I Will Only Be Making One Post Today,

Graham at the shop has a few things to do today, so I will cover for him, back to Thursday,

for myself I had a quiet day, not so the girls both Kai and Diana had a day off, so it was a girls day out in London eating and window shopping, did I mention eating? their day started off at Victoria then a walk through some of the London parks,

thankfully it was a nice day, the girls had booked a afternoon tea on one of Brigit's Bakery & Afternoon Tea Bus Tours,

all aboard! as it happens Steve, Kai, Diana and myself went on one of these with Brigit's way back in May 2016, after a trip to the Horniman Museum, as you might expect, the girls had a great time, next window shopping,

both of the girls looking at so many cake shops on the way!

well they had to work up an appetite, 

for eventually their next port of call,

here in Soho at EatTokyo, and yes there was a queue to get in, it took 30 minutes to be shown a table, 

but it was worth the wait, what a selection!

eyes down and tuck in, I was told it all was delicious,

on the way back to the station at Victoria, they passed under these street decorations,

wishing everyone a Happy Ramadan, after saying their goodbyes on the train, Kai alights one station before Diana at Beckenham, arriving home it was feet up for a coffee and a chat and a look at the photographs Diana took, followed by a double helping of A Touch of Frost before we were off to bed.

Blog Posted,

and I was on my way to visit Duncan,

into a grey day,

but at least it was not raining,

the cherry blossoms putting on a good show,

even if the local parrot population was eating the flowers!

I was soon passing the River Ravensbourne,

flowing into Peter Pans Pool,

no change of drivers today, the bus was making good time,

no road works at Catford, all finished now,

great shutter art at Cash Busters,

past the building whose refurbishment never seems to be finished,

in Lewisham itself the traffic seem to stall, 

but I was soon passing the newly opened Taco Bell,

the stalls in Lewisham market already had their awnings out, rain on the way I guess,

the florist next to the station at Blackheath putting on a good show,

on this side,

the Pelargoniums looking really nice,

then a stroke of luck as I entered Blackheath station, I had plenty of time for the 09.31 to Gravesend, so I decide to buy next months tickets to visit Duncan, but, my Old Age Pensions card runs out next week, the good news was that the chap in the ticket office said he could issue me a new 1 year card here and now, £30.00 later and I bought 4 return tickets for April, which this year had risen by 5%, the OAP card gives me a 30% discount on the normal fares,

after 50 minutes or so I was in Gravesend,

a walk up the hill, when I have to say it started to drizzle,

into the nursing home, where Duncan was in good sprits, we chatted away about some of the times we went collecting tubifex worms in the River Medway, back in the 1980s, a dangerous job wading waste deep in mud, when I say dangerous it was, a collector just downriver of Duncan and myself slipped into a unseen hole, despite our best efforts he drowned, just yards away for us, we both had to appear at the corners court and as a case was brought by the widow against the water board, we also had to attend the Old Bailey, on a lighter note we also chatted about our times together in the Philippines all of those years ago,

when Duncan's lunch arrived after saying our farewells I made a move for home,

outside hopefully this apple tree will have another fine crop like last year, chatting to the gardeners they said no one else picks them and to help yourself when they are ripe, arriving at Blackheath, the number 54 bus arrived, but for some reason for the first time ever since I had been doing this trip, it was only going to Catford bus garage, so a change of bus there,

before that I past the Taco Bell, now with a customer inside!

off of the number 54 by the church,

next to the green,

I dropped of a key to be copied at Godfrey's shoe repair shop for the residents who use the rear entrance to the house, so that in an emergency they could access the control panel for the fire alarm in the front hall,

into Marks & Spencer's for my evening meal and I found a few nice treats for Diana, out of M & S and after picking up the keys I was on my way walking home,

past the garden at Foxgrove Lodge,

where some primulas and pansies were putting on a display,

as was the magnolia in this front garden,

still plenty of blooms on the cherry trees, despite the parrots!

I bought these for Diana,

the Easter cup cakes were so cute, Diana loved them, whilst in M & S I felt really hungry, so I bought myself some sausage rolls, Diana had explained me how to heat them up, well you know me and the kitchen! but I had a cunning plan, Diana told me to put the sausage rolls in the oven and turning it on from cold give them 15 minutes at 170 to warm them up, well I was not going to be fooled, I turned the timer on my telephone on,15 minutes later,

Ta-Dah! what is it with me, kitchens and cooking? as it happens they tasted just like they looked, charcoal covered, rock hard sausage rolls, note to self, next time eat them cold,

in the evening a sherry and a read,

with slightly blacked cottage pie,

'Cheers!', 

I then decided to watch Journey to the Centre of the Earth, a great boys own adventure, after which Diana arrived home, so it was feet up for a coffee a chat and Easter bunny cup cakes! we then watched a double helping of A Touch of Frost before we were off to bed.

I Was Absolutely Amazed,

at the amount of work that went into this kinetic sculpture,

all images Casey Curran, it was made by artist Casey Curran,

titled Carrion Blooms, the works reference degeneration and decay and how the body’s stamina wanes. “We can all recall those days when our energy seemed endless, twenty-four-hour benders where we somehow managed to cram everything in; work, school, hobbies, friends, and family. The time felt limitless with possibilities,” Curran says,

as the work is hand cranked, 

the animate laser-cut insects and flowers made of mylar, flutter, blossom, and retreat to their static positions,

as I mentioned absolutely amazing,

Carrion Blooms is on view from April 1 to May 6 at Heron Arts in San Francisco, and you can find more from Curran on his site and Instagram, you can view the full size video here.