Friday, July 3, 2020

The crocodile.


We're still waiting for the builder to come and lay the stone slabs . He did stop by on Sunday and helpfully pointed out that the slabs that have been sitting in the garden for the last four months are the wrong size. A hasty call to the supplier means that a truck arrives to deliver a new order and take away the old one. Apart from the fact that they arrive unannounced at seven in the morning this 'swap' proves to be remarkably easy, and quick. At the end of his recent visit the builder said he'd be here to start work soon. Angus contented himself with the observation that he hoped to use the pergola before Christmas.


The C-A-T that has been sleeping on top of the log pile is a female C-A-T. We know this because it has now moved to the shelter of the juniper tree by the gate. It has been joined by seven kittens. From time to time a tiny snout appears from under a juniper branch. Sophie is kept well away .

After a lengthy walk down to the stream the family diva returns to The Rickety Old Farmhouse for a restorative nap. This is fine by us. It keeps her attention diverted from the new arrivals.


On the wall by the church hundreds of tiny snails. They have climbed a couple of metres up the wall presumably to escape the rain that accompanied last nights thunder shower.


Angus clears out the garage. He finds an old print with two Georgian ladies consulting a fortune teller. ' All Fates he vow'd to him were known, And yet he could not tell his own '. A skeleton, a black cat, an astrological chart, a book of incantations and a crocodile accompany this scene of chaotic upending. But why the crocodile as a psychic totem ?



Do you agree with this ? https://gen.medium.com/your-guide-to-shaming-idiot-people-who-dont-take-covid-19-seriously-ec4b1c3039e6

And the 'I'd never ever have thought about this' link du jour : https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/biology/understanding-how-brains-fold-and-misfold/



11 comments:

Lisa in France said...

Maybe Sophie will eventually conclude that kittens are less threatening than cows or horses, but I hope they can stay safe until then. I'm not sure shaming is the way to go generally with Americans (works better here in Japan) but I did love the photo of the guy with the mask over his eyes and I generally agreed with the author's categorizations. Our 86-year old handyman arrived this morning to fix our shower, maskless. We wore ours. He's the only person in the world who understands our building, which was was built by a Francophile back in the 80's. All of the fittings, down to the toilets, were imported from France, and no one else has a clue what to do when something goes wrong.

WFT Nobby said...

Seven kittens? This is going to be interesting.
It's also going to be interesting to see how folk here in Scotland react to the new requirement to wear face coverings in all shops. In Sainsbury's on Wednesday I estimate about a quarter of us were appropriately covered up. At least the aisles are wide and, late afternoon, the place was relatively empty.
Cheers, Gail.

Angus said...

We went out for dinner last night and were surprised to see the maitre'd refusing entry to those without masks. Much complaining but complete compliance. We were the only ones dining outside. Being a mere 22 degrees the French found it far too cold for al fresco service.

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Glad The Font finally got her b'day meal... the mask wearing is definitely going to be a source of agony for some, but I for one am not a fan of shaming. Simply continue to wear a mask where appropriate and play my part in supporting good social hygiene... YAM xx

Camille said...

I found Mr Magary's commentary incredibly snarky and grating, but then decided to read it a second time in a calmer frame of mind. I do feel his pain and outrage as I believe so many of us do. However, I live in a less populated and quieter part of the US than he. We have a local police force we very much appreciate and I have yet to see out in public without protective masks being worn. Yet I was stunned at his suggestion to shame cops. Go ahead Mr. Margary, but have your bail money ready. Like our wonderful YAM, I'm also not a fan of shaming.

On a brighter note...kittens! Oh my! Sophies's days are about to because very busy indeed!

10NISNE1 said...

Shame cops? Seriously? Spewing hate like the looters. Moron!

Love kittens! :)

EAS said...

Back to the Birthday dinner - we need details! What was ordered and how was it? Was it surreal being the only diners outside? Will you repeat the experience soon? C-A-T and K-I-T-T-E-N-S... Oh my, your life just go much more complicated!
Where does shaming stop and bullying begin?

The Life of Riley said...

Kittens! Life at the ROF has just gotten so much more interesting for Sophie who will want to use her PON herding skills whenever she goes outside. An article, I read earlier this year, about the effects of shaming covidiots. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/apr/04/pandemic-shaming-is-it-helping-us-keep-our-distance

Poppy Q said...

I hope the kittens survive.

I went into our city yesterday and restaurants for lunch and dinner, and not a single person in masks. I guess we have managed what others haven't and got rid of covid and so for us life has returned to pre covid normal. We did get 3 weeks of no cases, but now have a few cases. All of these current cases are NZs who have returned from overseas and all are in enforced isolation until they get a clean result.

The USA seems to be dealing with so much conflicting information that I would be nervous to be out and about there. I sense that things will get dire soon, as the press say that hospitals are weeks away from critical mass.

Iza said...

As always I enjoyed reading your blog and linked articles. I'm mot sure if I agree about shaming those who use playgrounds. I'm generally careful and wear a mask, but recently I started taking my daughter to a playground. We have no family here, we dont interact with any kids, libraries and gyms are closed, my 3 year old desperately needs contact with other children. She is very shy and being away from others hasn't been good for her. It's a risk, but hopefully staying outside and desinfecting hands will help us avoid the virus.

E Snook said...

I think the crocodile is historically an emblem of deception (crocodile tears and all that). I was trying to find you a reference on this, but after seeing the post today on the Font’s accident, I thought you probably wouldn’t have time to read it anyway. Best get well wishes to her (Google Renaissance emblems crocodile for examples, if you’re interested).