Moan, Moan, Moan - 2012

[angie]

Why do you have your eyes closed in your avatar pic?  Seeing no evil as one of the wise monkeys? 

I have a pictures of one of my relatives with their eyes closed but they are dead. I find this really disturbing, who would take a picture of a dead person.I have been meaning to get rid of it for years. When I saw Mark it reminded me of this. Sorry Mark 

Angie 

[annew]

I did think he looked a little 'late' too.

[Brian Ellis]

I have a pictures of one of my relatives with their eyes closed but they are dead. I find this really disturbing, who would take a picture of a dead person.I have been meaning to get rid of it for years. When I saw Mark it reminded me of this. Sorry Mark 

Angie 

Angie, Victorians often photographed the late relative, for someone who went to live abroad this was the only way they would have a photograph of them, the better photographers 'inserted' eyes so that they looked alive.  We have one where this was cleverly done.

[angie]

Angie, Victorians often photographed the late relative, for someone who went to live abroad this was the only way they would have a photograph of them, the better photographers 'inserted' eyes so that they looked alive.  We have one where this was cleverly done.

Brian I just think it is so creepy. I have just collected all the photos of members of my family that I never knew and posted them to my mums sister in Germany, one way of getting rid of that horrible photo.

Angie 

[Lesley Cox]

Angie, I hope I don't make you creepy as we'll be rooming together later, but I took a picture of my Teddy after he had been killed. I just couldn't bear to think I'd never see him again. He was on the back seat of Roger's car and covered with his blanket, the one that stayed in the car, except for his head and front shoulder. He looked to be asleep. I suppose it was a bit creepy. Sorry.

[Anthony Darby]

I can understand where you are coming from Lesley.

[Lesley Cox]

I have a (different) picture of him by my bed. I contemplated a super pic of the second of my two surgeons which one of the nurses put on my camera. He is a real doll, about the same age as my son I should think. But thought Roger might object to that.

[angie]

Angie, I hope I don't make you creepy as we'll be rooming together later, but I took a picture of my Teddy after he had been killed. I just couldn't bear to think I'd never see him again. He was on the back seat of Roger's car and covered with his blanket, the one that stayed in the car, except for his head and front shoulder. He looked to be asleep. I suppose it was a bit creepy. Sorry.

Lesley, no not at all.  We all have our ways of dealing with our loses. I have four cats two dogs buried in my pony paddock and I still say hi to them when I am over in that corner. Looking forward to share a room with you, will be nice to chat face to face.

Angie 

[Gerry]

Gerry

My pal has his special spade from BT and we thought we had dealt with them - they keep coming back.

Must find the right chemical to fill the holes I will drill in the trunks.  Elderbery is a menace in a garden - though I am partial to elderflower cordial

The brushwood killer kills the elder. After its very dead the hoe makes it easy to get the dead roots out.

[Anthony Darby]

Blast from the 80s: just had a phone call from a double glazing sales person.

[Gerry]

Blast from the 80s: just had a phone call from a double glazing sales person.

Were they from Co Durham?

[Anthony Darby]

Didn't find out, but I suspect not.

This is our letter box. It took me a year of experimentation to make it water proof. This morning Vivienne watched the ignorant postman cycle up (over the grass, as usual - there's a lovely groove in the lawn) and open the back of the box, rip out the news paper (today's Herald, which is quite large) and slam it down on the stocks, breaking them, before inserting a couple of letters and a "recorded delivery" (aren't they meant to be signed for?) package from Oz in the back. Pointless making a complaint. These phrases could cross my mind: revenge e.g. missing/damaged mail, would be like punching fog, sound can't travel through a vacuum etc., but I'm not like that.

[Lesley Cox]

Lovely letterbox though Anthony, a pleasure to collect the mail each day. Ours is very utilitarian, one of a row of 7 at the end of the dead-end road. A large spider lives in the far end and the mail woman always pushes the mail right to the back so I have to get out of the car to get it out. Thought of putting a brick in the back so the letters wouldn't go so far but I might squash the spider.

[Roma]

Roe deer wandered through my garden again the other night.  Tops and leaves eaten off new raspberry canes and flowers eaten off the runner beans.  I was late in planting the beans so they were just beginning to set.  They did leave some mini pods but I'm not sure if enough are left to get a picking.

[Darren]

Only partially a moan..

Last friday our lab lost one of its brightest stars when my friend Kathryn left to emigrate to NZ (Christchurch) with her husband Nic who is starting a new job there. They fly this coming week.

Not only is Kathryn a good friend (saying goodbye was HORRIBLE) but she is possibly the person I have the most respect for professionally too. Morale is not good this week as she was one of our perennially good-natured staff who could be relied upon to keep us grumpy old timers cheerful.

Anyway (this is the non-moan bit) - if any of our New-Zealanders (especially in Christchurch) would like to welcome them with a nice message please send me a PM with your e-mail and I'll put you in touch.

Neither of them are gardeners but are outdoorsy and like riding, diving etc and am sure they would love the mountains of South island.