Friday, 8 June 2012

Getting better, getting wet, getting bigger


Marcia's readers are really lovely people. A huge thank you to all of you who have sent in emails – or commented on this site. I am only sorry that it has been impossible to answer all of them. This is very unusual as in normal circumstances Marcia insists that the only emails that are ignored are the ones that contain foul language or rant on in an extremist way about Marcia's sympathy with people who, finding life difficult, do things of which the ranter disapproves. These are in a tiny minority – over the years the count is less than twenty – and are, in my opinion, written by people who have fashioned their own god in their own image.

However, these are not normal circumstances and I fear that a few emails have remained unanswered simply because we couldn't keep up. Must do better!

Just to keep you up to date: Marcia sees the surgeon again on Monday and he should have the result of the latest biopsy. The wounds are healing well and so there doesn't seem to be a problem with them. Next week I shall let you know what the consultant has to say.

So, what have we been up to this week? The answer, as you would expect, is not a lot, really. The weather has been generally dreadful which has meant that what we had planned to do – which was to go to various places where I need photographs for the Marcia Willett's West Country book that I am writing – had to be shelved. The forecast isn't that good for next week either so . . . Nevertheless, I did take one picture on the way to the surgery. If you have read The Way We Were you will remember that the slogan TO THE WEST. You get some good views right into Cornwall from the old main road through the west of Devon but it seems we are never there when the visibility is really good. It was not good when this was taken.

Meanwhile, of course, we weren't the only ones affected by the weather. It was, to say the least, impressive to watch on television the Queen's Diamond Jubilee being celebrated throughout the country and to be able to watch her and the Duke of Edinburgh on the River Thames during the River Pageant. For two people of their ages to stand for so long in such conditions was truly incredible. How sad, then, that the Queen did not have her 'rock' (as she describes the Duke) beside her when she attended the truly magnificent Jubilee Service in St Paul's Cathedral.

It is interesting when I look through the photo files that there are some photographs that I am absolutely certain that I took that I just can't find. Obviously with a photo collection with (literally) thousands of pictures in it, there has to be some method but clearly some images fall through the net. Yesterday I spent over an hour and a half not finding one such. I have given up and that now appears on the 'photo needs' list.

THE TADPOLE TIMES

Things are on the move. After weeks when all that happened was that the small little critters gradually turned into bigger little critters, the last few days has seen changes which I am sure have taken place far faster than in usual years. Now something like a quarter have developed both back legs (which come first) and front legs – at which point they are moved into senior school which includes rocks and things so that they can climb out of the water when they want to, rather less water (to discourage them from climbing out over the school wall) and virtually no food as they give up eating while they are absorbing their tails: already one or two now have half tails. As soon as the tails go, they are put back in the pond on top of pond weed near the side so they can decide whether they want to stay in the water or not. Here are some of sitting on one of the stones - look away now, Tracey!

Meanwhile, the really tiny one is still with us although I have no idea what will happen to him. Oh, well, yes. You are quite right. It could be a her.