tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83490306605170933282024-03-05T15:21:13.763+00:00Let The Welkin RingThe Welkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08745923858650389376noreply@blogger.comBlogger196125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8349030660517093328.post-30869856420914312522015-12-26T15:25:00.003+00:002015-12-26T15:25:47.225+00:00Christmas 2015<div style="text-align: center;">
A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE!</div>
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(Of course, the Baby Jesus didn't arrive until the Crib was blessed </div>
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shortly after I photographed the Crib)</div>
The Welkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08745923858650389376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8349030660517093328.post-8649773190227616842015-06-19T17:47:00.000+01:002015-06-19T17:47:12.674+01:00A Fishy Tale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A couple of days ago, I got around to doing what I had intended to do since last year - to empty and dismantle the fish tank. I transferred four fish ( three gold fish and one whose name I forget) to the main pond - they are all swimming happily together. I asked my electrician to come and sort out the eletrics. Which he did, and then he set forth to dismantle the tank, as you can see. I think we were just in time to take it apart - the wooden supports were mostly mush, and the whole thing was in grave danger of collapsing. We discussed selling the tank on Ebay, with some other equipment. Fish tank, anyone?<br />
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After the job wasd done, he asked about my latest dog Prince. I took him to meet the dog, and he was immediatey impressed; he said "There's no badness in him at all" (Ican only hope that is right). He also explained some of the stroking habits which I had picked up because the dog obviously liked them, telling me that stroking his head was the usual rpreamble to calm the racing dog before putting him into the trap at the beginning of the race. Looking into his ears, he pointed out tattoos in each ear, one he said would be the dog's racing name and the other would be the owners' initials. When I can confirm the tattoos I hope to be able to find him on the internet and I would love to see if he had won any races.The Welkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08745923858650389376noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8349030660517093328.post-70431915437926799182015-06-07T16:00:00.000+01:002015-06-07T16:00:49.710+01:00Sunday June 7th<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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That's me! Prince!<br />
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I'm at home and at peace.<br />
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PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB.......<br />
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......though I suppose My Master will be getting out of His chair pretty soon, and then I will have to get up as well. I need to follow Him wherever He goes, 'cos I think He is older than me (something to do with those cards with numbers on, which I don't understand) and I have to check that He does not find Himself in difficulties, nor that He is going to run away and leave me alone. I don't run after Him too much now, because I can guess sometimes what He is going to do next - I have learnt quite a bit since I came here a few weeks ago. Of course I like all the people that I meet here in this place, but I still feel funny about some of the other four legged creatures I meet, and My Master drags me away from them. Pity!<br />
I call Him My Master, but we all know who is the real master in this house, don't we, but I have decided that it is probably a good thing to let Him go on thinking He's The BossThe Welkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08745923858650389376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8349030660517093328.post-54289701289154443642015-05-29T18:51:00.000+01:002015-05-29T18:51:18.839+01:00Friday May 29th<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Breakfast....after our early morning walk around the streets of Barnie.<br />
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A satisfied Prince...at least for the moment.<br />
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Our midday walk around the Mains was interrupted by rain. I stopped to offer Prince the chance to go back home - my dog Storm would have taken the offer, but Prince is made of sterner stuff (being younger and dafter), and wanted to continue - we got drenched by the storm.<br />
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I now realise that he walks very well on the lead, having obviously been trained to do so; no doubt his racing owners would have walked him every day. The only time he pulls is when he wants to examine something off to the right or left; I always go with him, because I have little choice - he's very strong! I am still not sure whether he likes other dogs - he had a barking match with two nice looking dogs yesterday. So he stays on the lead until I can be sure.The Welkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08745923858650389376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8349030660517093328.post-6679165621467084792015-05-25T19:10:00.001+01:002015-05-25T19:10:16.099+01:00Monday May 25thJust when I thought I was making progress.......<br />
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Item # One: I think that I mentioned once before that Prince is a sort of Hungry Horace Dustbin On Four Long Legs. Yesterday he finished off a saucerful of pink grapefruit, which I had left easily available; I left them because I do not care for pink grapefruit, but I have never known any of my dogs to be interested in soft fruit either. I know he wasn't really hungry, because he is getting used to eating his meals at times which suit me in the way that I have always fed my dogs. And he had just wolfed his lunch.<br />
Item # Two: I had thought (too much thinking) that he was getting used to the idea that if I went out he had begun to realise that I would return. Yesterday I was out for two hours in the early evening, to say Evening Mass in Middleton-in-Teesdale, and when I returned his excitement that I had actually come back was ecstatic, not to say positively dangerous, with him leaping, bouncing, twirling about, crashing into things (and me). Still some way to go there then!<br />
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One morning we walked through Waterloo Yard into the Market, and after a long look around I managed to take this photo of the Market Cross, also called the ButterMarket.<br />
