April 23rd Another week has begun, that means more walks and more photos. Today I didn’t tell the boss where we were going although she guessed ‘medicine factory’ after a while. Wherever we walk she will always do her thing anyway. The duck was down to me.
Through the countryside we went finding small things along the way.
This was our turn off, by now Huan had worked it out.
Another small thing was found, it wouldn’t keep very still though.
Some years ago we would always stop here so that I could go in and chat to the pigs.
Shortly afterwards we were through the gate and into the factory, what’s left of it anyway. Most of the doors, windows and anything made of metal has now disappeared.
And then we were out of the other side and under the highway.
A long time ago, in May 2019 in fact, we crossed the river down below and came up the track on the left. Today we turned right and wondered where the trees had gone.
Across the river the leaves had gone but the birds had taken up residence.
Huan and I often take photos of the same subject. With me using a camera and her using a phone, more often than not mine are much better quality. The same was true here but I preferred the way Huan’s was composed, so here it is. The subject is a half submerged house.
On that occasion in 2019, we had really struggled across the river. It’s not possible to wade across anymore, it is now much deeper, hence the half submerged house. Walking up from the river, with some difficulty on my part, we were faced with another hill.
Lucky for me at that time, (I was in a much worse state than Huan); someone was in residence at this little farm. He provided ample water to bring me back to life and turned a blind eye when I disappeared into the woods for a much needed #2!
Why was it so difficult for me?
Well, it was just three months since I had been under the knife in
Today no long rest was needed and we were soon on our way, back under the highway and back through the medicine factory.
As we went back through the gate
Huan reminded me that there used to be a very big bell hanging on the tree to
the right. I guess they used it as an alarm bell, maybe even a clocking on and
off bell. Like all the metal in the factory it is no longer there.
Just outside the gate the artistic director was at it again, “look at those ducks”!
Back in the village we had covered over seven and a half kilometres, nearly eight in fact, so a water break was needed.
Suitably refreshed Huan got back to lizard spotting and I got back to scenery. The last lizard seems to be giving me a bit of attitude!
By the time we arrived home we had walked over eleven kilometres and we were still in time for lunch. We were mightily proud of ourselves even though we both needed a nap.
After lunch it was time for me to cook again, Golden Pumpkin Soup.
Do you need to modify the recipe? Well, the only thing I would do different is that I would skip the corn flour on the shrimps. As soon as I tried to fry them they stuck to our wok. Also we do not have to pre-boil the tofu, what we buy can be eaten even without cooking. Mine may not look like the one in the recipe but it tasted good enough for me and the restaurant manager was very happy with it too. What more could I ask?
April 24th “Where shall we go today?” I asked. “Rendishan” she replied so off we went. We took the back road between the third and fourth turnings from the main road and before we got to the end someone had already found her first lizard.
By the time we reached Rendishan time had flown so instead of heading out to the countryside we aimed for the river. On the way I snapped a bird that we both thought I wouldn’t be able to. The colour only became obvious at home. PS This is a huge crop!
Huan found one of those insects on a tree, the ones that are usually empty. We think this one is in its transition stage but we really have no idea which was the inside coming out!
Walking back along the river Huan found another lizard, easy enough for me to snap. She also said she had found something else. I couldn’t see what she was trying to point at so she started taking some photos with her phone. “OK, I’ll take a couple too” I thought and then check at home. At home Huan’s photos showed nothing, mine showed another little insect.
Most of the butterflies we find are not very interesting; in fact they can sometimes be drab. This one was different, bright and colourful. There was one thing wrong of course, it was dead.
Before long, Huan was back to her favourites.
You may have noticed the sad lack of scenery today, well I only managed two. This was the first one, a view over the river towards home.
More of our lolloping lizards were found, the first and third by Huan and the second by yours truly. The third was also photographed by Huan because we had taken different routes around the bushes and I had not seen it.
Knowing that we were down on photos today, apart from lizards, I decided we should at least have one more scene shot. Almost home and this one took my fancy.
Naps were needed after lunch, needed maybe far more than we knew. Huan was the first to re-surface and she shouted from the living room that it was now half past three. In my befuddled not yet awake mode, and with the light flooding in through the closed curtains, I was arguing with her, saying that if it was light outside it must already be morning! Slowly my brain caught up and I enjoyed a cup of coffee and a slice!
April 25th I was a bit slow off the mark this morning so we kept our ramblings more local, some exploration around the town and neighbouring villages.
SWMBO still managed to find lizards for me, even if sometimes they were not easy to see. This is a crop down to 13% of the original.
In the village, the name of which I forget, we decided that the photos I took should be black and white. The first one is a refurbished building listed under ‘China Cultural Heritage’, very nice it is too. The other three are old buildings in the village.
Finding new places to explore is often fun, Huan has no real sense of direction.
“What is this?” I hear you ask. You may have thought as I did that it was some kind of advert for a music school. Like me, you would have been wrong - 出门去露营, Chūmén qù lùyíng - go camping, 寻找美好, xúnzhǎo měihǎo - looking for beauty. I have no idea why there is a guitar, perhaps like us the Chinese like singing around the campfire.
Huan then found two lizards in rapid succession, one she had to snap me taking a photo of too. This time you don’t get me, just then end of my lens.
By the time we reached here Huan was telling me not to go that way, we would have to climb up the hill towards the cemeteries again. She had forgotten that there is another way, and it goes down not up, through the ‘no title deed’ complex.
