It's A Long And A Dusty Road.....

Charlie has suddenly become extraordinarily and demonstrably domesticated and friendly. Towards me, at least. He goes out for a few hours each day, bringing back the odd mouse for a quick nibble and bit of protein, and insists on sitting on my lap for an hour or two each day, being stroked and purring loudly. All very strange and more like an ordinary cat! Each evening he trundles ahead of Jack into the bedroom and settles at the foot of the bed. In the night he comes up to me and nuzzles me, nose bashes away, while padding and purring. After which he settles down alongside me and dozes off. He's invariably in the same position come morn, so as I say he's almost normal. Unexpectedly and certainly suddenly. Don't know what's got into him or come over him, though it's a welcome development:

Buddies together

I only hope it continues after his forthcoming visit to the local cattery, where he'll be sharing a cell/run with his old, deaf buddy, Jack. They'll be fine together and I think it best for them both to be together. We're lucky there's a Cattery/Kennels nearby and at about 14 euros a day for the pair it's not too prohibitive. I'll take them both down on Wednesday afternoon as I fly off from Almeria early on Thursday morning, Gatwick bound.

A friend in Kent has bagged a couple of tickets for a gig in Tunbridge Wells on the night I arrive: Show of Hands are one of those bands I've long known about but never seen, so I'm hoping for a pleasant evening out: http://www.showofhands.co.uk/: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aV5JESfaZ1c

I'm also off to see an Argentinian based American player/singer/songwriter with J on Sunday. Richard Shindell is one of my favourites and I've yet to catch him live. He's a fav of Joan Baez too, who commissioned a song from him a few years back. Finally, we're all going to see an old sort of mate, (I gave up playing guitar for a while largely because of a continued failure to meet up with him back in the early 1980s - he thought it funny, and sad, when I told him, a few days before he boogered off to live in the States for many years) a great guitarist called Martin Simpson. We booked this one because our French friend, Patrick, will love his playing, I'm sure, and had never heard of him before his last visit here a few weeks ago!

Still impossible to uplaod from UTube. God knows why or why it's been changed. Just a small bit of film icon now which tells me the vid I'm inserting will be visible later - which it won't be!

Here is the useless interface now!

It does not download from Tube, whatever it might say! And with the new photo downloader I can't do more than one at a time and they all appear at top of page, so must be dragged (with difficulty) and dropped into place! Absolutely awful change. I think I'v some kind of hybrid with features from the old Blogger and some crap ones from the new style. I recommend everyone to ignore the new offering: it stinks!

Charlie's nemesis turned up yesterday afternoon as I sat plonking away here. He leapt from the street up onto the narrow window ledge. Obviously planning on a quick food fest, he was horrified to find me sitting here. The speed with wich he executed a turnaround and leapt off, especially on the narrow ledge with a substantially hazardous drop below, was impressive:

Pondering his next move, no doubt!

The little kitten, Panda/Rocky Cat in the Mask now allows me to lightly scratch his/her nape and head when eating. Today, when I fed the usual hoards, he/she was perfectly relaxed when I touched him/her. Progress, I think. I'll see what I do when I return from UK on the twenty-fourth. An old friend, originally from Scotland but now a London resident, is coming over with me for a week's holiday, so there will be lots of drinking and eating involved, I'm sure! There will also be lots of guitar playing too, though I've developed Dupuytrens Contracture in BOTH hands, so will have to eventually give up playing altogether, I think.

It's a bitter pill, after over forty years of mostly fingerpicking. I'm not very comfortable with general strumming, having not done it really since I was a beginner and having let my flat-picking skills atrophy; but it may offer me an alternative to simply quitting. I've also got my Ukulele and Banjo-Uke to consider though I think I'll persevere with those till the last possible moment. I'm planning to sell my best guitar - a rare Gibson AJ Special, number one of a limited 36 model run. The money will be handy and it will have to go anyway because of my developing disability!:

If there's anyone out there looking for a great guitar, a genuine collector's piece and, I'm sure, a good musical investment, do let me know! Sadly!!