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The Butter Market was built in the eighteenth century for the burghers of Barnard Castle to discuss sales and strategy, but now serves as a roundabout to test the driving capabilities of the HGV drivers who have to go round it. Most of them succeed, without damage to their lorries or to the Butter Market.</div>
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Otherwise, Prince and I are still good friends.</div>
The Welkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08745923858650389376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8349030660517093328.post-42501117402668364442015-05-18T18:42:00.001+01:002015-05-18T18:42:10.644+01:00Monday May18thAnother early morning walk around Bowes Museum, to give Prince a good idea of where he lives. He is certainly very happy in my house and around the grounds, in particular he is trying to find the wild rabbit which has taken up residence in my garden (However I noticed a dead rabbit slain by car or lorry on the pavement below the garden - I think it may be 'my' rabbit, so it may be too late to search for it).<br />
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At lunchtime I took him for a walk around the Desmesnes (locally the Mains) again on a familiarisation walk. The Desmesnes is a huge stretch of land, donated by the Lord of the Manor centuries ago to the people of Barnard Castle in perpetuity - you can still see evidence of the strip-farming which took place here, though now it is a wide open space loved by dog-walkers and pedestrians alike where developement is not permitted. We were approached by a lady, my church organist, with her two dogs on leads (as was mine) and a barking match took place. Her dog barked first but Prince retaliated and barked last. My ears are still ringing with the noise! When however we were immediaely approached by a litle black puppy which submissively lay on its back, Prince who was still excited by the barking match made a lunge for the puppy - whether as a play or perhaps something more sinister I was not quite sure. I dragged him off, and no harm done, but either way the action made me think, and Prince will have to stay on his lead until I am sure.The Welkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08745923858650389376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8349030660517093328.post-82202562869688252152015-05-17T15:42:00.000+01:002015-05-17T15:42:02.600+01:00Sunday May 17th<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We continue with our orientation walks, very early in the morning today, along Newgate, with the iconic Butter Market (centre in the distance), through the car park and back along Birch Road. I hope to show Prince where he lives so that if he 'escapes' he will know how to get back home again.<br />
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I have come to the conclusion that he is a clumsy dog. He bumps into things, whether walking forward or backwards (he does that a lot) and when he has a good shake his legs go in all directions and he can thump anything in range. I had to come downstairs just after 2.30 am when I heard a great crash, and found that he had dragged a number of electronic devices off a shelf, getting tangled up with the cables and presumably by shaking, and the crash was very noisy. No damage done, and all sorted out in a minute. But whereas my dog Storm lived with those cables for years without pulling on them Prince caused chaos in a couple of days.<br />
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He enjoyed the end of my 10.30 Mass this morning. He found his way into church when some youngsters opened the inter-connecting house door to deliver the collections into the house, and once into the church he approached everybody still there after Mass and received plenty of cuddles and kind words; he was very popular and he knew it and loved it!The Welkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08745923858650389376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8349030660517093328.post-82551357704215765252015-05-16T15:35:00.000+01:002015-05-16T15:35:29.742+01:00Saturday May 16th<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Prince is settling down nicely. He recognised his bedding place as soon as he came into the sitting room - right next to His Master's favourite chair. And he does understand the command "Go and lie down"<br />
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But he also likes to stretch out on the indestructable rug in front of the fireplace.<br />
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(The 80th birthday card does not refer to Prince, but to His Master)<br />
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As far as food is concerned P<span style="text-align: center;">rince gives the impression that he is permanently on the verge of starvation. I know that this is not true, but he will eat anything. After carrying my breakfast tray into the sitting room today, he made a quick dart for the cornflakes, got a good telling off, and two seconds later he grabbed a slice of bread (along with a napkin) - he got another telling off. He was quite unrepentant.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">As far as social relationships are concerned, Prince is keen to meet people, travel by car and enter houses which are totally new to him. He was very and quietly patient with the two youngsters he met in their house yesterday afternoon. After years during which my dog Storm kept as far away as possible from other humans, this behaviour is much more regular dog-behaviour and I hope that this progress is maintained. We have only had four walks so far around the district </span> but I hope that soon he will know his way around Barnard Castle (and be able to find his way home if he escapes!)<br />
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<br />The Welkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08745923858650389376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8349030660517093328.post-6848643976187385002015-05-15T08:49:00.001+01:002015-05-15T08:49:22.403+01:00New for OldTwo weeks ago I turned eighty years old. The Ordinariate and people of Gainford held a nibbles and wine party, and the people of Barnard Castle held an afternoon Tea Party on the Bank Holiiday Monday: both occasions very delightful and enjoyed with great gratitude.<br />
So much for the old! Now for the new.<br />
Last Sunday, May 10th, after a perfectly normal day, my dog Storm lay down and after a short illness simply died. Maybe a heart attack, maybe a stroke, who knows but the same result. I have many fond memories of the struggles I have had to rid him of his fears and anxieties and of the evident success I had with him.<br />
