Muddled

I muddled my way through today, still struggling to buy presents for a couple of people. It not help when Amazon claim to have handed parcel to resident when the only resident (me) knows this is not true. And then delivery dates are changed from Prime to after Christmas.

I suppose I could donate the painted map I bought for T – of the River Thames. It is a print of one by a local artist. But maybe I will just get it framed. And hang it.

I did not sleep well last night, so I turned it to useful purpose and watched the last episode of Vigil.

I eyed up the weather which was not at all enticing, and H was not interested in venturing out. So I spent a chunk of time wrapping presents.
And then I ventured out to pick up tablets and walk H and then another pick up – a Turkey. I was waylaid by Ali and some of her hockey friends . And then she offered that Dave should walk H. So I enjoyed a relaxing coffee. And a chat. And I was off to the shops.
The Turkey found me and the pigs eyed me up from under their blankets. And I gathered them all up and retreated to the emporium at Aldermaston. I am still short of a few presents.
I returned to the Illis to pick up H. It was dark by now and Dave was still out with the dogs. And he stayed out quite a while longer until I heard the jingly patter of feet, and H was back full of wags and licks. She had clearly been exploring most of Streatley with Minnie and Dave.

I returned home and cooked up some supper. I watched a very interesting documentary led by Cliff Michelmore and fronted by Chris Packham about the winter of 1963. I had not fully realised how severe and widespread the snow and freeze was.
i suppose the news was less accessible.

Yes, it was bad enough in our little corner of the North West where the sea froze and I ice skated (after a fashion) on frozen ponds amongst the Sandhills. My father used the beach as a skid pan to show off his driving skills. I remember trudging through frozen foam. We had a frozen lake at the end of the garden too. I suppose I went to school but I don’t remember.
But the rest of the country had it far worse with deep snow frozen for weeks at a time. All public services struggled. Energy sources became limited. Food was unobtainable or destroyed in the fields. Just as they thought it was all over, it swept back with a vengeance. The south west was one of the worst places to be affected .

I was further muddled when I did some online shopping, where I ended up speaking to Barclays Fraud Squad following some transactions, which were correct and which made them suspicious . Good on them for keeping their eyes open. Apparently there are a lot of gift card scams around at the moment. Beware.

Interesting phenomena in our skies has caught people’s eyes.

A mother of Pearl cloud apparently .

Thought for the Day