Category Archives: Ragtag Daily Prompt

RDP Friday: Tool

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Renovation 24.05 (4)

Two years ago we were surrounded by tools. Tools that I did not even know existed. Some were used to make noise. They bored and hammered, scraped and ground and some even threw out sparks and flames, but we survived. Our complete building was being renewed from the bottom to the top. The walls were being newly isolated. It seems before a new isolation is put in place, you have to remove the old isolation.

The work began at 7.30 in the morning and finished around 4.30 in the afternoon with a morning break. How I loved that morning break. From 9.00 until 9.30 there was silence: no sparks, no thumps, no grinding. You could even hear the birds sing again. Of course there was a lunch break for an hour. We were then eating. After lunch we would like to retire for an hour. However, this was when the tools awoke to life again.

Renovation

Now and again strange objects would be found in our garden. These we decided to keep, you never know, they might be useful one day.

One day the tools disappeared. It was sudden, we were not prepared for it, but life returned to its normal quiet state of affairs. Just remember, if you see workmen approaching with tools, then beware. The quiet life you lead will be finished. They aim to disturb.

Renovation 03.05 (8)

RDP Friday: Tool

RDP Thursday: Compromise

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Car Park for handicapped

I am too old to go in for a compromise. I am growing hair on my teeth. I believe you can say that in English as well as in German. So here are the parking spaces reserved for those like me (see my car on the right with the wheelchair sign). I was a little doubtful today that my shopping expedition would go a little wrong as it is the last day of shopping before Easter and I was almost right.

As I approached the store I saw there were at least 70 spaces still free for parking – oh joy. But this was not to be, as every single space for the handicapped had a car on it, although they did not have the permit in the car. I had no choice but parked on the next space which was actually reserved for deliveries to the electronic department of the store with a big X on it.  Lo and behold there was a guy standing there dressed in his orange coat, wearing a cap and looking very parking attendant official. He immediately came to me in my car and said I should drive further down the road and park. I had lowered  my window so that I could speak with him in a clear voice. As this “down the road” meant parking on a lower floor. I told him to forget it. He was quite surprised at my reaction and explained that he knew that a few spaces reserved for the handicapped had been occupied by non-handicapped but there was nothing he could do. I told him there was nothing I could do about it either and parked my car. He suddenly disappeared.

The funny thing was I had a short business in the electronics department and told the guy that served me that I was on his delivery park place. He laughed and found no problem. Everyone parks there now and again and there was nothing he could do about it. By the way there were no compromises in the electronics. My Philips electronic toothbrush had given up the ghost, although the guarantee was still valid. I had brought my toothbrush with the original accessories and it was exchanged for a new one without any objection. I even got Forty Swiss Francs back on the new one because they had altered the model.

I am drifting and so my car stayed where it was, I did not get a fine, because it seems no-one fines anyone at our store.

I decided there is an age limit on compromise. One of the advantages of being a golden oldie.

RDP Thursday: Compromise

RDP Wednesday: Busy

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Shopping

Busy seems to be my new occupation. I used to work, a job, I got paid for. One day I was retired and no longer had to work. I soon discovered that this was a false idea. The family still had to be fed and so the daily work continued, perhaps with a difference. I was not getting paid for it, it was a duty of love.

And so this has been life for the past 10 years. We are getting older, no longer as fit as we were.

And the holidays, the part of life that the working population enjoy: an escape from the daily organisation of work and private life. It is all humbug. Unless you are wealthy, have servants to share the daily chores, you have to do it yourself.

This week is the Easter week, all based on the scriptures of course, but that does not make it easier. I wrote a plan, a master work of logistic, with the daily itinerary of shopping and it worked. Admitted when I arrived home from the shopping orgy I was worn out, but it works. Today is Wednesday and I have all the shopping until next Tuesday lunchtime. Tomorrow is what we call “green Thursday” the day before Good Friday, although I have not yet discovered what is good about it.

This green Thursday is the worst day of all. It is the last chance to make sure you will not starve until next week because the shops are closed. You can, of course, go shopping on Saturday, but that borders on buying suicide: the shops are full of people, the parking spaces all occupied and the shelves empty themselves and you are left with the goods that no-one wanted, the remainders.

And so I have survived without the Saturday participation of this event. We will be living from meat that keeps fresh, something smoked like ham. There will be a reserve of frozen bread and vegetables will either be in a can or something that lives fresh for a week.

It is all a matter of planning and logistics.

RDP Wednesday: Busy

RDP Tuesday: Drop

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Garage

At the end of last year I bought myself a car. OK, no big deal, but circumstances dropped the surprise on me. It was not a super excellent deluxe model, just something to go shopping with, but functional. Of course everything was explained, although you do get a book, which is something like encyclopaedia Britannica to read and understand. The salesman organised my car for me, just how I wanted it. A screen to see my speed in digits instead of reading a dial which is very important to me.

So today I took my car to the garage where it got its summer tyres mounted. The winter tyres are now stocked in the garage until next winter.

