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Richard Walker

One liner

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There’s a popular garden centre near here where what plants you get is decided at random. It’s called Taking Pot Luck.

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Richard Walker

One liner

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In school I remember we did a vocabulary test one day. When we came to the word adhesive most of us were stuck.
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Richard Walker

When the Angel of Death came

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I’ve been fretting about a poem with this title for years and maybe coming close

When the Angel of Death arrived,

It was a Hummingbird at my ear.

I was astonished, and said, I thought you’d have strong wings, to carry me.

No no it replied, I am here to enchant and to guide,

Your wings alone shall bear you up,

 Let me help you emerge.

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Richard Walker

One-liner

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Edited by Richard Walker, Tuesday, 27 Apr 2021, 20:53

My grandson writes:

I have cat-like reflexes. Whenever I see a cat I instantly like it.


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Richard Walker

Cherry Blossom

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These cherry trees stand at the front of my house.

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Richard Walker

Five Rose Petals

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Edited by Richard Walker, Saturday, 24 Apr 2021, 23:52

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. 

A rose is a rose is a rose.

They are not long, the days of wine and roses.

He who wants a rose must respect the thorn.

It’s the time that you spent on your rose that makes your rose so important.

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Richard Walker

"I watch your face" - A napkin haiku

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Richard Walker

Shrub Advice

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Laurel. Very Hardy.

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Richard Walker

Daffinition

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resonance, n.

Ants trapped in amber.

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Richard Walker

Woodland Ferns

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Our garden has a small patch of woodland, with thriving trees but the ground level plants are limited, apart from snowdrops and celandines.

So we've started working on widening the number of species, beginning with some ferns. We have acquired five kinds, three native to this country, one from China I think, and one from New Zealand. Some are deciduous so their foliage dies back in autumn, others retain their leaves throughout the seasons.

Ferns tend to like shade, but in varying degrees, so we've been trying to match their position carefully to their preferences. Not sure we have it right, it's a difficult judgement, but they can be moved later if necessary.

Not all in the ground yet, but the photo gives an idea of what we are aiming at.



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Richard Walker

Haiku of Disappointment

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I was planning to mail you
Some salad but I
Couldn't post the lettuce.

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Richard Walker

Dad Joke

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Why did Santa get priority for his vaccination? Because of his underlying elf issues!

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Richard Walker

Caesar Joke

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Edited by Richard Walker, Sunday, 18 Apr 2021, 01:22

Q. Why did J. Caesar cross the Rubicon?

A. To get to the other side.

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Richard Walker

Sonnet 71

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What a marvellous beginning this sonnet has:

No longer mourn for me when I am dead
Than you shall hear the surly sullen bell
Give warning to the world that I am fled
From this vile world with vilest worms to dwell...

And it’s echoed by a famous sonnet of Christina Rossetti:

Remember me when I am gone away, 
Gone far away into the silent land; 
When you can no more hold me by the hand, 
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.

I think the second is a thoughtful response to the first, and I think perhaps its standpoint is nobler. Read them both and see. What you think.


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Richard Walker

Playground Joke

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Q. Where did the Golden Fleece come from.

A. Gold baaas!

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Richard Walker

Old Saying

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Edited by Richard Walker, Thursday, 15 Apr 2021, 01:18


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Richard Walker

A Roadside Verge in Spring

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Edited by Richard Walker, Tuesday, 13 Apr 2021, 23:42

From my gate I can see this verge with its striking patches of spring flowers.


There are daisies (the Day’s Eye in Old English, because the flowers close at sunset and open at dawn); middle left, red dead-nettles (the botanical name Lamium purpureum more accurate about the colour); and celandines.

The name celandine is very poetic: Ancient Greek and Latin writers held that it flowered as the the swallows came in spring, and it was called χελιδόνιον, ‘ that of the swallow’.

From the OED:

1578    H. Lyte tr. R. Dodoens Niewe Herball  i. xx. 32   The small Celandyne was so called, bycause that it beginneth to spring and to floure, at the comming of the Swallowes.


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Richard Walker

Unusual Garden Bird

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Edited by Richard Walker, Monday, 12 Apr 2021, 01:30

Today a pheasant visited my garden.

I caught a glimpse a day or so back, but today she was there for a while and I was able to get this snap.






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Richard Walker

It runs in the family...

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From my Grandson:

I can't take my dog to the park anymore, the ducks keep biting him. Should have know this was going to happen, he's pure bread.

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Richard Walker

Garden News Flash

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In my garden today I found a fritillary blooming and another on the way. They are such magical flowers. I planted bulbs in the lawn two years ago, but nothing happened until now, I had almost lost hope, and was so charmed to see them.


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Richard Walker

Is This A Record.

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More than 35 million UK jabs, what a vaxxy nation!

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Richard Walker

My Career in the Police

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Not many people know this but I was for a short time in the Japanese police force. An unusual incident that sticks in my mind is interviewing a martial arts expert about his unruly cat. I had to see a Dan about a mog.

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Richard Walker

Haiku

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Edited by Richard Walker, Sunday, 4 Apr 2021, 22:44

You said I had no soul.

But I do.

Just differently.

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Richard Walker

Shopska

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Edited by Richard Walker, Sunday, 4 Apr 2021, 00:30

Here you see my Shopska Salad, tonight’s supper.


One of my top favourite starters. (Really there should be some grated cheese on top, but I didn’t have any suitable, and it was fine without.)

I was taught how to make it in Northern Greece, by friends whose parents or grandparents were ethnic Greeks who moved to Greece from Bulgaria in the mass exchange of populations after WW1. I also met the dish in Bulgaria.

From this I assumed it was a) Bulgarian and b) traditional.

Turns out the answer to a) is Yes but as for b) not really; according to Wikipedia it was invented in 1955 by the Bulgarian state tourism association. It’s been a runaway success though. Give it a try. I always put a bit of chilli pepper in mine as well as the other vegetables, but that is probably unusual.






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Richard Walker

On Tiptoes

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Because I have ankle arthritis “I have of late, forgone all custom of exercises”, as Hamlet says. But this is a bad habit and I realised my circulation was suffering.

So I searched online for exercises that could be done sitting or with the support of a chair back. There are a lot of good videos and for about three weeks now I’ve been doing some of the exercises.

And it’s had an effect! I can now stand on tiptoe, without the support of a chair back. Not very high or for very long, but I can do it. I couldn’t before. One tall step.

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