We walked back through town but found nothing to excite or inspire us today. After our, now fairly usual, naps it was time for me to cook again, a nice ‘Pork & Bean Sprout Stir-Fry’. I made a bit of a mess serving it so there is no nice photo of either of our plates. We can tell you that it was very tasty though, even surprised Huan.
April 26th This morning’s topic of conversation was all about why we seem to sleep so much! Neither of us fancied a walk so Huan made bread and I got back down to trying to find a printer. Both of us succeeded in our endeavours. I gave up on trying to find a colour printer, mostly after watching a lot of Youtube videos, and chose a Monochrome Laser All-in-one instead. All I then had to do after lunch was remove Huan’s dead computer and destroy the hard disk. It died months ago and she doesn’t want it repairing, the new printer will use her desk.
After dinner we both thought that a walk was mandatory, not just because we needed the exercise, but also to buy some cooked pork belly for the weekend’s salad. Once that was done we bought the makings of the salad too, that means we don’t need to go to the market tomorrow, we can have a real walk instead. Huan, of course, couldn’t miss a day! He’s an odd colour and also not too clear, I only had my phone with me.
April 27th As planned we didn’t have to go to the market today although we did pass by on our way to our planned walking route.
As we reached the edge of town I started recording today’s video. However, that didn’t stop the director from finding things for me to photograph. In each case I had to stop the video and get the camera out. Here’s the first one.
I take the blame for this one though. Whilst I was making the video I stumbled across these ducks. As I got nearer they got a little bit twitchy so I stopped the video, let them settle down and then took this photo. Shame about the water bottle.
The producer then ‘interrupted’ me again, more than once!
After the video had been completed and as we walked back along the main street we saw a fellow peering intently into trees. He was looking to see where the sound of the cicadas was coming from. We joined him and managed to find some, here’s just one.
That was the end of our walk, almost, I did manage to snap one more before we got home.
Before lunch all I had time for was uploading the photos and the video snippets. After lunch, and the obligatory nap, the video was compiled and uploaded, along with the spider video from this morning. The walk video is here https://youtu.be/gKC-klhdOZ0
April 28th Today was a walk that I know Huan will always say yes to,
Now this one is for all you amateur, or professional, geologists out there. Some of our smaller mountains are just sandstone, others are real stone. Are these the tops of deep mountains or just huge boulders moved around in a previous ice age?
Upwards and onwards! The third photo is the set of steps before the turn-around.
Just before the bridge I stopped for a chat.
At the bridge you can see the dearth of snowbirds; there are just two on the edge of the photo.
Reaching the road we found a little guard dog. He only barked when we left him!
Going down it was even more obvious that the seasons have changed. There wasn’t a soul around except for myself and the good lady.
Downhill, at the water stop, Huan got busy with her camera and as usual took far too many photos of a kitten in a basket. I have to say though that one of hers beat any of mine so here it is, and the unusual occurrence of the boss actually picking one up!
And there we have it, the end of another lovely walk in the
countryside. As usual in the warmer months we were both soaked, Huan less than
yesterday though. Lunch was finishing off the feta cheese for Huan’s sandwich
and sliced cheese and jam for mine. You can’t beat a good old
April 29th “Monday morning feels so bad”, who can remember that song then? Of course Monday doesn’t feel anywhere near so bad when you are old and retired. For us it just means it’s a shopping day. While Huan was hanging the washing before we went I took a trip to the rubbish bins and found this little fellow on my way back.
After shopping and after lunch I left Huan having a snooze and I went off to the sausage shop. This week I will be cooking something very simple on Thursday. On the way I had to go to places where Huan would drag me ‘just in case’ a squirrel would turn up. One such place did turn up a turtle and a bird, but no squirrel. Birdie deserved two!
Now you know that sometimes we like to take photographs of filler caps. Here’s one that has nothing to do with the octane ratings, just New Year.
When I went out today the temperature was 34⁰C, probably just as well that Huan didn’t accompany me. By the time I reached this location I was absolutely soaked and needed the shade of the trees. It was after three and the temperature was only down to 33⁰C.
My last walkies snap is another filler cap, designed to completely fool the fuel station attendants. Which one would you put in?
While I was out the new Brother MFP (All-in-one printer) had arrived. Huan asked the express delivery guys to send it up in the lift; it would have been a little too heavy for her. Dinner came first of course, then I had to scrub the camera bag. Somehow I had got a big dollop of grease on it this afternoon. Only then could I start on the printer. I’ve owned a lot of HP printers in the past, a couple of Canons, but this is the first Brother. The first problem was trying to get the menu into English. Huan is fairly good at helping me but technical terms sometimes throw her. Once that was done it still took an inordinately long time to get it up and running. A whole heap of software had to be downloaded first and then each ‘package’ had to be updated. Eventually I got it all done although the fax has yet to be tested. Here it is, sitting proud on Huan’s old desk.
My last job of the day was to print out tomorrow’s recipe, it will be much easier than squinting at my phone in the kitchen. No colour of course, this printer is only black and white. Don’t worry; your copy next week will still be in colour.
That’s it, another week done, almost another month too. We hope you all enjoy Mayday or whatever else you may call it in your part of the world. For all of you who may be interested in its origins, this page may well be useful https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Day We’ll see you next month, bye for now.
