I've put on some weight because of the operations on the legs (my excuse anyway) and I ramble on regardless if any one has any interest in what I am saying.   Arrrrgghhhhhhh....      "I AM BILL ODDIE!
    On getting home to my bird book I identified it really easily as a Great Grey Shrike, which is the first time I have ever seen one of them.   
So Twitchers get up here now!
Or... When I open up the B and B (although it is only a winter visitor so don't get too hopeful).



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