April 9th We had plans for this morning, get up early (not too late), catch a bus, go towards Nansheng and find a new place to explore. Unfortunately we awoke to the sound of rain. Cue any number of songs about rain, and I can tell you that I know quite a few! Never mind, I spent some of the morning preparing what they call the ‘mix-in’ for this evening’s dinner.
After lunch we took the plunge, it wasn’t raining although the air was damp with 89% humidity. Every now and then we thought we felt drops on our skin. Apart from that though, it was pretty good weather for a stroll around the river. As we were crossing the little island Huan had me teetering on a very steep slope to snap this first cicada. The second one was much easier and could be snapped from the footpath without any dangerous leaning.
For the first time in ages we saw a skink, odd looking creatures aren’t they. I thought this one had a damaged membrane behind its eye but they all seem to look the same on the internet. The ‘normal’ lizards that we see have a membrane across that hole. Maybe the skink does too but it may be recessed and that is why we can’t see it. That’s a question for you Saurologists out there!
And just to show you the difference I then found a lizard for you.
This one is for the lady of the manor. I knew we were too far away but what’s a man to do?
More lizards were found, one was in focus, one wasn’t, neither of them appear here. Instead there is a little chick which had, apparently, fallen out of its nest. We could see that it was not yet able to fly and every now and then a parent would fly down to ‘check on it’. Before anybody asks, we were not in a position to get down to the riverside and help!
Above our heads, also at the limit of the camera, was the worried ‘parent’. All we can hope is that the parent keeps the chick well fed until it has enough strength to fly.
Back home it was time for Chef Bob to get down to it again. This week I had decided I would try and cook a crust-less quiche, thus avoiding having to make any pastry.
There is no photograph of my efforts I’m afraid. If you follow the recipe you will be fine. I ended up with too many ‘mix-ins’ and not quite the right balance of quantities. Having said that it tasted superb, I ate a half of the ‘too much’, Huan had a quarter and she will have the remaining quarter for her breakfast tomorrow.
April 10th Whatever plans we had for today went by the wayside as the chief teddy bear was out of sorts this morning. I volunteered to stay home too and be the care bear! Was it my cooking? If it was then it was selective, I was fine. After lunch I had to take a break from caring and go out to buy today’s lottery tickets. Tickets bought I stopped by the town square where I found preparations well underway for the upcoming Sanyuesan Festival.
We mustn’t forget the needs of children and old people. Here’s a baby roller coaster and the ice cream stand for those with no teeth!
From there I took a walk down one of my favourite streets.
My reason for taking this road today was a sad one. It was time to finally say goodbye to my dear old Fujifilm camera. It had no chance of being repaired and had spent far too long sitting on the balcony. The repair man was happy to get another free bag of bits.
I decided I had to pass by the little island, to see if I could find a lizard for the patient at home. On my way I thought I would show you yet another different view of the river.
And the fates were kind to me, I found a little chap having a kip.
Another caterpillar, you know, they of many legs, appeared this week. It has been deemed worthy of inclusion here because its colour is so strikingly different to the one that was shown in last week’s video. What do you mean you didn’t watch it? Go and watch it now!
Yet again at the limit of my eyes and the camera lens, a little bird with something in its beak. This photo has been cropped to 12% of its original size!
My final photo of the day concerns the other orders that I had been given by the in-patient before I left home. She needed me to collect two items from the delivery boxes. When the express delivery people call, if you are not available they will put your items in one of these green boxes and provide you with an access code to ‘open the box’. The system works and I successfully opened two boxes and recovered two items.
April 11th My first job this morning was to rein in the eager beaver who was suggesting all sorts of routes that included lots of going up! I had to remind her that she had eaten next to nothing yesterday and spent most of the day in bed. Maybe a round the river walk would suffice. That meant of course that we would have to ‘look for lizards’. These first two were found on the main road, before we turned off to go round the river.
As we reached the river we were greeted with this pleasant pastoral scene.
The usual photographer was there trying to catch the birds on the backs of the cows. Maybe it was too early in the day but he wasn’t having much success. I had some though, despite not being able to see anything through the camera at all.
And then Huan pointed out the bovine traffic policeman, he is directing the cow traffic with his big lollipop stick. It is the long pole with a blue disc on the end. Perhaps he is worried that they might ‘accidentally’ bump him into the river.
