Well, the time has come, and after weeks of stressing about it, the cases are packed, and we are off on holiday. I’m going to visit my Depp friends in LA for a week, but there’ll be time for OH and I to do other stuff too - like that famous Bryce Canyon ride I’ve been getting in shape for.

Since we’re going abroad, I’ve just taken the dogs to their boarding kennel. Why does it rip your heart out to leave them, even though you know they are safe and well-cared for? They’re going to a lovely man and his sister who run a luxury boarding establishment for all small animals, and they really are lovely people. He remembered my dogs and what they were like last time they stayed with him, even though it was six months ago. They have their own beds and the Pirate has his beloved yellow stuffie, and they’ll be fine, I know they will. I just hate to send innocent dogs to jail.

Our son is looking after the house for us while we’re away, so we’re just waiting for him to turn up to give him the last minute instructions (there are always last minute instructions) and then we’ll be off.

Anyway. The next blog might be from the airport. Or it might perhaps be from Las Vegas. Of course, if we’re unlucky, it might be from Denver. We’re actually not supposed to be going anywhere near Denver, but it happened before, and we were stuck there for ages, so I can’t rule it out. We got landed at Hawaii once, too, when we were supposed to be going to LA, which would, of course, be far better, but we were coming from the other direction at the time so I think it’s probably unlikely to happen again. Do you detect a trace of hysteria? Yeah, I’m always like this before I fly anywhere. It’s nothing to do with being nervous of air travel, it’s just that I’m convinced I’m not ready and that I’ve forgotten something important. Once I’m in the air, I’ll be fine, but until then, stress rules. So you’d better just hope that the next blog is from somewhere - anywhere - on the other side of The Pond, because if I’m posting from Gatwick airport, it will only get worse.

I’ve always loved it when I come across an old wall, because they look so much nicer than new ones.

They may be crumbling, and in need of work but there’s something very peaceful and attractive about them, don’t you think? I love the way time softens and enhances the colours of the stone or brick, and it’s particularly nice when the wall isn’t made all of the same colour materials.

And I love the way, as time passes and cracks and chinks appear, and the surface flakes, plants find a toehold and take root. I suppose mostly it’s down to seeds carried on the wind, or birds dropping them as they pass - or even mice letting one or two slip on the way to wherever they’re going.
Whatever the reason, you see a surprising variety of plants living in whatever tiny space they can find between bricks or slabs of stone and I thought I’d take a few pictures.

All these have been taken over the last week, just out and about around the village while I’m dog-walking.

The plant at the top with the yellow flowers and ferny leaves is Corydalis Lutea, which originated in Southern Europe but which now grows wild in many places here in England. I’ve seen it in gardens, where it grows into quite a nice cushion-shaped plant, but I think it’s actually a wildflower.

Between the kerbstones, right down there on the ground, the fleshy leaved ’succulent’ type plant with the pointy yellow tips (on the right here) is Sedum Acre, otherwise known as Wallpepper, or Biting Stonecrop. The pointy ends will open into star-shaped yellow flowers very soon. Again, it is used as a garden plant, but this one is a bona fide wildflower.

Another escapee which now grows wild is Ivy-Leaved Toadflax. As you may have guessed, that’s the one up there with the .. um … ivy-shaped leaves! The flower is almost like a tiny viola - very pretty.

Lastly, the ferns growing in the wall - this was in someone’s property, not quite a garden area, but not accessible from the road. I’m not good at identifying ferns, so I have no idea what it is, except to say it looks a bit like one of my houseplants, which is a Nephrolepis.

There used to be a wall in dire need of maintenance which we passed on the way back through the village after our field walk. It supported an amazing variety of plants from mosses and lichens to tufts of grass, all of the plants shown here, and even snapdragons and wallflowers. Sadly, last summer, the owners did re-point it and now it’s fairly barren.

Oh well. I guess the plants will re-establish over time, and meanwhile, we don’t want the wall falling on anyone, do we?

… costs WHAT???

I use the multi-story car park attached to our local shopping mall when I go into town. You know the sort of thing: you take a ticket when you go in, park your car and go shopping. When you want to go home, you put your ticket into a machine which reads the barcode and tells you how much to pay, you feed money into the thing, and then you drive down and stick the paid-for ticket in the slot by the barrier, and up it goes, and you get out.

So, I’m in town and I’ve done my shopping and got my hair done and now I’m on my way to another appointment and I stuff my ticket in the little slot and wait. And wait. The machine is thinking about it. Hmm. It doesn’t usually do that.

Finally, up on the screen pops the price. £1,835.10.

One thousand, eight hundred and thirty-five pounds! And ten pence!!

I look at the two pound coins I have ready in my hand and back at the screen and think ‘No fucking WAY!’ and the man behind snickers and says ‘you got enough change for that?’

Anyway, I think maybe the machine has gone crazy and I walk around the corner to another one. There is a man in a uniform. He holds out his hand imperiously and says ‘Could I see your ticket, please?’

*Random guilt assaults me*

So he looks at my ticket, rather critically, I imagine, then purses his lips and hands it back to me. I’m sure the handcuffs are coming out, but instead, he tells me ‘Drive down to the exit. The barrier should be up, but if not, press the red button and tell them you have one of these tickets.’

He points to my ticket and I look properly at it for the first time and I see what it says.

It’s dated 1st January, 2008.

Well, now we know. Contrary to popular opinion - and the board up at the entrance - there IS no maximum parking fee!

Be afraid …

I woke with a killer neck spasm today. A killer. I could hardly life my head from the pillow without my brain feeling as if it was about to explode. I do have a dodgy neck, but this is different, it feels like a genuine muscle spasm and I hope it goes away, very very soon, or woe betide anyone who looks at me funny today.

Meanwhile, I’m seriously lacking in creativity, so I’ll pass along a fun meme from Demob Happy Teacher. I’m not going to nominate anyone because that would take brain-power. Read it or not, as you please. Use it or don’t use it, it’s up to you.

Think of it as interlude music.

My ex… boyfriend, one I had in the early seventies, wanted to marry me. I told him no, he married someone else within six months, and within a year had tried to kill her with a breadknife.

Maybe I should… take some more codeine.

I love… Other Half, my kids, my dogs, my Mum, my friends, chocolate, flowers, reading, making jewellery, photoshop, and Johnny Depp

People would say… I’m untidy. Yep. I am

I don’t understand… cruelty to animals or children or anyone who is vulnerable.

When I wake up in the morning… I am so pleased I don’t have a job to go to.

I lost… a silver crucifix on a chain, set with marcasites and given to me by my Grandmother, while out riding on a heath when I was about fifteen. I still miss it.

Life is full of… pain, right now.

My past is… gone.

I get annoyed when… people don’t listen.

Parties are… only fun if your friends are there.

I wish… this pain in my neck would go away.

Dogs… teach us a lot if we’re willing to learn.

Cats… give me severe hay fever symptoms and affect my breathing.

Tomorrow… maybe this pain will be gone?

I have low tolerance… for stupidity.

If I had a million dollars… I would invest it.

I’m totally terrified… of a lot of things, but not spiders or snakes.

Thank you, Happy Non-Teacher! I needed that today!