Life ongoing

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.- Sea-Fever 1902 BY JOHN MASEFIELD

With the world in so much trouble at the moment, going down to the beach for a walk helps clear my mind. I know it might sound a little like the ostrich putting its head in the sand but looking around at the rolling waves, Old Harry’s rock and the Purbeck Hills in the distance, I find it hard to believe anything is wrong. Yes, the price of energy is high, petrol is costly but when you clear your head and appreciate the natural rhythm of the beach and the sea, you do forget for a while the noise of the world around you.

Just the other day there was a juvenile seagull pestering its mother for food and oblivious to Jenson, who was about a meter away. Jenson stopped, took the scene in and moved on, clearly not interested. I watched for a while and then the mother flew off leaving the grumpy chick to fend for itself. Being winter, the beach is quiet with only the odd dog walker who rarely eats while walking. Come the summer and the seagulls have a wide assortment of food on offer and will happily take it out of your hand if you are not careful. I dare say that grumpy juvenile gull will be streetwise by then.

I remember going for a late walk at the beginning of February and seeing the most amazing sunset. It was a very cold day and the wind was strong, really did not want to go for the walk, but did, and saw the last of a winter's sun settling behind Corfe Castle and the Purbeck hills. It is at times like that you are rewarded for your effort.

Talking of Corfe Castle, we went for a walk around the castle just a little while ago. It was a gloomy, wet day and it was one of the best moods I have seen the castle in. It seemed to be telling the story of its loss and the violence that must have occurred on that fateful day when the castle fell to the Parliamentary troops.

Corfe Castle was built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century.

In 1645 it was besieged and fell after a heroic defence by Mary Banks. Corfe Castle was outnumbered and Mary herself took part in the defence of the battlements along with her daughters and maids. Such a pity they blew it up.

We had our customary cream tea and saluted the bravery of Mary Banks and her household.

I see that Adolf Putin has declined a request to stop the war made by President Macron and the Chancellor of Germany. The French presidency also accused Putin of "lies" after he said that Ukrainian soldiers were responsible for human rights abuses. Someone needs to sort that Putin out and soon, I do fear there will be more tears before it comes to an end. I for one, will not be sorry to see him go and I do hope they can one day charge him for war crimes and let him end his days in jail. Would be a fitting end to his dictatorship.

Birthdays - Bruno Canosa, also known as Bruno the Great turns 69 today. Pricilla, Queen of the Desert, has commissioned a song for him.

We don't talk about Bruno, no, no, no!

We don't talk about Bruno... but

We were getting ready, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky

No clouds allowed in the sky

Bruno walks in with a mischievous grin-

Thunder!!

You telling this story, or am I?

I'm sorry, mi vida, go on

Bruno says, "It looks like rain"

Why did he tell us?

In doing so, he floods my brain.

Well, that’s our Bruno, always the man.

Helen Cook of Bankside Manor is also turning 31 today, happy birthday dear Lady Helen of Bankside, you are always in our thoughts and prays, well I suppose you need to be in these troubled times. Speaking of troubled times, John Lennon wrote you a song and if I remember correctly it goes something like this;

And when the broken-hearted people

Living in the world agree

There will be an answer, let it be

For though they may be parted

There is still a chance that they will see

There will be an answer, let it be.

Fitting words for someone who cares so deeply for other people.

Hope my rambling was not too boring, sometimes we just have to get a few things off our chest. Keep safe warriors.