And so after half an hour it was finished and I drove home, but the speed was not showing on the window, I only had the dial to read. And so back to the garage to tell them to fix it as it was. The lady showed me how to do it. Of course I felt like a fool, but I am just too old for these modern gimmicks. We got home and got out of the car. One of the new developments is that you no longer use a key to shut the car. You just place your hand on the door, it clicks and locks. It works in the opposite direction when you want to open the car. Of course the experienced drivers know all this, but this is my first contact  with modern cars. I would add even Mr. Swiss is not really into modern driving, although as a man he understands it better than me.

So we left the car I placed my hand on the door and ….. nothing. It did not lock. After checking if all the doors were closed it still did not work. Oh no, back to the garage. It was when I wanted to get ready to go I realised that I did not have the car key in my pocket. If you do not have the car key, it cannot send its signal to tell the car to open or shut the door. Back to the car with a torch to see if it had dropped out of my pocket in the car. Of course not. The clever lady at the garage that showed me how to operate the instructive screens needed my key and when she was finished just dropped it in the container next to the controls inside the car and there it was.  You cannot lock the car if the key is inside.

Now everything is under control. Needless to say I had a few exciting moments this afternoon. I was actually going to drop my blog today for lack of time, but I suppose I had to write it out of my system. Why do these cars have to be so complicated and why are the descriptions so complicated? And to add to my misery, it is all in the german language.

RDP Tuesday: Drop

RDP Monday: Wait

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Dogs waiting at supermarket entrance

The owner had to go into the supermarket where dogs are not allowed. They were patiently waiting at the entrance, although one of them fell asleep.

We all play the waiting game. I love the telephone calls that you make for help and advice. “Our telephones are all occupied at the moment, please be patient” and in the background you hear the same monotonous music being played continuously. Hope arises when it all stops, only to hear the voice again telling you to be patient. This can continue for half an hour.

The Skeleton
This guy is still waiting.

RDP Monday: Wait

RDP Sunday: Picture

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Crow 13.04 (1)

I know, I am taking pictures all the time. I never go anywhere without a camera, although since I am now at the steering wheel of the car I can no longer take my pictures from the passenger seat. I have committed the sin of taking photos when I am waiting at a red light, but I am not getting any younger, so avoid it when I can.

We are surrounded by crows where I live. Their caws are an accompanying tune to my daily life. Now is nesting time, although I have never seen any nests here because the trees are too tall. However On my trips to town lately I notice that there is a colony next to the river and the trees are full of their nests.

Crows and nests 13.04 (4)

They do not often actually sit in the nests, but on a near branch.

Yesterday I went for a wheelie in my chair and had the delight of being able to take photos of a crow close-up. They usually fly away at a certain distance, but this particular crow seemed to be on a quest. He was strutting around with his head bent low and suddenly success..

Crow 13.04 (5)

He/she found what it was looking for and had discovered a piece of bread in the meadow. I am reading everywhere we should not feed the birds with bread. I usually put some bread rests out in Winter for the crows, but this piece of bread was in a lonely meadow, and that is out of human control.

The problem of taking photos of crows is that they are so black and the camera does not always give them the credit they deserve with their individual feathers. Since getting my new camera a couple of months ago the quality of my black photos has improved and in the right light I get some good pictures.

Crow 13.04 (6)

I stayed a while and from my position in my chair I manage to get a few good close-ups of my crow, even with feather coat details. They do seem to be scavangers and I do not think they are bothered what they have in their beaks as long as it is edible. This morning I even had one of the big black birds in my garden.  It was strutting around, a big one, but I did not have my camera handy an was still in my nightdress. Half an hour later I saw him/her again with a king sized worm hanging from its beak. It was a succesful quest it seems and afterwards it flew away. There were probably a few hungry mouths waiting for dinner in the nest.

This was a great experience for me and the camera and in the 20 years I have been living amongst the crows, it was the first time I had managed to get so close. Of course the photos are with the zoom lens, but even then the closer you get, the better.

Crow 19.02.2019

RDP Sunday: Picture

RDP Saturday: April

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Daffodil 01.04 (3)

April began with daffodils: great, everything under control.

Dianthus in snow

On 4th April it snowed in the night and all day afterwards and my dianthus got covered. It was wet snow and nothing froze, only my opinion of Spring froze.

Crickets

And from the beginning of April until now the local supermarket are offering free samples of crickets to eat as a snack whilst walking around the store. They were dead and dry and quite tasteless.

Cows 02.04 (7)

I saw the first cows outside on the meadow after spending Winter in the barn.

Japanese Cherry Tree 06.04 (1)

The Japanese cherry trees unfolded their flowers.

Stork 06.04 (7)

The storks began nesting and No. 1 baby had already left the egg.

Magnolia 06.04 (5)

The magnolia trees were in flower.

Crane 11.04 (2)

My first insect arrived one evening in the kitchen, a crane fly.

Apple blossoms

The first buds arrived on my apple tree.

Pigeons 11.04 (9)

And the pigeons noticed there was love in the air.

Yes, April is here.

RDP Saturday: April