Goosey goosey gander .....

Photograph Quiz:

Photo number 120:- Which Godiva member ran in this Olympic Marathon? Easy peasey. Which one is he? Not so peasey. There is a clue in the picture if you follow my line of thought. Easy!

Dear Blog,

               Circumstances dictated that I was late trudging a couple of nights ago and was forced to go out into the dark. A slow trudge along dark unlit country lanes is far safer than my tripping up on the uneven pavements of the well-lit streets of the city. Following rain earlier in the day, the relative warm evening air was causing localised mist to form. Even in the dark and the mist, conditions are far safer on country roads especially when wearing a reflective vest. The combination of dark and mist has a curious effect which you may or may not have noticed Blog. Without mist, when a car approaches in the dark from behind, your elongated shadow shortens, speeding up as the vehicle gets closer. The running action increases, giving a flattering impression of a quality tempo run rather than the actual plod!! The shadow finally makes a few desperate quick steps backwards as the car passes. Have you noticed the difference a mist makes Blog? First thing you are aware of Blog, is the beautiful halo of a myriad of reflective sparkling droplets of jewels as each tiny speck of mist splits the spectrum of the beam of approaching light. The halo becomes a sphere, you and your shadow are cocooned together, both quite happy to jog alongside each other, together reluctant to speed up from the leisurely pace. It is only in the final moments as the car passes that the shadow balloons, its sudden increase in size further highlighting the sparkling twinkling particles of mist which provided the brief pleasurable existence. Next time it is misty, or foggy, take a run in the country … you now have five months of dark nights from which to choose one, Blog.

Yesterday evening, I noticed as I went across the University campus on my daily trudge, past all the lakes, that the authorities have erected a series of metre high unbroken plastic fencing. For a couple of decades, the mess left by Canada geese around the University on all available grass and banks, and sometimes on the sports pitches, has been disgusting. All kinds of geese whether domestic or wild, are known for leaving the ground stripped bare and covered in their droppings. With the exception of Manlius, they are universally regarded as a nuisance! This summer, instead of large flocks of geese, grazing the grass out of existence, the university grounds have had very few, the birds conspicuous by their absence. Only the occasional youngster, shepherded by their half a dozen nurses, has been in evidence. I won’t tell you what I have been told the grounds men have done to discourage their presence, but I won’t be having turkey or chicken for my Christmas diner this year! And the price of a certain type of poultry meat in the local butchers has fallen, unlike the national picture where all types of meat is getting more expensive. Wonder why? I believe you can pick up a bargain buy on brand new goose down sleeping bags???

Late finishing, I had the infrequent treat of a fish and chip supper. But it’s not the same as some years back, is it Blog? Not wrapped in newspaper any more. No newspaper for the vinegar to drain into or the salt to stick to. I mention the fish and chips and newspaper for one reason only, and for one reason only. Believe it or not Blog, many years ago when news print wrapping was still widely used to keep the chips warm, I was eating my fish and chips out of my newspaper when I saw that there was a photo of me, ME, in the newspaper. Drenched in vinegar, I was staring at ME. ME was staring back at I. True Blog. Would I lie to you?? Would ME lie to you??

                                       Colin.

Another poem by Colin:-

An old man went out for a trudge,

To hurdle a gate, he misjudged.

Got jammed in the bars,

Stuck fast in the spars

And found that he just couldn’t budge.

Is there no genius to this man??? Sorry that should read ‘Is there no end to this man??’ Sorry I’ll try again, third time lucky; that should read ‘Is there no end to the genius of this man??’