Golf and all that jazz . . .

I understand there is something of great import happening in the golfing world – oh, okay – I know it's the Open! (Ermm, open what? Bottles of champagne for the winner, no doubt, to accompany the huge cheque!) I should know more, having taught the children of a golf cognoscenti many years ago. He produced what were then known as 'videos' – however, better-known characters, celebrities even, or perhaps those with more lucrative or influential contacts, cornered the market, I believe. I'm not an aficionado so he could be very well known in golfing circles and I would be none the wiser. Anyway, that was all a long time ago. (My eldest daughter went out with a golfing promise for a while, when they were both at secondary school. He was a nice lad – unfortunately they parted company before he'd had a chance to make his mark so I don't know how far he progressed.) Even longer ago, I went to school and was great friends with a junior Kent champion - or would that be a Kent junior champion? She was very promising, but hated the game, only playing it because her parents insisted and her mother enjoyed the social cachet of being a member of 'the Golf Club'. I wonder if she took it up again in later life?
Golf is played on beautifully-maintained landscaped greens and while I appreciate the beauty of some of the world-famous courses, on which amateur golfers would give their eye teeth to play (what are eye teeth? Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, one of my recent acquisitions – how did I ever live without it? – informs me that they are the canine teeth, located in the upper and lower jaws just below the eyes. Being of a disbelieving cast of mind, the result, I'm convinced of actually being completely gullible, I have just checked and my eye teeth are indeed below my eyes. They are not, however, 'just below', a phrase that intimates close proximity – I'd have to be a Pekingese to achieve that. When I was a child I knew someone who bred Pekingese and she bore out the saying that owners grow to look like their pets. Even at nine years of age I could see the resemblance!)
The current tournament – for one could believe from some commentaries ('Casey mounts home charge', 'Oosthuizen holds Casey at bay', 'Amateur Jeong joins the fray') that the contenders are jousting rather than aiming small balls at small holes in the distance – is the 150^th Anniversary Open Championship being held at St Andrews, the course, not the University. The championship is the oldest Major (wearing crowns on its shoulders – No! No! That's just silly!) and St Andrews is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world.
I can appreciate that the best players in the world are very skilled and that many amateur golfers enjoy the game and the social life that accompanies it but it does not appeal to me. I can't aim straight anyway – I'm useless at darts and pool and not much better at bowling. Put simply, my enjoyment of the great outdoors is enhanced by solitude and the company of dogs.
Golf can be a dangerous game. Quite apart from the possibility of being struck by a fast-moving missile, (or a golf club if standing too close when someone's taking a shot, unlikely though that may be) golf courses cover vast tracts of land and if a player suffers a heart attack there is little hope of medical help arriving swiftly or in time. One of our friends met his demise on the golf links.
Barry was once offered a course of golf lessons by the company for which he was working. He went along to the first couple of lessons and knocked a few balls around or practised his stance or grip or whatever it was, but was totally bored and didn't finish the lessons. The argument that important contacts are made and business opportunities are realised on the golf course is fatuous. Most people can't spare the time!
He has worked in some attractive locations, one of which had golf links attached with a club room and changing facilities. In his lunch hour he would run round the course. One day he'd just dressed after his shower and some golfers came in. They assumed he was a fellow golfer and asked him what he'd gone round in. They were rather surprised when he said, 'Twenty-six minutes.'
Today is the last day of the Open. The weather has been difficult (well, it is summer in Scotland!) and it looks as if the South African Louis Oosthuizen will win, although the Englishman Paul Casey is hard on his heels. Really, it's all double-dutch to me – birdies, eagles, albatrosses – penguins and peacocks, anyone? From the live bulletin I have learnt that the South African Trevor Immelman has birdied 14 to reach -3. As with so many pastimes one needs access to a translation tool to understand what is happening.
Rather than watching the golf I shall be caught up in the excitement of stage 14 of the Tour de France – 184.5 km from Revel to Ax 3 Domaines. As well as marvelling at the sheer tenacity and stamina of the participants the viewer is treated to stunning aerial shots of superb countryside and an informative and entertaining commentary.

