Povey Prattle

My friend Diana and I plan to have lunch on Monday 5th May at "Chutneys etc"  an Indian/Mediterranean themed restaurant here in SRQ. I checked the restaurant's  website to make sure that it is open on Mondays for lunch . It's a lovely website, which includes an address and 'phone number together with lunch and dinner menus. But there is not a word about  hours of business.  Not a word . So I called the restaurant to ask about Monday hours of business  (I discovered that it is open for lunch on Mondays). I should not have needed to make that 'phone call.  It should have been a bit of primary information on the restaurant's website.  The man who answered my call seemed to be a bit annoyed, and he hung up before I could suggest an "hours of business" addition to the website. =================================================== This led me to think about Church websites .   I asked three questions:  Why? Where? When?...

The National Weather Service broke into radio and television programmes this afternoon to issue a tornado warning for these parts.   Given the recent tornado created deaths and destruction I paid attention -  especially as the NWS bulletin said that the storm was moving to the north west of Sarasota County-  more or less my neck of the woods.   Then the local T.V. stations broke into regular programming so that staff meteorologists could do their stuff.   It transpired that notwithstanding the NWS bulletin the storm was moving north east .   Then the fun and games began. Both our local T.V. stations (I channel hopped) deployed multi-coloured  and utterly baffling radar based graphics  (just because they could). And the chattering weather reporters waxed long and loud with all manner of speculation, and very little hard new or information.   They told us that the (suspected?) tornado was moving towards Myakka Ci...

In the late 1970's when I was the Rector at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Fitchburg, I would often serve as Chaplain for one week each summer at the Bement Camp and Conference Center (owned and operated by the Diocese of Western Massachusetts).   I was usually there for "Music/Work Week"  - a camp for youth in Senior High School.  At Music/Work Week we would work around the Camp site each morning, then in the afternoons and evenings we would work on a musical play to be offered to camper's parents and family members at the end of the week.  The play and music would always be written/composed during the week.   In 1978 or 1979 the musical was "Pilgrims' Progress" conceived and created by a young Anglo/Welshman , one Martin Smith.  Martin was a dedicated left winger and an agnostic/atheist. I could never figure out why and how he had been recruited from the U.K. to spend the summer at the Camp.   His musical was certainly left of centre...

An American Cougar in the wild (pic via Ken K)   Justice!    Saint Penne of Sarasota has never been keen about bones, until I bought her an Antler.  Many of our local pet food stores sell portions of Deer antlers as Dog treats.  I bought one for Penne.     She likes it so much and gnaws upon it then  carries it from room to room.   Here she is on my bed with her antler portion.     You can see my CPAP machine to the left, and Penne's toy (named baby) to the right.     Some websites are in favour of antler treats for dogs, others abominate them.     It is hard to know which website to trust.   Nevertheless my Penne likes her antler portion, and it appears not to harm her.

(1)   One of my Church friends bears with my dreadful puns.  She in fact enjoys them, and reciprocates.   She sent this to me earlier today   As I was driving to Siesta Key , my daughter stated, "Quick, get your pencil and paper, the sign says, "Draw Bridge Ahead" !   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (2)  Oh how sad at many levels  (Thank to L.C. who posted this first)      

It was on Saturday 26th April 2014, a hot day ,  that after driving here and there, and finally  getting back to my car-port that  I noticed something  which smelled like burning, emanating  from the bonnet/hood of my car.  I put it down to the heat of the day. I noticed the same smell on Sunday 27th after driving to Church, and then taking a 25 minute drive to a rehab hospital where I shared Communion with a fellow parishioner from St. Boniface, Siesta Key FL.   But like many or most car owners who observe possible malfunctions  in their vehicles I thought "perhaps if I ignore it, this problem will go away". An early morning trip to a nearby Supermarket this morning (Monday 28th) dis-abused me of that notion - the smell was still there. So I  decided to take my 2006 Hyundai to my local and very reliable repair shop - Sam's Auto. -  so that they could diagnose the cause of this smell. En route to Sam's I drove ...

It was so glaringly obvious to Dr. Punny that Gilbert was suffering from tuberculosis that a physical examination was not necessary. "Ah" said the Doctor " a case of conspicuous consumption".