Angry chair is also grouchy turtle

Hello.
Its been a while. Winter is over and spring is now sort of doing spring related stuff, with flowers, rain, and the occasional bee.
This means winter no longer has me hibernating quite so much. That's the awful thing with depression, when you're down it makes you down-er, and when you're up it makes you, well, sort of flat. No amount of daylight box and pills have been able to drag me out of myself enough to really do much for the past few months. Hence my lack of posting here.
"So Simon, whats being going on other than you being a basket case?" I hear you ask. Well, when the weather allowed, when my poor old mangled back allowed, and when my own brain allowed, I have mostly been taking pictures. I wanted to paint a lot, but didn't have the energy, or spirit. I have two paintings half finished, and sitting looking accusingly at me. I shall tackle them soon, then get on with some spring stuff. I might paint some flowers.
New year came and went, largely un noticed. Snow came and stayed, and then went, and then came back again, and the roof got blown off of the work shed.

Gee, thanks nature, you dick.

 One excellent piece of news was that I was declared all free of brain tumour. Apparently "junior" has all been reabsorbed into my body. This is  a weight off of my mind. Literally. It seems i do have sinus disease though, which will probably need operating on, and I am  going t the opthalmologists in may, to asses if im partially sighted enough to be counted as partially sighted.
Ruth and I celebrated at OK diner, ate like gods, and drank million dollar peanut milkshakes, peanut flavour. I think the shakes are made by Tolkein elves. They are that tasty.

Ruth rescued a slow worm that strayed out thinking that it was spring <slow worms don't have calenders, and they would be useless to them, as 1. they can't read, and 2. they have no fingers to turn the pages.> It got put in a box over night, and was released into our neighbours garden the next day, into some very slow worm friendly straw with a big warm slate on top.

March you say? whoops I look stupid.

We celebrated Ruth's birthday yesterday, with a trip to Bodnant gardens in the conwy valley. Beautiful rambling gardens, great for a relaxing walk, even in the rain. Yes it rained, and we all got soggy, but it was wonderful, and Ruth and I loved it. Not sure about Meleri, but she came along too.

Birthday Girl!

Damp daughter

some of Bodnants excellent water features

Lovely Ruth, looking quissically at her soaked husband.

Meleri. Not smiling.

Macro of a wet flower.

We seem to also have inherited a stray cat.
He has been dubbed "Sparrow" or "pirate cat" on account of the awful injuries to his face that have left his left eye all squinty and "Arrrr" looking.
He showed up one afternoon, limping and oozing grossness from various infections, so we treated him with hot salt water < brave> and fed him. This carried on for a few days until he upped and left. I ended up putting flyers through all the doors in our village looking for him. He, of course, sauntered back in totally unconcerned a few days later.
He is very sweet, not desperately clever, and unneutered < which we are going to fix for him> He gets on well with mystery, but fights with mim, and is HATED By Mr Pie. This is due to his scroungy nature. The Apricot horror has been out scrounged!

Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh! Food! arrrrrr!

Its ON! I have my war hat.

This has lead to a new phenomenon. The angry chair. Pie sits beneath one of the chairs in the living room, one that has a throw over it, making a cave, and growls like a rusty door every time sparrow goes near.

Sparrow " Herp a durp fuss! food! arrrr!"
Pie <from hiding> "sodoffsodoffsodoff - I will cut you! so help me I will shank you in your face!"
Sparrow "huuuuur, indoors, warm lap! fuss! sleep! arrrrr!"
Pie "all the food is miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine! go ! go now! and take your splendid testicles with you! I shall sit under this chair til you do"

Only when He is sure that the interloper is out of sight does he poke his scowling face from its hiding place. His head emerges from beneath the throw, and he pokes his baldy old neck out as long as it will go, to have a good look about. This is the grouchy turtle.

Sparrow:
A.K.A Pirate cat, plums
Appearance: Dopey lopsided face, yellow eyes medium sized, soft black fur, with a white bowtie, and a squinty look.
Demeanour:Very talkative, prone to heebing, mimping and mooching. Very friendly, unless you are mim or Pie, when he will try to ignore you. Likes laps.
Territory: Has a small colony on the bed. Likes to sleep under the oak tree, own the back wall.



Thats it for now, will post again soon! promise.