Flighty's plot

says the lovely card that I’ve received from Lil’Feather, Daffy’s daughter.

It’s a wonderful sentiment but I think that her mum’s card is nearer the mark –

60 years old! You ought to be in a museum! I can just see it now… TYRANNOSAURUS, STEGOSAURUS, BRONTOSAURUS, 60 YEAR OLD HUMAN. Happy birthday you old fossil!

Anyway this old fossil is having a nice, quiet, relaxing do nothing much sort of a day. I’m being wined and dined on Sunday which I’m looking forward to.

Thanks also to my Japanese friend for her lovely e-card.

It was yet another glorious day here today so you won’t be surprised to read that I’ve spent much of it at the allotment. Yesterday I was there all morning doing the last of the forking and weeding for the second time around. Today I just did some general tidying up, in between chatting and pondering, whilst enjoying the sunshine.

Last Thursday I met my Japanese friend and we spent several most enjoyable hours together. I showed her Plot 124 but wished that there had been more to see! At least she could still see flowers and vegetables on neighbouring plots which gave her an idea of what I hope to achieve next year.

Later on we strolled along the High Street Harrow-on-the-Hill looking at houses, shops and school buildings of note.

We ended up at St. Mary’s where, after wandering round the graveyard, we looked inside this wonderful church.

Sadly it was all too soon when we were saying our goodbyes. I hope that the rest of her few days in London were enjoyable, and that she has a good, and safe, flight home today.

As I’m sitting here doing this entry I can see a letter that I received on Friday from Daffy, who is, I’m sure, enjoying herself in Dubrovnik, Croatia. It will remain unopened until Wednesday as written across the front of it is *Do not open ’til 24.10.07 or there will be trouble!

Louise is a new lawn lounging friend whose blog This is my patch is her little piece of Eden which she’ll happily share with anyone who wishes to drop by from time to time.

Anyone interested in aviation will have been cheered to see this Vulcan take to the air on Thursday at long last. This magnificent aircraft type was always an impressive, and extremely noisy, aerial performer at air displays. It will be good to see this one at various shows next next year.

I must apologise for not doing the promised follow-up to the entry that I did on National Poetry Day. I’d written a draft out a couple of weeks ago but appear to have mislaid it! Sorry folks!

Lastly you’ll have hopefully noticed that I’ve changed this blog’s header picture. Nice as the old one was I think that this one is even better!

on terrestrial TV to interest lovers of nature and wildlife.

Friday sees the start of a new eight part series A Passion for Plants on BBC2 at 8.00pm. These programmes will take us behind the scenes over a year at the Royal Horticultural Society.

The Nature of Britain continues on BBC2 Sunday at 7.00pm with 2/8. Farmland and next Wednesday on BBC1 at 9.00pm with 3/8. Urban.

The weather forecast for London at least is looking good for the next few days so why not make the most of it by getting out and about. Here’s When to Watch Wildlife’s October Highlights as a guide to what you’re likely to see.

Have a good weekend !

If the weather had not been as it was today then I would have done the entry that I intended doing as a follow-up to National Poetry Day one.

That is still on the agenda but I must mention this wonderful poem For Flighty, for which my thanks indeed go to the author. The words definitely relate to me!

Since it was another lovely warm, sunny day then I spent most of it on the allotment. That was after I ordered my sentry box shed which should be delivered the week after next. My good friend Rich will come down one day the week after that to help assemble it.

Today was spent doing some light work, chatting and strolling round the site looking at the flowers and vegetables that are still abundant on other plots.

From time to time my thoughts turn to my rosey friend and her lovely cat Nikki. Everyone who has had cats, or dogs, as pets will know just what it’s like when this happens.

For the second year running my lovely friend Daffy will be away the week that I celebrate my birthday, which this year is a milestone! Previously I’ve celebrated it on my blog beforehand and on the day. This year I’m just going to quietly celebrate it here on the day.

Later on next week I should be meeting a friend for the first time. I’m looking forward to that as we’ve emailed each other almost daily for the past six months and chat on the phone regularly, and for free thanks to Skype. As she lives in Japan I find it all pretty amazing!

The promised round-up entry has been delayed for a few days or so, for which I apologise. Meanwhile here’s another Dreams theme poem.

The world of me – Lois Rock

My indoor world

is a tumbledown house

of trash and treasure

all mixed together.

My outdoor world

is an overgrown patch

so oddly adorned

with flower and thorn.

But in my dreams

all shimmering bright

is a sunshine garden

of love and pardon.

For everyone who enjoys wildlife then here are two TV treats for us all.

Saturday sees 100 Years of Wildlife Films on BBC2 at 8.30pm. This two hour documentary has Bill Oddie exploring the changing trends throughout the past century, from shooting animals for fun to saving them from extinction.

A new eight part series The Nature Of Britain starts next Wednesday on BBC1 at 9.00pm with Island Britain. Alan Titchmarsh shows us the wealth of wildlife treasures that the British Isles has to offer.

Have a good weekend !

is the theme of today’s National Poetry Day and is also the title of this wonderful poem that reflects my lifelong interest in aviation.

Dreams

Dreams are filled with towering clouds

That burst across the sky.

Great balconies of lofty lift,

A million things to try.

Where mystic, magic, silky waves

Ascend in awesome might.

With endless streets and snow-capped peaks

And winds that never die.

Dreams are filled with wondrous flights

That journey far away.

That just go on, and on and on,

And on ’til dusk of day.

To twist, to turn, to spiral there,

perchance to touch the sky.

Or much too soon to tumble back

From where wild dreams would stray.

Dreams come and go. Dreams just pretend.

Yet dreams e’re grace the sky.

Such simple funful fantasies,

These things we deign to try

Yet in the end, one theme transcends

All mortal soaring thoughts.

When God unveiled this place called earth,

He meant that man would fly.

– Jack Greene, who published 21 poems on soaring (gliding). Sadly he died of cancer in 1981. His wife, Audrey, contributed this poem, and ten others, to the aviation poetry anthology Because I Fly edited by Helmut H. Reda.

One that is far more down to earth is Dream garden.

Lastly there is the classic Yeate’s poem He wishes for the cloths of heaven.

I’ve also done an entry on MrFlighty with this delightful children’s poem and a link to another gardening poem.