Saturday 30 March 2019

My take on the big news of the week







Looking back at recent posts I see almost every photo is of brown woods or a brown dog or a brown dog in the brown woods. I shall try and do better.

The river was higher than I've ever seen it last week, a spring tide with a bore that came right up to the sea defence.

The weather has been divine, no? I pottered in the garden this afternoon when I should have been working. It was lovely, but it means that the work is still sitting there looking at me. I top-dressed the blueberries, which didn't get done last year. Hopefully there will be a good crop this year.

The picture of Bertie is a morning one. He likes to paddle in the stream with his cocker spaniel chum, then if it's sunny he lies down in a warm spot to dry his paws. He was two today, can you believe. We gave him a yak's milk chew and a few good walks.

I never did tell you about the puppies and the duckling, and in the light of all the hysterical political news I feel the time is right. I was reading The Daily Mail in the barber's, a while back and the whole centre of it was devoted to stolen dogs who had been found again by their owners. Honestly, I was practically in tears, it was heartwarming. Some had been gone for ages, but they still knew their home and their people.

The other highlight was the story of a boy who hatched a duckling from a box of Waitrose duck eggs. Yes he did! They had a picture and everything. Apparently he heard that you could hatch a chick from a supermarket egg, so he got an incubator from Ebay and gave it a go. He ran through all sorts of eggs with no success, then ended up with Waitrose duck eggs, and guess what, duckling! It was beyond cute. Apparently the testing for whether the ducks are boys or girls can be flawed and sometimes a boy duckling slips through. The duck was going off to live on a nice farm somewhere where he could have other duckling friends to play with. This is the sort of news we want I feel, not Laura Kuenssberg hyperventilating or the poor chap who's been standing outside of Westminster for the past three months in a big coat with a heavy cold.

Of course, the really big news of the week was the eradication of the Sidmouth fatberg. I know UK friends will know all the details, but in case it has passed anyone from further afield by, in brief, a ginormous solidified mass of fat was found in the sewer under Sidmouth esplanade in December. It was 210 feet long! The biggest fatberg South West Water had ever seen and apparently they were all really surprised.

They sent their team ('confined space specialists') down there with breathing apparatus (dangerous gases) and pickaxes and for eight weeks they chipped away at it, sucking it out bit by bit into 36 tankers, each holding 3,000 gallons until it was all gone. The story has everything: heroism, perseverance and triumph against a beast of giant proportions. These are the people who should be running the country and if it comes to it, they have my vote.

21 comments:

  1. Oh thank you for that wonderful post, just the ticket in these dreadful Brexit days. Not sure which news I enjoyed most. Probably the Waitrose duck egg story. Which reminds me of my son’s favourite story in Waitrose once when he went shopping there.Evidently overheard in the aisles was a child asking their mother if she should buy marmalade for both houses mummy? Well we always knew that Waitrose has a rather better class of customer, but here was the confirmation. I’m off now with a job for tomorrow. Must get busy top dressing my blueberry, I never knew:) Have a good mother’s day, I hope those boys spoil you. B x

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    1. Oh I love the Waitrose story, brilliant. CJ xx

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  2. You can’t have too many photos of a cute brown dog and that last photo was adorable.

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  3. Thank you for the very timely post. Just what we needed to read on both sides of the Atlantic.
    Your pup is adorable.

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  4. I think we saw a story about your fat-berg on our news here in Corbett, Oregon!! You're famous! The story of it's removal and how much it was was amazing, really.. and gross too.. lol! Your Bertie is so adorable.. what a doll. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  5. Lovely post and pictures. I like the primroses and a snoozing Bertie.
    I'll forgive you for reading that particular newspaper. I don't think that I'd like to be a 'confined space specialist', especially doing that job. xx

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  6. Definitely the sort of news we need - fatbergs, puppies and ducklings. Who could fail to be cheered?! Your photos are gorgeous and Bertie is such a darling; I can't believe that it's been 2 years. Have a wonderful Mother's Day and here's to another sunny week. xx

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  7. Excellent post! While I believe that one shouldn't have one's head in the sand when it comes to matters of national (and world) importance, there's no use dwelling on it until you feel sick. It's important to remember that everyday life continues, and it's our duty to ourselves to seek joy where we may find it.

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  8. Fat-berg sums it all up - and the fact that that is what is news about our country in Oregon both leterally and politically at least gives me a wry smile - gardening in sunshine is the best antidote! Happy Mothers Day CJ

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  9. I love photos of brown woods, brown dogs and brown dogs in brown woods. Bertie is spectacularly photogenic though so that helps :) I hadn't heard about the Sidmouth fatberg but then I never watch the news. I think I shall have to go read up about it as it sounds like something I shouldn't miss. xx Susan

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  10. The Sidmouth Fat-berg sounds so comedic, it made me chuckle. Can't have been very pleasant for those removing it though. Bertie is adorable and always newsworthy.

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  11. now i must go and google 'fat-berg'...as i've no idea what that is, although my imagination has run rampant.

    i've always thought there should be a brand new news service that streams 24/7 called "Just Good News" or something like that....with stories about found-dogs and ducklings. I'd start watching the news again if such a thing existed.

    Lovely photos, as always. xo

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    1. Bloody. Hell. Those fatbergs are the stuff of nightmares. I'm officially horrified. :O

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  12. Best news I have heard in weeks. Maybe you could do a weekly round-up of good news? Have a very lovely week. xx

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  13. The whole world is a mess right now so I am so glad to see your puppy happily snoozing after a creek adventure and of course the news of that giant fat mass finally being taken out, gross as it is, is all good stuff. Better than what is happening over the pond with you and our disaster of a government.

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  14. Thankfully I have been across the pond and missed most of the B word stuff, although a little bit even reached US TV, so glad to missed most of it. Thanks for a highlight of the better news. CN x

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  15. I love your alternative news -just what is needed in these dire times!

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  16. Just the thought of a fat berg is beyond revolting... they would have my vote too!

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  17. I wonder what they did with the pieces? I much prefer this kind of news. I am heartily sick of the rest of it. I wonder who they make the news for these days- no one I know enjoys hearing it. xx

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    1. Apparently they took it to a plant that can turn it into electricity. Who knew? CJ xx

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  18. Brexit, gah, I'm beyond depressed. Such a clusterfuck. I'm so sorry that you had to read the Daily Mail, although those stories warm even my jaded heart. But the duck, I don't understand.... what if you cracked open your egg into a pan and a duckling fell out?? I'm confused. I will consult Google .

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