Camera Critters #119 Smooth or Common Newt

This little critter was sitting on a lily leaf one hot day recently minding its own business. It was unceremoniously removed to an empty carton for a photographic opportunity but soon clambered out and was put back into the pond.

Newts are nocturnal, spending their days under large stones or in compost heaps. Juvenile newts shed their skins once a week as they grow and adults shed frequently, too.

Newts live for about six years, though can live to twenty in captivity. When they are on land they eat insects, worms and slugs, catching them by extending their sticky tongues. In water, they capture their prey with their tiny teeth.

The smooth newt is the commonest species of newt in the UK and all newt species are protected by law. It is common in Northern Europe but absent from the warmer South. 

Weekend Reflections #43, Shadow Shot Sunday #113 Kiri

James from Newtown Area Photo organises and hosts Weekend Reflections. Thank you, James! Tracy from Hey Harriet does the same for Shadow Shot Sunday. Thank you, Tracy!

14-year-old Kiri went to a photo shoot a couple of weeks ago and here she is recreating some of the moments (though I gather she wasn't supposed to smile!!) The make-up is much heavier than she would normally wear!

Kiri enjoys larking around, pretending she's something she's not. Much of the time I was laughing so hard I could hardly hold the camera!

No reflections in this last one - just shadows and Kiri looking reflective.

haiku my heart friday Swans

Thank you to Rebecca from 'recuerda mi corazon' who organises and hosts this weekly meme.

Swan family swims -

Parents look to left and right,

Protecting their young.

Come fly with me . . .

Next Monday, 19th July, sees the start of the biennial Farnborough International Air Show.  Farnborough has a population of around 58,000. I'm sure exhibitors and visitors to this small town are just as thrilled to attend this event as they are when they go to the Paris Air Show or the one that's held in Berlin, the Internationale Luft- und Raumfahrtausstellung. Small and unexciting as the town of Farnborough is, it holds an important place in aeronautical history.

We live quite near Farnborough (okay, everywhere in UK is quite near everywhere else, relatively speaking) but we are only 8.5 miles away (18 minutes by car) so hear quite a lot of noise from the airshow and see unusual aircraft flying over. This week we have heard engines roaring, like super-thunder, and seen contrails - we presume they are 'practising'.
Former Iron Curtain countries now exhibit at Farnborough but we don't expect - or wish! - to see anything like the 1930s Russian Flying Fortresses. Below are two photographs of original fortresses.

I could not find any copyright for these photographs or the two that follow so cannot credit the photographer/s.

The two following photographs are modern reconstructions built to the original designs and specifications.

If you're interested in seeing and reading more click here. The computer graphics are interesting and so is the translation from Russian to English, though since my Russian is non-existent I really have no room to criticise!

SkyWatch Friday Season 4 Episode 53

At anchor, early July

Buckler's Hard, Beaulieu River, Hampshire, UK

Thanks go to the SkyWatch team who organise and host this weekly meme. Click here to see more skies around the world.

Midweek Blues

 Midweek Blues is organised and hosted by Rebecca from 'The Dusty Cellar'. Click on the logo to see more Blues!

Earlier this month a jackdaw visited the bird table. They are shy members of the corvid family and their glossy plumage reflects the blue of the ceanothus.

Rosemary has an insignificant but pretty flower. I hardly ever use rosemary but I love to grow it - we have two bushes!

Lobelia in the hanging baskets

Another lobelia - perhaps  more violet than blue!

Nigella (Love-in-a-mist or sometimes called Devil-in-a-bush) seeds itself so generously - a joy to behold!

