The Old Farmer is heading off into the country with his equally old mate. They served together in Algeria in the 1950's and the two of them can usually be found on The Old Farmers balcony shooting the breeze and remembering past adventures. There was a time when they used to drink beer or floc but now both of them find alcohol goes straight through them.
The Old Mate has bought a new, or to be more precise, newish car. His VW van had been through a variety of repairs and was easily recognizable for having a front right wing and a left passenger door that were different colours to the rest of the body work. Latterly it had lost its rear bumper and a rear tail light. Despite being in his 90's he has invested in a ten year old Audi Q5. His sons, who run the local septic tank cleaning company, are not pleased. Their opposition cemented the deal. Angus and Sophie are invited over to admire the newish Audis 'electronics' . 'It has cruise control' The Old Mate informs me. He goes on to say ' That means you can set your speed on the motorway and it does the driving'.
Angus and Sophie head off to the little neighbouring village , twenty minutes walk away, on the other side of the crossroads .It has a mere 53 inhabitants so is looked down on by the by the 67 inhabitants of our village as being a backwater. It used to be part of our commune but some long forgotten blood feud in the late 18th century caused them to demand independence.
The little village has an unusual recreational area. Every year they find that they have to spend their annual budget. Every year they opt to put in something for the 'grandchildren'. These improvement arrive, are used once or twice and then forgotten.
We skirt the slides and swings and head over over to the gently crumbling pitch and putt and then stop to admire the new 'trimm dich' exercise area. This is of a type much loved by nordic europeans. The exercise machinery can't have been cheap but looks as though it's rarely if ever been used.
Back in our little corner of paradise I note that a moorhen has built her nest on top of the irises in the middle of the village pond. This gives her a great view but each time anyone passes by she has to get off her nest and clamber down into the safety of the rushes. How long will it be before she relocates her nest ?
4 comments:
On one of our local walks, down the Dee to the harbour, Bertie and I pass a children's play area with fitness equipment for adults similar to those in your photo. The only children I see playing there are offspring of East Europeans working in nearby fish processing units. I've never once seen anyone try the fitness.
Let's hope the moorhen finds a more restful spot.
Hari OM
OH my word... motorways versus 90yr-olds in 'self-driving' Audi Q5s??? Look out traffic!
Now, can we expect to find that Angus pays regular visits to the outdoor gym as the mornings brighten, or is that as likely as the moorhen's nest staying where it is? YAM xx
Angus, weren't you, or Sophie, tempted to use the play area? Go on, admit it, didn't you both have a sneaky go on the slide?
The exercise area looks impressive, especially for such a small village, and where most of the inhabitants are probably either too old or too young (or disinterested) to use it!
On one of the promenades we walk along, Inca and I pass some fairly basic exercise machines - three to be precise. They are used only very occasionally and I'm tempted to try one out - when there's no-one around! Nothing as sophisticated as those in the little village of 53 inhabitants.
I hope that the moorhen does move her nest - I fear for the safety of her next generation of chicks.
I hope he enjoys the car, I remember trying to figure out how the cruise control worked on a Renault I rented in Lille one time. It had a speed limiter and a separate cruise control.
Post a Comment