Huan was also busy with her phone; this is a guy picking up river snails.
When she wasn’t busy with her phone she was busy bossing me around!
Now here’s one we have seen before, but not here. I wonder if your memories can go back that far and also recall the answer to the question, what fruit is this?
Flowers and fruit are quite closely related, we’ve had some fruit so here are some flowers. Now a bit of creative editing could make you think that this was either the left over confetti from a wedding or the red outer paper wrapping of firecrackers. However, although I may tweak our photos a little here and there, creative editing is not really my thing!
And finally we bring you yet another of those elusive white birds that always seem to be just at the limit of the camera’s range. Unusually, Huan didn’t see this bird at all.
Back home and after our lunch we both needed naps. Huan needed hers to recover from yesterday and I needed mine to recover from going to bed far too late last night. When Huan is ill, more often than not I stay up far too long so as not to disturb her.
April 12th Last night it was my turn to be the poorly teddy bear, and for me it was ‘both sides now’. The good news is that it wasn’t my cooking that made Huan ill, and it wasn’t her cooking that made me ill. There must be some kind of stomach bug doing the rounds. I was running so much, for one end, or the other, or both that I eventually decided to sleep in the spare bedroom. Today was a ‘water only’ diet interspersed with lots of sleep. An early night then followed.
April 13th Good morning world, it’s a brand new day! Yesterday I lost count of the number of times Huan asked me if I wanted something to eat, a piece of bread perhaps. Meanwhile all I wanted to do was to drink water and sleep which for most of the day I succeeded in doing. For some reason though Huan always wants to feed me when my body just tells me NO! Anyway, this morning was much better and my morning coffee tasted out of this world!
We both agreed that maybe salad would not be a good idea this weekend and that a good old chicken stew would probably be better. Also, as neither of us was really on top form we didn’t want to have too long a walk. From home we headed off to the ‘fortune maker’s shop’, also known as the ‘waste your money on lottery tickets shop’. I know, but you never know, one day maybe. From there we popped into the market and bought a whole chicken before setting off home. On the way we were accosted by a lady who seemed to know us. After chatting to Huan it seems we had met on April 2nd where we had helped them take some photos. Today she needed a photo to show the other two ladies that she had met me again.
When we reached home I still needed a few extra metres to reach at least 4k for the day so Huan sent me off to the riverside. How many cows can you see? No prizes for the winners!
April 14th I guess whatever
we bug we had this week really took it out of us. I woke up too late this
morning for a walk and Huan was too tired to join me after lunch. As for me, I
needed some exercise and a little fresh air. Now what is slower, a stroll or a
saunter? Whichever one it is I had the Sunday version. Photos were needed of
course, both for Huan and for you. First I took a video, you can see that here
- https://youtu.be/bvmByHI7FgU If
you are curious about the impending invasion of the
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/04/13/2024-cicada-map/73300248007/
Huan is a lady who does not like to have flowers bought for her, or chocolates come to think of it, but she does like photographs of them.
Now you will remember that when I walk alone I take photos so that my mistress can know exactly where I have been, just to make sure I have been behaving myself. Today I wondered about places you may not have seen so much of and I chose to venture to what we call ‘the top road’, mostly because it is the last cross town road before the hills.
Just before reaching said road I went through a very small children’s’ park.
And then I was on the top road.
This week’s des res may even be desirable for you good folks out there. It looks just a little different to the usual architecture we see, I think I could live there!
And then we have the last two photos of the top road before I
eventually got back to the river again. Look carefully at all of today’s images
and see if they match with your perceptions of
I did have a stop on the way, my energy was flagging. Sugar was needed so a cool bottle of orange something with bits of orange in it was the order of the day. When I reached home my belly felt far too full to have dinner so I decided to skip it until tomorrow. There were no real arguments from the Minister of Health; she herself only had a small dinner.
April 15th Just a normal Monday today, shopping in the morning followed by us both being lazy for the rest of the day. We decided that another day of rest would not be amiss. Call it one of the additional benefits of being retired. Let’s just hope that this week will be more normal. And on that note it’s time to say goodbye again, till the next time, bieeeeee!
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