ABC Wednesday Z is for Zoonosis

Zoonoses are infections that can be passed from vertebrate animals to humans and vice versa. Infection passed from human to non-human is sometimes called reverse zoonosis or anthroponosis. When you live in close proximity to animals it is impossible to ignore the relationship between illness in humans and a similar pattern of illness in companion animals. For most people, however, the emphasis is usually on those diseases that occur as a direct result of contact with an infected animal or through vectors of infection between non-human vertebrates, not necessarily mammals, and humans. Some infections are serious, potentially fatal, like Ebola or anthrax, while others are self-limiting, uncomfortable for a short period and possibly contributing to a stronger immune system.
Many modern diseases arose in animals. Measles, smallpox, HIV, diphtheria and influenza were all zoonoses. Bubonic plague and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever are zoonotic and it is thought that the common cold and tuberculosis may also be zoonotic.
Most people know that rats, fleas, lice, ticks and mosquitoes carry disease. Cat and dog owners and those who keep horses or parrots will know of the potential infections that may be passed on - leptospirosis, ringworms, toxoplasmosis, psittacosis. Fish and snails can also harbour zoonoses – salmonella and yersinia. Walking in areas where wild animals roam poses dangers, too – Lyme disease from deer ticks, for example. (There are other dangers associated with wild animals but they don't usually involve infection unless you live to tell the tale of the tiger or elephant attack and the wounds become infected!)

Thanks are due to Denise Nesbitt and her zealous team who host this weekly meme. Click here to see more Zs - and they won't make you push out the ZZZs

Educational Establishments’ Current Financial Irresponsibility

A large proportion of the taxes paid by the British public goes towards the support of state (public) educational establishments. This is right and proper so long as it is spent wisely.
Having spent a lifetime in industry and frequently experienced the financial requirements and prudence necessary for the survival of companies, my husband is constantly dismayed by the lack of fiscal control currently exercised by schools. Examples of this relate to discretionary spending and lack of improvements in work force quality, competence and efficiency.
A company experiencing financial difficulties will introduce several measures of additional control including discretional spending. In spite of educational cut backs, including many cancellations of schools building projects, discretionary spending still seems to persist with little apparent control. How can it be right to allow head teachers to continue spending significant sums of money on luxurious hotels for 'team building' when there are not enough funds for potentially essential schools building programmes and when there will probably be a call later in the academic year to cut the working hours of some ancillary staff?
Improvements in work force quality, competence and efficiency are normal in a commercial organisation seeking to survive. At times of economic difficulty such needs are intensified. Over the past few years companies have made it the norm to remove the lowest performing staff - typically 5%. The benefits of cost cutting - overall workforce improvement with employees working harder to avoid being in the lowest rated 5% and opportunities for new and better talent - are very clear. Even without these measures there can be grave consequences for any manager off-loading poorly performing staff to another part of the organisation. At best such activity is regarded as avoiding proper management practice, otherwise known as laziness or incompetence, and unfairly giving the problem to another manager with overall detriment to the company. In the commercial world, such failures in management can lead to serious disciplinary action. How can it be right or acceptable to the people at the top of the educational organisation that there have only been 18 teacher dismissals for incompetence in 40 years?
In the past Barry has worked with Peter Gershon and Martin Read (ex-industry leaders employed as Government advisors on public finance) both of whom will be very familiar with normal financial controls, particularly in times of difficulty. Are their voices ignored?
This is a criticism, not of teachers, but of the top levels of management at or near ministerial rank. It is at that level that matters relating to financial discipline and work force competence must be set. It seems that Ed Balls, the minister responsible in the Labour government, was pretty incompetent. Can we be assured that the current Government will do better by delivering more effective financial controls, introducing effective plans to improve teacher quality, removing inept teachers and disciplining head teachers who fail to comply?

It’s simple . . .

