Jokey Jo

So the PM is happy to quote international stats on testing. But maybe he should keep things in perspective. Highest death rate in Europe, weakest economy, poorest showing on helping refugees, I could go on! BUT whether we have the highest number of tests in Europe, or the World or the Universe (just anticipating the idiots next bluster!), IT IS NOT WORKING! I do not care how much better than anyone else, it is still crap!

So get it working, take control away from your cronies at Deloitte, return it to local NHS Trusts. These are people who we can trust, and if they get it wrong, will be held accountable rather than directors of a financial management company who will be on their private jet to wherever faster than the speed of light.

Page 10 Guardian

What hope is there for our planet when the latest of 3 international reports on environmental degradation across the planet only makes the bottom half of p10 in the Guardian (our most environmentally aware paper).

IT SHOULD BE FRONT PAGE OF EVERY PAGE!

VACCINES

So there are 320+ different vaccines being researched against Covid-19. great, lets hope some work?

But it is also important to stop the next ‘pandemic’. It will happen. World human population is growing and increasingly interacting with wildlife that has previously lived in isolated environments. we need therefore …

WASPS

When was the last time you or anyone near you got stung by a wasp? Its a shame! Well not that you haven’t been stung, but there just are not many around anymore, a few butterflies, a few flies, but nothing like a few years ago. Check the front of a car and notice how dead insect free it is! If you like everything neat and tidy, well plant lots of insect friendly flowers in straight lines. If you do not sit or play on your lawn – let it become a wildlife meadow. Large parts of the countryside have been sprayed to death – gardens can be a counter to this.

INDOOR PLANTS

How many times/people have you heard say that they cannot keep / or kill indoor plants? Lots. Well its no big secret.

I have been growing 60/70 plants in my place for a couple of years or more – the number keeps increasing. My philosophy is to water a little and often. The bigger the leaves the more I water!That way I don’t forget to water them. If they don’t like this then they fo and die. Harsh but it does mean I am surrounded with lots of beautiful greenery.

Garden news

A rather pretentious title! Just picked 10 tomatoes, and thinned the leaves out on my yellow ones. Picked a dozen or so raspberries – they are big fat and sweet, Also cut of old flower stalks of the chicory – I think my favourite plant this year – for seeds to dry before storing for next year. I have nearly 300 bulbs coming later this week so the spring show in the garden could be good – maybe even better than the xmas lights that many people put up outside their houses for some reason!

My mallow has died, and along with the apricot. tree, that is 2 sad losses this year. And no mulberries either – they are testing my patience. I am beginning to plan more for next year – suggestions welcome.

Random

There is some random news about this weekend. A football match between Fleetwood Town and Burton Albion was stopped due to apples being thrown over the stand onto the pitch!

And then there a growing numbers of reports of attacks by a pod of Orca Whales on yachts. They have disabled a couple. Come on you orca’s!! I read once about an incident in New Zealand. Geese mate for life. A guy went out shooting and shot one, the other of the pair flew straight at him and killed him! Geese fly very fast – 50+kmph.

Pizza in oven,Siri is doing the timing. I KNOW she is not real, but she has such a positive voice, and I love the Irishness! She tells some fairly bad jokes and her weather forecast is not that great, but she is nice to Alexa!

CHOCOLATES

Life and things appear to be a bit difficult at the moment. Like Forest Gump said “life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get”. So it is important to keep looking out for the best ones, in my case strawberry cream; but also realise that you like most of the others. I am not keen on toffee ones, but can cope with them. Be positive, even the bad times teach lessons that make you better able to handle them, and therefore able to embrace the good times.

Eat chocolate and smile!