Another grey Yorkshire day, just a bit stuck under this blanket of greyness. It’s also still very green for this time in Autumn, usually it’s way more yellow and red. Definitely feels like it’s been a longer growing season here. We also still have a handful of Swallows still hanging around, these fellows are usually back in Africa by now. They clearly are not hanging around because of the sun…. Maybe they are just putting off trying to get through the chaos and queues that is UK Passport Control these days. One of my neighbours foolishly tried and failed to get out of the country a couple of weeks ago to go on holiday. Apparently she didn’t look sufficiently like her passport photo anymore. In her words “you try looking like you did 5 years ago when you hit 84…”

Made me check my passport photo. I’m ok, still looks like me, still looks like Shrek.

I remember going to a fancy dress themed party years ago at University. Themed around cartoon characters. I went as Fred from Scooby Doo, back then I could rock an orange ascot….. A friend of mine put in way more effort to go as Shrek. He was mortified when the first couple of people thought he had come as Alfred Hitchcock.

Hitchcock was famed for talking about “always make the audience suffer as much a possible”. My so called football team have clearly been following that principle for decades now….

Another thing Hitchcock talked about was ‘DRAMA is life with the dull bits cut out’. I always think you could take out DRAMA and substitute that with SINGLE PARENTING. I’ve had a few people tell me they were sorry I was a single parent. Don’t get me wrong, it happened for tragic reasons, but actually being a single parent is such a wonderful privilege and experience. Being a parent has been the best experience and it feels like because of circumstances I got the chance to get just a bit more of that wonderful experience. It has been a wonderful experience.

42 thoughts on “Still Grey”

  1. Yes, it has been a long growing season here in Wales. Today I ate green beans from the garden and there’s still some small ones that will fatten up, but I think they will be the last crop.

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  2. The leaves here in NY are still green and hanging on; I believe it’s because of the unseasonably warm September we had. NY swallows migrate to Florida, Central America, Mexico and Cuba, depending on the species ….. or the status of their passports!

    Bless you and Hawklad, Gary.

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  5. Gary, your words always hit my heart and soul in neat ways. A few giggles at times, too. I highly doubt your passport photo resembles Shrek! My looks have changed so much in the last 5 years people from my past might think I’m in a witness protection program!

    You’re an amazing Dad, Gary. It wasn’t by choice, (for that, I’m always sorry)…yet, you always put Hawklad first and your passion for education and the best for all humanity is a role model for all parents. God bless you, my friend.

    Here in my part of the country my flowers are still blooming. The weather is definitely above normal temps. I think fall is going to make an appearance next week.

    “Ogres are like onions…

    “They stink? They make you cry?”

    NO!! LAYERS! ONIONS HAVE LAYERS. Ogres have layers. Onions have layers–you get it?”

    Tee hee…hope you’re smiling, Gary. ❤️🤗

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  7. Love an ascot tie! Maybe, one day, a pic of you sporting one would be fab; modern day, or from the past, up to you!
    Our weather patterns, like yours, are a little weird. It was winter, then suddenly spring mingled with summer heat. We’ve had a few 36/37C days. More next week. Way too early. Heaven knows what summer will be like? Help…
    It’s true; you’ve seen more parenting than most. You’ve also known more rewards there too. 🌹

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  12. You are the sort of person who ought to be a parent, deserves to be. Far to many become parents for all the wrong reasons and shirk their duties which is why society is so screwed up. Partly why. The other reason is politicians. Our Fall is completely mixed up, hasn’t got its orders straight such that we have a mix of green/colours and fast forward to winter. Severe drought messed everything up.

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  13. The Shrek to Hitchcock comparison seems like a stretch so I wish you had photos to share! 🤣

    Parenting can be a wonderful experience and you are doing a superb job with it, Gary!

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  14. I had a photo taken for my driving license 10 years ago. It made me look like an Albanian Mobster. I’m always upset when people say it does look like me. Soon I am going to have the hassle of renewing it. I will still look much the same, but whiter and more beardy – anyone want to hire a Sinister Santa.

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  15. “Single parenting is life with the dull bits cut out” is a brilliant description. And now I’m a little worried about my passport photo as I’m certain it doesn’t look much like me anymore and we’re traveling next month…

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  17. We had a super rainy growing season until it just stopped mid-August. Then weeks without. So now we have the Browns and yellows. Very few orange, red, or burgundy leaves.

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