These poor critters have been frozen into this tiny ‘pond’ ever since we first arrived here. I’ve been looking at them and thinking that I’m going to photograph them like it so imagine my surprise to find myself being shoved aside in the doorway this morning by DM, camera in hand.
He proceeded to knick MY shot!!! Mind you, I don’t blame him after I knicked his yesterday!
Anyway, after another long day (not helped by being up at 3.30 this morning), I was fresh out of inspiration when I let out the dogs and the security light lit up the ducks. I thought ‘what the heck’ and got my camera.
So, here they are. The shot was complicated by the short fuse of the security light switch, which turned itself off every 3-4 seconds so I was running between the camera and the sensor, jumping around to keep my subject lit. Just as I was about to lose patience, David popped out and jogged up and down on the spot for a few seconds so I got my shot!
Funnily enough we’ve both been inspired since moving because despite (or maybe because of) the house being tumble-down. There is just so much ‘stuff’ lying around. Actually, don’t tell anyone but there is a wonderful supply of granite, slate and a whole load of other old, old stuff……
……Which is just as well really because we’re somewhat lacking in the modern department at the moment. We’re remembering stuff that is in that missing container and saying ‘oh, the cane chairs – they must be in that container’ and other such stuff. I know a load of kitchen stuff is in there because we’ve got no cutlery or crockery other than gigantic ‘dinner party’ serving dishes. I brought two sets of knife, fork, spoons and a chopping knife from the cottage and we’ve made do with that.
As I’ve already said, my brain is mush today and a total lack of inspiration had me making the observation to DM that I was out of ideas for tonight, secretly hoping that he’d say ‘let’s pop down to the pub and see what their food is like’. I was out of luck because his response was ‘if in doubt do a chilli’ so I duly set out to do just that, somewhat reluctantly but knowing it’d make my love happy.
So, we debated the number of chillis to use (two) and I set-to to make the dish. The chillis went into the pan, along with an onion and a couple of cloves of garlic and by the time my eyes had stopped streaming, my nose had stopped running and I’d managed to recover from the appalling cough caused by the strength of the chilli fumes in the air, I pulled out of the cupboard a can of tomatoes and a can of kidney beans only to realise we’ve got no can opener here. Oh shit – that’s gone and blown it.
So, realising the starting concoction already in the pan was volcanic enough without adding a ‘chilli and tomato’ sauce, which was in the cupboard for DM for while I’m away. I had a quick shufty at the other bottled sauces that were there for his use and found a korma sauce so mild that I considered it safe to add to the seething mass of larva in the pan.
It got chucked in, along with some veggies and quorn and we’ve just finished eating it. I must say that if my lips have any skin on them at this moment, I’d be very surprised! No, more than surprised, I’d be amazed!!!
In the case of the chillis, two was definitely one too many. In the case of the ducks, I wonder if they’d mind a third sharing their icy bed? It may be my salvation!
Last year, my story was the most gut-wrenchingly terrible tale I've ever had to tell, despite the fact that it should have been a happy story of friendship with Lara and Ray in our home. Anyone who would like an update on this tragic and vile story will not be pleased to hear that I was right in that my Nan's spirit was well and truly crushed that night. She has never recovered and is a shadow of her former self. She truly is a broken woman and that man, who I'm ashamed to report is my own 'flesh and blood' is responsible.
