Blog Posted,

and I was out,

into a chilly morning on my way to visit Duncan,

the number 54 bus was packed, I had to sit at the back,

and was soon passing Peter Pan's Pool,

and Lewisham market,

 

the pallets of goods being brought by fork-lift truck from the lorries parked in an opposite road,

in Blackheath village the florists open,

on one side a nice display of bromeliads, 

on the other side of the doorway,  

the first of this years hyacinths,

and Christmas cactus, (Schlumbergera Bridgesii),

as I was early I popped along to the greengrocers, to see if they had any cob nuts, but alas they did not,

but they did have these,

 ornamental gourds as they are known,

good news at the station, the 09,31 was running through to Gravesend and was on time,

then bad news it was delayed, which was annoying as Alan had called to say he would meet me at Gravesend station to pick me up and visit Duncan,

the commuter train on the upline had just left,

a stop at Dartford, the pond opposite the station,

Alan picked me up at the station, and we were soon at the nursing home where Duncan lives,

a quick pose and we were inside, Duncan was in happy to see both of us, we had brought him some chocolates, biscuits and his favourite, salt and vinegar crisps, which I had to remind him not to eat too many of, or he does not eat his lunch! we chatted away, Duncan mentioned the news of the flood in Libya, a terrible tragedy, we also chatted about our meetings many years before covid, Alan and myself then said our farewells as it was nearing the time for Duncan's lunch to arrive,  

Alan kindly dropped me off at the station, my train waiting to depart from platform 0,

off of the train at Blackheath and onto a number 54 bus, past the building where work never seems to be finished,

I thought that by now the sunflower beds opposite Lewisham hospital would have been replanted, but it appears not,

the best of the remaining bee garden looking very sorry for itself,

more gravel and brown than green, 

I stayed on the bus, past the entrance road to where we live, Foxgrove Lodge on the corner,

past the green, I alighted at the bottom of the hill and walked to the surgery, I had been told to pick up a specimen jar for a test for my diabetes, jar and instructions picked up I walked into town,

past a nice display outside of The George,

a nice display at the florists,

on both sides of the door,

I walked into Sainsbury's entrance,

on one side Christmas trees growing from last year, in Sainsbury's I wanted to buy some old fashioned razor blades to scrap the resin the pine trees had left on out car from the windscreen, none in stock, also some Garibaldi biscuits that Duncan likes so I bring down a packer every week, out of stock, I also had a look for some cob nuts, but none available, for the razor blades one of the staff suggested the chemists on the corner,

in, and out with a packet of blades, in Sainsbury's I had checked if they stocked them the day before, a pack of 5 for £2.00, in the chemist the same pack of 5 for £1.00, 50% cheaper!

I walked back past the churchyard,

and into the park where it was starting to cloud over, I did not mention that after only a week or so the baby kribs disappeared, well mum and Dad have produced some more fry,

 a not very good video of them above, as I mentioned before I knew them as Pelmatochromis kribensis, in tropical fishkeeping they are known as kribs, but some years ago they have been reclassified, and are now known as Pelvicachromis pulcher, they are cichlids a group of fish that when they lay eggs after they have hatched for the first part of the fry's development look after their young, and so far for the second time they are doing a sterling job,

Diana had beaten me home from her early shift at work, later it was time for a read and a sherry,

'Cheers!',

as we tucked into pork fillet with all of the trimmings,

followed by a crème brûlée, after which it was feet up for a Antiques Road Trip followed by a Lewis which was on a normal television channel, we then swapped to ITVX for a Midsomer Murder before we were off to bed.