Birds Frogs and Dog Walking

Last night as I put out some rubbish, and let the cat in, I spotted the common frog that has moved into my back yard. What was amusing though it was sitting right at the tail end of my cat on the step. Both not bothering each other. My cat will never make a mouser, and that is great as she will never harm the birds that are coming to my yard. This includes a robin that has started to visit the yard early in the morning. He or she even sings there most mornings, what a nice way to start the day.

This morning while sitting in my living room, mug (or gullible person) of tea in hand, I looked out of the window to see what the weather was doing, I could see one of the Red Kites gliding over the village. It is a sight that always lifts my spirits and does make me feel grateful to be alive.

Over the past few days I have been walking the dog for my friend down at Lintzford Mill. As that's a couple of miles away, I get to walk though the woods to her home before even taking the dog out. As she has not been very well, that has meant walking through the wood in the half light of the pre dawn, treating me to glimpses of Tawny Owl or the sound of a Barn Owl. But most delightful has been a regular sighting of the Roe Deer with young. Though it was the regular sightings of the Kites that has been a real treat. Just tens of feet overhead, if anything was designed to take away the stresses of life then it is events like these.

Over the past few weeks and more importantly the past few days I have really enjoyed taking my friends dog for these walks. Often I just don't see anyone else. But this has now ended. As my friend has moved down to her daughters as she is now to ill to look after herself. She is in the last stages of cancer. I was asked if I could take the dog, but my home is just a cottage and with my cat who hates all other animals, would not settle with a dog I just could not. I did try for one night, but my cat being a bully, was attacking the dog when my back was turned. Thus it just couldn't work. Also, when I took on “Trouble” my cat, she was a rescue cat, I knew I was taking her on for the rest of her life. And I am a firm believer in providing the best living situation for any animal I have in my care, the only way I could have taken the dog was by providing less for both.

Anyway I will treasure the memory of those walks. Also I will treasure the memory of my friend and our chats. We intend to keep in touch by email as long as she is able to do so. She has inspired me a bit too. One day, when I got back from walking the dog I got back at lunch time. She had just heated a convenience meal in the microwave. But she just could not face eating it as she said that she thought that dog food would taste better. So I suggested that I make her some soup. After her telling me that it was far to much bother, I just got on with making some. It took no time to do so, it was just a vegetable soup.

Anyway after talking over this lunch, the germ of a good idea started to germinate. As my regular reader may remember I have talked about the problem of many people not ever having learnt to cook. That fact has given the supermarkets a lot of control of what people eat. Add to that the fact that so many people working such long hours just to keep their financial heads above water, I am sure that there must be some way of helping people rediscover food. Not just as fuel but as an important part of everyday life.

Anyway I have something in mind, and my friend felt that it was a great idea. As I walked the dog I was able to think about the practicalities and I can see ways of doing this too. So watch this space as I will be doing something with this.

At the end of the day if we cant do things to help our fellow man, then our existence is pretty hollow.