TV vet

Anyone else see the tortoise on “The Yorkshire Vet” last night? They had to cut through the shell to take out three infected eggs! The tortoise survived. I wish it was allowed to have free roaming tortoises nowadays. I think they have to be in a heated container these days, not free to wander round the garden and eat dandelions. We had one when I was a youngster and put it in a box full of hay every winter and left it in the shed to hibernate. I think they are wondersful but they are imported illegally and I don’t know where they end up.

It wouldn’t make up for not having a dog but it would ease the pain a little. We have got so lazy, but it’s not surprising in a heat wave.

At least someone asked if I had any books and when I told her about the ” Penny Tales” ordered one on the spot! Now, if only I culd get the urge to write something new…..

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TV

Last night we watched the film ” The Green Mile” which has probably been seen by many of you. I had read the book ( by Stephen King) years ago and knew it was going to keep us awake although it went on after midnight.

It was such a change from watching repeats as we don’t seem to like all the usual stuff on the terrestrial channels in the evenings and haven’t got sky or netflix.

I thought it was brilliantly done and was interested to see that the Astaire film they used was one we had watched a few days before. Thanks to the lockdown we are able to catch a few good films in the afternoons. It seems a shame to stay in watching TV when the weather is so good but something is making us very tired and we do try to get out each morning for our permitted exercise or shopping.

I’ll try to post each day while I can and hope I’ll be able to use the classic system when it comes in next week.

Rainy day

This Sunday we had the first rain for ages. I had forgotten how the sunny weather gave me the excuse to trot down the road and gt a bit of fresh air. Instead I did a job I have been putting off for ages. I packed my winter clothes into a suitcase and hung up my summer ones. This probably means the weather will turn cold.

I did manage to write a little short story this morning. I don’t know what I’ll do with it but it made me feel better, just getting something down. We watched the Churchill film last night but I felt a bit cheated as I was willing him to ask for more planes. I hadn’t realised how difficult life was for him in those days but I don’t believe he really went on the underground to ask folk what they thought – or did he? Also, was Parliament really lit like that – with darkness over the benches and a kind of ethereal light on the centre table? Funny how all the Parliamentarians were almost identical. It’s different nowadays with more women and lots of colour. Can’t find a picture to fit.

 

What I have seen

Apologies for repeating the last post but I couldn’t find it when I searched for it and didn’t know how else to check on visitors.

I don’t have a poem at present but I would like to comment on a TV programme we have been watching. Bradley Walsh and his son have been swanning around the USA having adventures and the pleasure they showed  couldn’t have been acting all the time, even if some of the singing as they drove might have been just for the cameras.

There are a lot of these travel shows on TV at the moment, with railways  and cars featuring quite often but it is usually the interaction between the participants that leaves a lasting impression. The films of India always keep me enthralled and as I age it is possible that these scenes of distant lands are the most valuable programmes on TV.

Writing Crime

Wow – how difficult is that! I’ve been reading a lot of crime stories recently and am amazed at the plots. I love watching Vera on TV and find police shows interesting but I’m not so keen on police procedural novels. I think I need to identify with the detective and when it’s a grumpy old man I’m not always on his side. It’s different if it is a maverick rebel. Robert Goddard is good at writing those.

I am really trying to watch which posts get the most views as I would like to connect with a few more people. I think giving the posts a good title is probably key. I’ll see if this one works. meanwhile, I’ve done the short story for the competition. That’s two this month.

I use the bookworm picture when I’m posting about books or writing. Is this a good idea?

Old age

Time for blogging has been at a premium this week, partly because I haven’t been well, partly because I have been trying to get rid of paper and partly because I am now using one of my few free afternoons trying to get fit.

Bandana is a new exercise class where the trainer fits the exercises to the individual and each person gets personal advice on exercise and nutrition. Today the TV suggested old folk should do exercise to keep their brains active.

I sat in bed this morning and wrote a poem about feeling more like a tortoise than a bird.Hopefully it will be in the new poetry anthology I am planning. I may not have ideas for a seventh novel but I am writing poetry again. I think maybe I ought to read more as my verses echo those of fifty years ago! If I don’t blog as often it will be because I am writing, at last!

Vera

Maybe if I put a few book reviews on here my followers will come back.

I am reading The Crow Trap by Ann Cleves and , even before I have finished I know I will look out for more of her books. Three women conduct an environmental assessment for a proposed quarry but a murder brings detective inspector Vera Stanhope onto the scene.

Whereas the TV series concentrates on the detective this book has much more about the other characters and the writing style is perfect for this type of story.I love the detail about the environment that the three women are examining.I’ll put more on Goodreads when I have got to the end.