Review: Wesley: The Story of a Remarkable Owl

Wesley: The Story of a Remarkable Owl by Stacey O’Brien

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Enchanting

There are already hundreds of reviews of this book on Goodreads, so I shan’t repeat the storyline for you. However, for those of you who have any feeling for the amazing stories of relationships between animals and humans, this is a “must read.”

Stacey and Wesley live their lives together from the time that the owl is four days old. They form such a very strong relationship that they converse with each other, and share each other’s emotions, happy and sad. The story is beautifully narrated, with sentiment, and it will make you laugh and it will make you cry.

Don’t hang about waiting for me to say any more. Go and get yourself a copy and read it. I can safely say that you are more likely to thank me for that recommendation than to curse me for it.
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Day 35 – Abbadia San Salvatore to Viterbo

Adge è megagallatica!

Cycling the Via Francigena

I have to ask you all a question, do you believe in coincidence, karma, chance or any other similar occurrences? The reason I ask, is because today someone somewhere was definitely guiding my journey. Let me explain further. The day started really well with a long winding descent from Abbadia San Salvatore to Acquapendente. That section of the SS2 is another one to add to your ‘bucket list’ of roads to travel. Breathtaking scenery, quiet roads, hairpin bends, blue skies and sunshine it was perfect. There was a small climb into Acquapendente that increased the heart rate, but the effort was well worth it. A beautiful little place which was teeming with people as it was market day.

Radicafone in the distance.

I found the Municipio and went in search of someone to stamp my passport. I was waiting outside the right office when a group of three Italians stopped…

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“there are no rules of architecture for a castle in the clouds.” ~g.k. chesterton

I didn't have my glasses on....

what a beautiful morning to help

at the annual

juvenile diabetes research foundation event

and

 to take a great walk after

 right in the mix with

dogs, babies, strollers, scooters, families,

friends, teams, singles, wagons and trees

and then come to the end

very happy to have been a part of it all.

“we are all here on earth to help others;

what on earth the others are here for I don’t know.”

-w.h. auden

—

http://www.jdrf.org

—

photo credit: steve townsend

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Retired Ladies Live Their Dreamlife in a Cosy Forest House

ALK3R

Have you wondered how you’ll spend your retired days? I’ll give you an idea. A genius Japanese architect created an unique home for 2 retired ladies with their caretaker and a cook.

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Day 33 – Siena to Abbadia San Salvatore

Both of Adge’s charities strike a chord with me but, today, the meningitis charity became even more pertinent when I received some unexpected, tragic news.

My friend’s teenage daughter came home early from work on Friday evening. On Saturday morning, she died from meningitis. I cannot imagine how he feels and I am truly lost for words.

Cycling the Via Francigena

Well I made the decision last night; Siena, mosquitoes and I were not compatible. With that in mind, I left to head South with Radificone as a possible destination. Foolishly I decided to let Mr Garmin have one more opportunity to redeem himself by taking me out of Siena… why did I bother? Mr Garmin now lives at the bottom of my panniers, I would rather place my trust in a handful of bones!

The day started overcast and quite chilly, but improved later, but is now threatening rain! The Italian towns and villages came and went and the beautiful rolling Tuscany countryside came up trumps – it also through in some seriously lumpy hills! Late morning as the sun was burning through, I caught my first glimpse of the majestic Mount Amiata, which would remain omni present and would almost become my nemesis!

The middle ground underneath the cloud…

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Correlation

 

So cute!

And that shower triggering the doorbell phenomena is prevalent. We have all suffered.

It is along the same lines as cleaning the windows is more likely to bring rain than the most potent rain dance.

Espiritu en Fuego/A Fiery Spirit

DeBorah had a Little Lamb

Timing

The time space that happens when you’re either taking off your clothes and getting into the shower or coming out of the shower wrapped only in a towel and the exact moment that the United States Postal Service or the UPS Guy will ring your doorbell!!

Go Figure!!

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Beatles Shine with Passion and Energy in New Documentary “8 Days a Week: the Touring Years”

This was well covered on the radio and put me into a happy nostalgic spin in my childhood days.

SC Skillman Blog

How young, innocent, and naive they were, aged in their early twenties: cheeky and endearing. As Paul McCartney puts it, “At the beginning it was all very simple. By the end it had become very complicated.”

And in the Beatles new documentary “8 Days a Week: The Touring Years” we saw a transformation rather similar to the one which we witnessed in Diana, Princess of Wales – a transition from youth and innocence to another state of being harder, more cynical and worldly-wise, more knowing and more guarded, more self-protective. It is an inevitable transition in many ways, one we all make, and yet we never see our own transition writ large upon the screen, projected before the public gaze, as with those who become famous.

In this respect it is their story, but our story too. There were many moments when the whole cinema audience burst out laughing at…

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