Alms Houses and People's Park in Halifax

I have got a plan for trips this summer, weather willing; and today was the first of them. This afternoon, in excellent weather, I went to the Alms Houses Margaret Street and then to People's Park just across the street from there.

I this the slideshow here is really good: thanks to the gardeners at the park as well as the architects, builders and sculptors who created and maintain the park. You might recognise the music: I think it's about the most appropriate music for something like this!

This is a large file so if you are using a slow connection, please be patient and wait for it to start ... it WILL start!

DW

How to cook rice!

Look what happens when you cook rice properly!

DW

19 Hours

I went to visit my old neighbour Malcolm yesterday and as I left home I noticed the I didn't have any mobile phone service. Poo!

NINETEEN HOURS later the service returned. It will be interesting to see how O2 manages that!

As I tried to find out what was going on I took a look at one or two news sites and after just a couple if hours of loss of service other affected O2 users were saying very aggressive things and threatening to leave them!!

I expect a rebate! Recently I changed gas and electricity supplier because my old supplier kept misbehaving. I have been with O2 for almost 12 years but poor service will not keep me. Their coverage away from home is poor and now this extended loss of service are bad indicators for me.

DW

What a Load of Bull!

On my walk yesterday, I was strolling down a track, in between two fields when I saw a bull ahead of me. Over a bank, so not that clear. I continued walking and then started to wonder, is that bull in the field or on the path? I slowed down, the bull didn't. I was fortunate that I stopped next to a gate going into one of the fields because I could now see that the bull was not in a field, it was free! Talk about Pamplona: I did NOT volunteer for this and turning on my heels to run away did not seem to me to be a sensible option!

I squeezed through the gate into the field ... muddy, Glastonbury muddy! I felt safe now so took lots of snaps as the bull came nearer and nearer. The grunting, laboured breathing as it ambled up the hill even made me feel nervous: is that heavy breathing because it is tough walking up hill when you're a bull? Or was it the heavy breathing of a bull that is getting ready to attack? How little I know!

The bull slowed to a stop, just beyond the gate, my gate! It turned left and came back down to the gate! It pushed its head through the gate. I really was nervous, it wanted to come into my field, my refuge! I pushed the gate as if I could outweigh half a tonne of beef with attitude!

It tried twice to get through the gate and then seemed to remember that all it had to do was to go upward a little bit further and walk over the barbed wire fence: it just walked back into the field. I was astounded: this animal was free to wander and free to come into my field. I squeezed back out through the gate and back onto the track. The bull carried on to join its friends and I breathed again!

Here is my photo evidence of the above!!

DW

I have never heard the heavy, laboured breathing of a bull at such close quarters before.

At this point, when the bull was breathing its heaviest, it stopped and turned round to face me, I was worried! I can't remember concentrating so hard on anything, ever!

Now it wanted to get through the gate: through the gate!

Gone! It looked back at me once but then sallied forth away from me!

I Went for a Walk Today

I think this slideshow is really beautiful: photos and music together that is!

DW