When an elderly person has spent some time in hospital, following a fall perhaps, or an infection (actually, infections usually occur after the elderly any person has been admitted to hospital) tests of preparedness to return home or to remove to another care facility are conducted. Sometimes, when a patient has demonstrated confusion, mental states are checked – 'What's your address?' or 'What day is it today?' (I am frequently unsure what day it is now that I no longer have the framework of a working day, so I don't think that's a reliable marker!) Otherwise the tests are used to assess mobility, strength and a degree of organisational ability in addition to mental capability.
One test that seems to be standard involves making a cup of tea – or coffee, I suppose, if tea is not the patient's beverage of choice. It reminds me of one of the tasks that used to be set for 5 and 6-year-olds – describing in correct sequence the stages required to make a sandwich, which is probably actually definitely more taxing than making tea or coffee. That reminds me – my grandson made tea a few months ago. When he brought the mugs to us - (We're not posh, we don't often use cups and saucers. You get more tea in a mug than a cup and don't have to keep getting up to refill it, not that we're lazy, of course!) - but as I was saying writing typing, Callum brought the tea to us. It was nice and hot but had lots of tea leaves floating in it. Gillian said tactfully, 'How did you make this, Callum?' 'I put a spoonful in each mug and poured in the boiling water,' he replied, clearly puzzled. It's the logical thing to do when that's the way tea is made – at home – with tea bags. Actually, I have no objection to some tea leaves in my mug but a complete teaspoonful is too much. Since then Callum has made tea correctly in the teapot.In the hospital utility room/kitchen, specially equipped with the appropriate requisites – a short flight of steps to check safety and ability on staircases, cooker, fridge, pots, pans, baking trays, mixing bowls, kettles, tea pots, mugs, cups and so forth – the patient is invited to make tea. Some fall fail at the first hurdle obstacle, unable to find the tea (often in a tea caddy labelled TEA). Difficulties over the choice of kettle should not arise – some are electric, others are heated on a hob. The examinee may be wondering how many people are expected to take tea and whether they would prefer cups or mugs but this is not to be taken into account – it is simply the ability to make a pot of tea that is being assessed. Now, some might fail because they are of the 'old school' – warm the pot and then empty – whoever does that?? (Me, occasionally, trying to impress . . . generally I like to 'shock' the flavour out of the tea leaves!) Others may omit to boil the water and attempt to produce a good brew with cold or tepid water. Yet others may not have the strength to lift a full kettle or teapot.
On the basis that making a pot of tea is an indicator of one's mental and physical abilities I must confess to failure in the first category! At the weekend I made tea many times but twice omitted the tea leaves! So, on those performances, I would definitely not pass the competence test!

Macro Monday clematis and rose

As is so often the case I've lost the labels to these clematis so have attempted to identify them using books and the internet.Neither of them are fragrant.

The closest I've found to this one, climbing through the trees in our front garden, is Clematis 'Athena' but our clematis lacks the darker veins on the reverse of the petals - any clematis experts out there? Please?

I'm almost convinced this one, climbing over one of the arches in the back garden, is Clematis 'Pille'. At this time of year it is rampant, a mass of blooms, buds and colour.

These are buds from the old climbing rose 'Mermaid', though I think it behaves more like a rambler. It has very many sharp thorns and though the buds and blooms don't seem susceptible to damage from insects, something has been munching the leaves! It was introduced to the UK in 1918.

The buds open to pale creamy-yellow single  flowers which fade to white. I seem to remember this rose having a beautiful perfume but the scent is barely discernible this year.

Thank you to Lisa of 'Lisa's Chaos' for organising and hosting this meme. Click on her name to visit and see more mesmerising macros.

Microfiction Monday #32

Thank you to Susan from 'Stony River' who organises and hosts this entertaining weekly meme. She provides a picture and the challenge is to create a story in 140 characters or less. Click here to read more marvels of microfiction – and perhaps be tempted to join in.

On seeing this illustration several things leapt to mind and had to be firmly squashed! Here's what survived ;-)

#1: She squinted but couldn't decipher the instructions. She always forgot to read them before getting into the shower. Laser eye surgery was definitely on her to do list.
(140 characters)
#2: So this was the elixir of life but must she drink it or apply it? And did she really want to live forever in the present economic climate?
(138 characters)
Finally, especially for Susan! #3: Susan mused. If it stopped the dreadful itch she'd try it. She'd smell like bad eggs – so? It was sticky too so would patch up the walls.
(137 characters)

haiku my heart friday

Thank you to Rebecca from 'recuerda mi corazon' who organises and hosts this weekly meme. To see more haiku please click here.

Fuchsia bells swinging

Gently in a soft zephyr

Look like bright fairies.