TEST

Today's date: Weds 15th July 2026

Set post date to 14th July 2026 on post settings.

There is actually a new feature to set a date - maybe it's this that is buggering things up on Blogger. See the  post settings stuff on the right. Maybe don't use 'Automatic', or vice versa - who knows?!!

I will publish this and see what happens.

Sulking

 Apologies. I am sulking. I ran out of heating oil last Monday so my time has been taken by stoking the wood burning stove and glowering at news articles featuring the tangerine twat in the US. I am sure that oil prices are being manipulated and somebody, somewhere, is making a lot of money from the misery - probably someone with limited use of the English language and a satsuma skin tone.

Enough. It is Spring, let us look instead at something pretty, though also orange....

My enthusiasm to get to grips with my posh camera was short lived and this picture was taken with my iPhone. I did download the camera manual, but there were a lot of words and diagrams and my eyes glazed over in the effort to understand it all. I will try again because we will be having some cloudless nights, and that means lots and lots of stars.

Meanwhile, I hope we have a long warm summer so that I can save up for some heating oil for winter. Grrr. I mean, Brrr.

What?

 Has anyone tried Blogger's new beta features? Good heavens, why would I? To 'Create a more engaging reading experience with the help of Google', that's why! I think I'll give it a miss for the time being.

Anyhow, where was I? Stuck in December 2025, wishing it was over. As it's been over for several months I thought I'd post an update, after all I had a birthday yesterday! And Mr Devine published a glorious post in celebration of my passing years! He is correct, it has been very wet in Devon this winter, like living within a slime coated aquarium. It has been gloomy. So gloomy that I have been glued to the sofa watching crime dramas that I can't now recall; Taskmaster; and an entertainment programme with the nutritional value of a fried Mars bar [The Masked Singer]. I think I lost a lot of brain cells this winter.

BUT, in February there was a glimmer of hope when I made a collage! Yay! 

There, I hope this post is engaging enough? I will try to do better next time. Oh, one more thing, I am thinking of posting a daily photograph on my old WordPress blog as I already use it as a picture library for this blog. I bought a fancy camera a few years ago and never learnt to use it properly. I'm thinking that a commitment to a daily photo may force me to use it. I think I have had this idea before so don't hold your breath!!

The Daily Prompt - An Exciting New Series!!!!

 What am I looking forward to most in December?

It being over.

My Lost Va Va Voom, and Other Stories

As a child I was prone to verbal mishaps, mostly my mistakes were gently corrected, laughed at, or ignored. Denim became deminimum and aluminium became aluminiminimummmn. I avoided Birmingham and would often find myself steering the conversation towards Manchester. Like many children I had a problem with the Grand Prix, and with that well known car manufacturing firm...

It was a special occasion, friends and relatives were coming for Sunday tea; Mum had opened a fresh can of spam and had baked a Victoria sponge. She'd also done a salad and some other boring stuff featuring pineapple chunks, and half a grapefruit. As we sat around the dining table my Aunt began to tell us about her brand new car, she marvelled over its luxurious leather interior, and its faux wooden dashboard. I could see it through the window parked on our driveway - new, red and very shiny. I was most impressed. I sighed before asking loudly and enthusiastically, 'Dad, when are you going to get a big vulva like Auntie Pam's?'
Such a shame that my Uncle had just popped a pickled onion into his mouth, but at least his choking provided a welcome distraction.

Apologies! I have been poking around in the Scarlet Blue archives searching for my lost Va Va Voom! The above tale was originally from 2010.