I dropped Julia off at work this morning and, as the day was briefly sunny, came back the long way round. This proved to be a good decision as it enabled me too avoid a terrible tailback and look smug. The two things were not unconnected.
The weather is forecast to be significantly less good for the rest of the day. Hopefully my luck will continue to be good.
I knocked out 350 words about volunteering on my return home, as it’s something I’ve been thinking about and there had been an item on the radio this morning. Unfortunately, despite writing and rewriting (the likely word count was probably at least double the 350 that resulted) I still wasn’t happy with them.
It took so long I was nearly late for my blood test.
Fortunately they were running late so I had time to make an appointment for the flu vaccination clinic. Between 8.00 and 9.00 on a Saturday morning is not the optimal time because it’s our relaxed breakfast morning, with Julia buying fruit from the market and starting work at 11.30. However, I want the jab so I accepted the time.
The luck was clearly starting to leak out of the day.
It took three shots to find a vein today, but it doesn’t really hurt and we had a good laugh about it. Well what else are you going to do, complain to a woman armed with a needle?
I was definitely feeling less lucky, and slightly more leaky by that time when she said:
“Would you like a flu vaccination while you’re here?”
Save a trip to the surgery and have time for a leisurely breakfast – yes I would.
I had to have a different nurse for that. It seems that when you are on Warfarin you need a specially qualified nurse to give you an injection.
You can, it seems, prod me with needles as much as you like, open veins at will and extract blood by the bucketful – that’s OK. But load up with flu vaccine and stick it in a muscle and you need special training.
I had special training in hospital to inject myself with anticoagulants. That took five minutes.
The NHS is a wondrous place.
At that point I had to admit that my luck was improving, as I was vaccinated and had saved time.
After that I called at the parcel office. An irritating family got there just before me and clogged the system up a bit, with two noisy daughters guarding the door while the scrawny father and amply proportioned matriarch blocked the enquiry window. They seemed more than normally concerned by a note they had been sent, telling them pick a parcel up from the office. As they were already in possession of an armful of packages I don’t know why one more was significant.
It was, she thought, a scam facilitated by the theft of her phone on holiday. I don’t know if it was stolen or not, if she always speaks so much drivel it had probably thrown itself off a cliff.
I’m not sure what sort of scam involves sending the victim a parcel. Possibly one where you post a parcel full of burglars, but I don’t think that’s worked since the Fall of Troy.
Back home I noted a Small White fluttering round the front garden, then a Red Admiral, then a second Red Admiral. By the time I had the camera in action I noticed a massive spider sitting in a web, waiting…
In the end I took pictures of the spider, as it was the most unusual thing. The White flew off, and as I focused on the first Red Admiral they both became skittish and refused to settle.
In the end I think it’s just a female Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus), and not at all rare. It is, in spider terms, quite big, and I will sleep easier tonight knowing I have something that size guarding my garden.
As I sat down to write this they came back so I went out again.
They flew off as I stalked the first one.
If I spot them again I’m taking a rolled up newspaper and a bottle of glue. That should sort out the skittishness.
And finally – they came back!
Red Admiral – at last!
No Red Admirals were harmed in the taking of these pictures. Honestly – no glue needed!
A parcel full of burglars. Ha!
Great spider photos.
Thanks – it helped having a good spider to take photos of.
https://www.storiestogrowby.org/story/spider-robert-the-bruce/
It’s a good story. Ours has been sitting out in the rain and dark this evening waiting for a fly.
It is a favourite story of Mine.
🙂
I Admire a Spiders resilience ‘Robert the Bruce’s’. Spider.
Yes, our spider was still in the web tonight in the dark and the rain.
Aw poor Thing.
I think it’s waiting for me to let my guard down. 🙂
Oh, don’t quite know what to say about that!!
🙂
A very comely spider, and Red Admiral! I also love your stories of the NHS. 🙂
There will be more medical stories as I am now in their grip. 🙂
Very nice nature pics – I Enjoyed them
Thank you. Now I’m spending more time at home I’m surprised at what I can see in my own front garden.
Its nice to commune with nature occasionally
🙂
Great spider pics, and fun post. Trust you to come across Jack Sprat and his wife. 🙂
I hadn’t thought of that, but it does suit them! 🙂
I’m glad you have a large guard spider in the garden. I’m sure it will be most effective at what it does.
I have not been troubled by flies recently so it seems to be working.
I need one of these spiders then, considering the number of flies in my kitchen!
You’d need a big kitchen – it isn’t small.
Oh, I see!
I feel a little crowded by having it in our (small) front garden. It’s only about two inches across (including feet) but the web is a couple of feet across and it’s a big presence. 🙂
I’ve got a web like that outside my front door 😉.
That is a really beautiful spider! Nice photograph. 🙂
Thank you. It was still there as darkness fell.
🙂
I think you got a great photo of the butterfly with the frilly pink undergarments and flowers in hair as well.
🙂
Great spider shot. I like the idea of being scammed by being sent a parcel.
As long as it doesn’t contain burglars.
I enjoyed that 🙂 Love spiders, but that may stem from a hatred of flies lol. I was going to ask what anticoagulants were, but looking at the spelling of it i guess they are to stop your blood congealing? 🙂
Yes, that’s right. It’s supposedly to stop me having strokes and thrombosis but instead it gives me bruises and nose bleeds and they check my blood every few weeks. It’s the result of a life of food, drink and enjoyment. I’m struggling to lose weight so they have taken as much joy as possible out of my life. However, they are lovely people and I do like being alive. 🙂