A
pretty good week. I got an application done for working with Learning
Disabled people in Darlington and I have a good chance of getting this
job because they wanted to know as much as possible about me in writing
on the application form.
I clipped off a couple of pounds of weight which is good because that represents 7000 cal that I have not eaten this week, 3 1/2 thousand calories to each pound. It may not be just not eating food of course I have been quite active walking as well. The trip to Saltholme on Teeside to the RSPB bird sanctuary was absolutely brilliant all clear sky, blue, mellow, not least because there were few birds around due to the huge amount of rainfall over the past weeks which have left all of the mudflats covered so there were very few waders. We only saw one a Redshank feeding away on the bit of mudflat that was still uncovered. The Long Eared Owls are back having travelled across from Scandinavia for warmer climes and several birdwatchers were eagerly making their way to the top end of the site about a mile away from the Nature Centre. Nice atmosphere.
Clifford is nicely preparing for his A-level exams next week and is very confident getting in the high 80s and low 90s for his mathematics mocks and I am reading his coursework for his History and it looks pretty good. Miles is just beavering away as usual and we have reduced the amount of times he goes to the skate park because it is now time to start preparing for the next stage in his life which will either be training for work as a teacher or doing his Masters/Ph.D. in order to be a university teacher/ researcher. What is also good about this is that he is going to the skateboarder only session at RKcade in Redcar which is pretty wild and he is enjoying that.
Standard Saturday today, Durham Woods, a huge tree had fallen, which a couple of people told me had fallen only two hours earlier right across the path, glad we weren't there at that time and so we took it easy as we went underneath it just in case it slipped as we were walking under it. It is pivoted on the hillside and on the riverbank at the moment but as soon as the river floods again of course the whole thing will slip and block the path completely. It is never boring but to the two Little Grebes we saw minding their own business and I think getting quite interested in each other because of the warm weather making them think about breeding they could not give a hoot what was going on! On the subject of which when taking Miles on his car driving training yesterday we went straight through the centre of Darlington, his test is next week, and as we went down St Cuthberts Way a very busy road there is the River Skerne on the left and a busy car park across from it and right in the middle of the river were a couple of Goosander's which totally amazed me because they are a very wild bird and don't normally like being around people. Nature is always surprising.
The walk today was bright and bubbly and Fiona is getting fitter and we sat in the Durham marketplace just watching people go by on biscuit break which was mellow and stimulating at the same time. We tend to do the same walks again and again which is a good way to notice the changes which is why I like to do that. We were going to go into Swaledale today but Fiona has had a mild bit of sinusitis and is not quite up to that. I was pretty keen on going somewhere to see Waxwings but not today. We will do that walk next week.
A great week, a beautiful day and the meatballs are cooking, The Lord of the Rings movie is waiting and I love my family and friends so much. I cannot wait to go to the Butterknowle Open Mic night this Monday. Anybody out there beam some good thoughts my way, or pray, that I get one of these jobs. It is not so much the money, I am not desperate for that, but I would like to get out and I think I have something to contribute to having fun and increasing the life chances of Learning Disabled people who I may work with.
I clipped off a couple of pounds of weight which is good because that represents 7000 cal that I have not eaten this week, 3 1/2 thousand calories to each pound. It may not be just not eating food of course I have been quite active walking as well. The trip to Saltholme on Teeside to the RSPB bird sanctuary was absolutely brilliant all clear sky, blue, mellow, not least because there were few birds around due to the huge amount of rainfall over the past weeks which have left all of the mudflats covered so there were very few waders. We only saw one a Redshank feeding away on the bit of mudflat that was still uncovered. The Long Eared Owls are back having travelled across from Scandinavia for warmer climes and several birdwatchers were eagerly making their way to the top end of the site about a mile away from the Nature Centre. Nice atmosphere.
Clifford is nicely preparing for his A-level exams next week and is very confident getting in the high 80s and low 90s for his mathematics mocks and I am reading his coursework for his History and it looks pretty good. Miles is just beavering away as usual and we have reduced the amount of times he goes to the skate park because it is now time to start preparing for the next stage in his life which will either be training for work as a teacher or doing his Masters/Ph.D. in order to be a university teacher/ researcher. What is also good about this is that he is going to the skateboarder only session at RKcade in Redcar which is pretty wild and he is enjoying that.
Standard Saturday today, Durham Woods, a huge tree had fallen, which a couple of people told me had fallen only two hours earlier right across the path, glad we weren't there at that time and so we took it easy as we went underneath it just in case it slipped as we were walking under it. It is pivoted on the hillside and on the riverbank at the moment but as soon as the river floods again of course the whole thing will slip and block the path completely. It is never boring but to the two Little Grebes we saw minding their own business and I think getting quite interested in each other because of the warm weather making them think about breeding they could not give a hoot what was going on! On the subject of which when taking Miles on his car driving training yesterday we went straight through the centre of Darlington, his test is next week, and as we went down St Cuthberts Way a very busy road there is the River Skerne on the left and a busy car park across from it and right in the middle of the river were a couple of Goosander's which totally amazed me because they are a very wild bird and don't normally like being around people. Nature is always surprising.
The walk today was bright and bubbly and Fiona is getting fitter and we sat in the Durham marketplace just watching people go by on biscuit break which was mellow and stimulating at the same time. We tend to do the same walks again and again which is a good way to notice the changes which is why I like to do that. We were going to go into Swaledale today but Fiona has had a mild bit of sinusitis and is not quite up to that. I was pretty keen on going somewhere to see Waxwings but not today. We will do that walk next week.
A great week, a beautiful day and the meatballs are cooking, The Lord of the Rings movie is waiting and I love my family and friends so much. I cannot wait to go to the Butterknowle Open Mic night this Monday. Anybody out there beam some good thoughts my way, or pray, that I get one of these jobs. It is not so much the money, I am not desperate for that, but I would like to get out and I think I have something to contribute to having fun and increasing the life chances of Learning Disabled people who I may work with.
