Not That I'm One To Complain ............

............ but in an effort to avoid the crowded car park and queues at the checkout I offered to do the Xmas "big-shop" online

Click to enlarge

               

'kin useless :(

EDIT Now I've got into site and no delivery slots available from Tuesday 20th till the morning of 27th
Double 'kin useless

Time To Dig Out The Thermals

Following a glorious autumnal day (see Sunday's post), today, only two days later,  it appears winter may finally have arrived. For the first time this year I had to scrape ice from my car windscreen this morning. Not quite to the extent in this photo but ice nevertheless.

Time to dig out those hats gloves and thermals

Autumn

Autumn, a photo by Wurzel on Flickr.

Autumn

Saved By A Spanish Super-Hero

Last week I had a very enjoyable week in Spain with the family. Not content with sitting on the beach all week, one day we took a drive up into the mountains of the Sierra de Espuña. Whist there we came across the village of Aledo seemingly clinging to the edge a steep slope just asking to be explored. Our hire car was a Seat Ibiza, not the biggest of cars but certainly no micro-mini, and as we drove around the almost medieval looking village the streets, presumably designed for donkeys not cars, became narrower and narrower. Soon we had literally inches to spare on either side, and just as I was contemplating folding in the wing mirrors we came upon a right angled left-hand bend. The picture below is one I have found online, I can't be certain but I am pretty sure it was this bend, with us approaching from the right and turning towards the camera position.

The picture, if anything, makes the road look a lot wider than it did at the time, and as I tried to negotiate the turn I soon realised I was wedged - any further progress would result in a crumpled right front bumper or left wing (or both). I wasn't worried about causing a traffic jam, the whole village was deserted, presumably on afternoon siesta. Reversing though simply wasn't an option, and I was already thanking my lucky stars I had been talked into the extra insurance at the car hire desk.

Suddenly a dark curly haired Spaniard appeared in front of the car. There were 4 of us in the car, none saw where he came from . He was just there as if by magic! In rapid, incomprehensible to us, Spanish he gave me instructions, signalling with his hands which way to turn the steering wheel, whilst dancing from side to side inspecting the sides of the car every couple of inches. I still don't know the Spanish for stop, but language wasn't a barrier, I sure knew when he was telling me not to go any further.

After half a dozen or so manoeuvres we were round the bend. I stopped so that I could at least wave him a thank you. But he was gone. There was hardly room for the car to have even passed him, yet he had simply vanished. Not one of us saw where he went.

He may have only been wearing jeans and a white t-shirt, no cape or mask, but to us you were our Spanish Super-Hero. If by some chance you ever read this, a big muchas gracias. If you even exist at all that is !

Gone for a while .... back soon

Pumpkin Picked

A quick update to my earlier post my first attempt at growing a pumpkin has been picked, weighing in at a decent 35lb 12oz .

Charity begins at home

In a few weeks time I am off on holiday . My weeks routine of rest and relaxation usually involves getting stuck into a good book or two, whilst in bed, on the balcony or at the beach. To avoid the overpriced book shops at the airport I generally pay a visit to the local charity shop and select 2 or 3 paperbacks . The advantage is twofold. Cheap enough, usually 50p each or 3 for £1, it doesn't matter if I don't enjoy them or ruin them by dropping then in the pool and once read I don't need to bother bringing them home. Also the purchase price, albeit a small one, goes to a good cause.
Today, in a spare 5 minutes I popped in and selected 3 clearly second hand paper backs. I handed them to the lady behind the counter and delved into my pocketful of change as she rung in £1.50. Ah well, clearly the 3 for a £ no longer applied. Then she picked up the second book and rung in another £1.50. Then done the same with the third before asking me for a total if £4.50.
I was so shocked I handed over a fiver and, mouth agape, silently accepted my 50p change .
When I got outside I checked and indeed all 3 had £1.50 pencilled inside the cover. This despite being second hand and donated freely, and one of them still bearing its  original brand new price sticker of £1.99 or 3 for £5.
I have no objection to donating to good causes but this is simply taking the piss. This is the same shop where I once saw a man's shirt in the window priced at £4.99, still in its original Asda wrapper marked £2.99. Indeed charity begins at home, but in future I will stay at home at buy my holiday reading on Amazon.