I saw a little squirrel go a walking human paths well trod
His tail was swishing to and fro as if ‘twas like a passing nod
to metronomes just beating time accompanying his daily trek
And oft times I remember him, his journey by that lonely beck
I ponder this, and wonder that, considering his lonely jaunt
I saw him yet again today and thought him looking rather gaunt
I’d like to think he sees me, yet, I hope he knows I can’t forget
The joy he brought when e’er we met reminds me of the epithet.
Bright eyed and bushy tailed
This being my first audio attempt I am spoiled for choice of what to offer. I tried so many versions and have rejected dozens, but cannot pick which one of six should be THE ONE. Being human, and kind, I’m giving you all six. You choose!
Jim Adams’ Song Lyric Sunday gives us the chance to share familiar, and sometimes not so familiar, songs.
This week the title or lyrics of the song must contain a colour. (For my American friends that is one of the many words where you took out the U for some reason!)
If you fancy sharing one of your favourite songs you can find out how to participate, and also listen to all the great entries, here.
The video for this is really rather clever. It is other worldly, dreamlike, with a generous smattering of childhood magic. The lyrics include a bit of Latin so I hope that you paid attention at school.
Eurus Afer Ventus – South African Wind
Boreus Zephyrus Africus – Northern West and Southwest
Jim Adams’ Song Lyric Sunday gives us the chance to share familiar, and sometimes not so familiar, songs. Jim has given us Odor /Scent /Smell /Taste this week to be included in the title or lyrics.
If you fancy sharing one of your favourite songs you can find out how to participate, and also listen to all the great entries, here.
This week I’m pondering on the final concert, and the final public performance, of The Beatles, Paul and Linda McCartney’s move to the Mull of Kintyre, and the beauty of that part of the world. I was fortunate to live in the Outer Hebrides for two years, based in Ballivanich, on the Isle of Benbecula. Wild, sparsely populated, enduring some tremendously strong winds and wild weather but beautiful, captivating, and instilling a sort of desert fever in those who are lucky enough to experience it.
The Beatles’ final paid concert of their career took place on 29 August 1966 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California. The band played to an audience of 25,000, leaving 7,000 tickets unsold. They had become disillusioned with live performances, singing the same songs time and again, unable to hear themselves playing. They had upset many fans with John’s statement that The Beatles were more popular than Jesus.
The Beatles’ rooftop concert on 30 January 1969 marked the end of an era for many fans. The group did record one more album, Abbey Road — on which work started the following month — but by September 1969 the Beatles had unofficially disbanded.
To save some money from the taxman and as a bolt hole from Beatlemania, Paul had, encouraged by then girlfriend Jane Asher, bought High Park Farm in Campbeltown, near Argyll’s Mull of Kintyre in 1968. But it was only when newly married to American Linda Eastman in 1969 that he decided to make it a home.
He said: “Going up to Scotland was real freedom. It was an escape – our means of finding a new direction in life and having time to think about what we really wanted to do.”
The farm, which was rustic to say the least, would become home to Linda’s daughter Heather and the couple’s first child Mary. Stella, now a top fashion designer, arrived in 1971.
But it was also the place where Paul’s next music project was born.
The new expanded editions of Wild Life and Red Rose Speedway include never-before-seen pictures of the McCartneys’ life in Campbeltown, which in time would inspire his love letter to the area – Mull of Kintyre – a 1977 Christmas No1.
They released the album ‘Ram’ together in 1971 and formed the band Wings in the same year. The couple were also nominated for an Oscar for their song ‘Live And Let Die’, the theme tune for the 1973 Bond film of the same name.
“When she came to Britain and we got to together the greatest thing about it was we both wanted to be free. We did what we wanted and she took pictures of it all.”
Linda McCartney died after a battle with breast cancer on April 17, 1998. She was 56 years old.
The video shows some great examples of the free and easy life in their dream home. A great place to raise their children, grow their own food, ride in deserted areas (UK horseriders may note they use American style saddles and tack), and generally enjoy life.
The song aint bad either!
If you want to see more then there is some lovely pics, and music, at the bottom of the lyrics.
This is a reblog of a series I started in October 2017. I thought I should resurrect it in order to attempt to get it completed. Perhaps it could take the place of my Lundi limerick series.
I had this random thought that I have done a few things in my life that the average person will never experience. I thought I would write a post entitled:
“Ten things I’ve done that you probably haven’t.” It developed a little like this:
TenElevenTwelveThirteenFourteenFifteenSixteenSeventeenEighteen Nineteen Twenty things I’ve done that you probably haven’t
I arranged them in reverse alphabetical order, just for the sake of it! Then I thought of an added one, or four. So, here we have:
Some of you may know that I go for a walk most days. I talk to the trees and anything else I encounter along the way. In these days of Covid I have changed my route and now I mostly go through fields, woodland, along the river and canal. I stay away from roads and people as much as possible!
Today I had a real bonus meeting and conversation. Apart from the cattle, horses, swans, spiders, grasshoppers, and birds, that is.
I quite often come across a dead mouse, or vole, and that’s what I saw this morning, and then……she moved. It was a teeny tiny mouse, and her name was Melissa. I know that for a fact because she told me. You may think me a little potty, nuts, crazy, or whatever. I don’t care.
I asked Melissa if I could take a few photographs to remember her by, and she agreed. In fact she was quite happy and so that her friends on Mousebook could see what a big girl she is she asked if I could put a Pound coin alongside her to compare with. A pound coin is 23.43mm diameter. That is 0.922 inches in old money!
Melissa was exploring her neighbourhood for the first time but couldn’t remember how old she was. Baby mice grow up very quickly. After just six days, they have fur and can move and squeak. After 18 days, they are ready to leave the nest. Female mice can start having babies when they are just six weeks old. They can produce 10 litters every year, with up to 12 babies in each litter.
She soon went back to the nest which was accessed by a small hole in the ground. Another of her siblings popped his head out to say a quick hello but disappeared and didn’t want his photograph taken.
Seriously though, folks, isn’t she gorgeous. So much so that I am not sharing her space with any other friends I met today.
Glossop is a market town in the High Peak, Derbyshire, England, 15 miles (24 km) east of Manchester, 24 miles (39 km) northwest of Sheffield and 32 miles (51 km) north of the county town, Matlock, near Derbyshire’s borders with Cheshire, Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire. It is between 150 and 300 metres (492 and 984 ft) above mean sea level, and lies just outside the Peak District National Park. It probably dates from the 7th century.
Architecturally, the area is dominated by buildings constructed of the local sandstone. There remain two significant former cotton mills and the Dinting railway viaduct. Glossop has transport links to Manchester, making the area popular for commuters.
*‘The Gnat Hole Wood, Glossop, is very pleasant in the Summer time when there are no gnats about. The small stream of water that runs through the wood at one place forms a small pool; this was known as Old Nat Nutter’s Porridge Kettle. She had the reputation of being a witch and fortune teller and used this pool for unholy practices and incantations. She was a bogey to children.’ [Glossop Advertiser, 1913]*
"If only half of the history that has happened in Nottingham had happened in some other place, that place would be famous; but because it did happen here no one knows".