I immediately decided to go to the local Dogs Trust centre to find another dog. After talks, viewings and decisions I came away yesterday with a black greyhound, who is in most ways to exact opposite of Storm. Whereas Storm was cowed and only wanted to hide when I first got him, this new dog, Prince by name, just wanted to search his new premises, every room, from beginning to end. Actually, I soon realised that what he was searching for was food, any kind of food, he snatched a mouthful of bird seed before I could move the bag, this morning when as usual I had cut up the final half inch of loaf for the birds he ate the lot as soon as I had thrown the pieces onto the grass. He is a canine food dustbin. I had to fight him for my teatime sandwiches yesterday - I won but only just. He has a huge attraction to food, of any kind. On the other hand, he cannot cope with staircases, so he has not come upstairs with me; I think he will soon get the hang of stairs, but this of course gave me a pretty sleepless night last night. First night, away from what he was used to, he was lonely and needed reassurance from my presence - my chair became uncomfortable after a while but the settee was much better!. However our early morning walk through the Bowes Museum grounds was very pleasant, with him looking at all the new places and hearing sounds of traffic which he is clearly not used to.<br />
Photographs will follow when I have more time, but I feel sure that we can work together and both enjoy a new life.<br />
<br />The Welkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08745923858650389376noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8349030660517093328.post-41430393938743088652014-07-11T14:45:00.000+01:002014-07-11T14:45:32.611+01:00Verona-on-Sea a.k.a Romeo and Juliet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For me, in my work-place of Barnard Castle, one of the secular highlights of the year is the annual presentation by the Castle Players of a Shakespearean play. Usually the Players perform one of William's comedies, but this year they have chosen to perform Romeo and Juliet, which, although it has comedy in certain parts of the story, is in the end a tragedy.<br />
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The action takes place on a large open grassed space behind the Bowes Museum, and as you can see there are 'groundlings' (Bring your own rug), just as in Shakespear's day. The rest of the audience is seated in two large mobile grandstands, named, of course, as the John Bowes Stand and the Josephine Bowes Stand.<br />
There is always a warm-up performance by some of the actors while the public is finding their seats. The actor in the centre of the above photo struggled manfully with his dog - actually a toy dog on the end of a stick, which he controlled very well!<br />
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The play itself was performed in two unbroken parts, lasting an hour and a half each, with a break of half an hour for refreshments. The action of the play was performed seamlessly; changes of Acts and Scenes was brought about by a dimming of lights and a bit of various pop songs from the 'Sixties, with departing actors removing their own props and incoming actors bringing theirs. This performance of Romeo and Juliet was dated as 1964, when as older readers will remember the Mods and Rockers were causing trouble in Brighton and other Channel resorts. Sometimes the 'stage' was full of Mods/Capulets and Rockers/Montagues, and sometimes a single actor filled the stage with his or her soliloquy. All the actors/actresses gave wonderful performances.<br />
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Juliet was well chosen, as was Romeo; Juliet is pictured here with her mother (Lady Capulet) and her nurse (Nurse).<br />
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Here we have the Rockerss chasing the Mods, while Benvolio and Mercutio have a chat on the right. Mercutio gave a splendid and athletic performance, doing falls and flips, before coming to a sticky end. After being stabbed, he 'fell' into the tethered boat and staggering to his feet with his hand and chest covered in blood (tomato sauce). The audience groaned with shock.</div>
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Friar John, who failed to pass on a letter containing details of the stratagem by which Romeo and Juliet could run away, was a dab hand at riding a 'sit-up-and-beg' bike around the stage and gave a Chaplinesque performance of trying to mount his bike. The 'death-sccene' was watched by a tense and silent audience - if only Romeo had received that letter and realised that Juliet was not really dead, then he would not have taken the poison, nor would Juliet have drunk the poison too!<br />
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But the Chief of Police was able to get Lords Capulet and Montague to shake hands and bring their enmity to an end.<br />
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ALLS WELL THAT ENDS WELL, so to speak.<br />
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The Curtain call ---<br />
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The Welkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08745923858650389376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8349030660517093328.post-16430461242923084842014-06-27T14:39:00.002+01:002014-06-27T14:39:31.072+01:00The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Once again, a lovely feast to celebrate today, both in the Ordinary and the Extraordinary Forms.<br />
Those who have studied at Ushaw College or visited the St Cuthbert's Chapel will recall that, as you leave the Chapel and enter the Antechapel, there is a beautiful statue of Our Lady to the left of the entrance and a statue of the Sacred Heart to the right. During my time there, after morning Mass almost everybody, on going out of chapel, turned to the left and genuflecting offered a quick prayer to Our Lady and then proceeded out, bypassing the Sacred Heart. I remember some spiritual director saying that if we wanted to ensure our eventual ordination we should always stop for a moment before the Sacred Heart and pray for that intention. I did that, day after day, and fifty odd years ago I was ordained. Perhaps more people should pray to the Sacred Heart for vocations to the priesthood.The Welkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08745923858650389376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8349030660517093328.post-49220823189701940162014-06-24T11:09:00.003+01:002014-06-24T11:09:34.263+01:00A Fishy StorySome weeks ago I promised a story about my fish. This is not that story, because I am in something of a quandary.<br />
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As you can see, the surrounds of the tank, especially the structure holding the filter tank, are beginning to fall apart. And if the filter tank falls to the ground, I will need to take emergency action. However, I was able, in the last week or so, to get a glimpse of the inhabitants of the fish tank (they are not easy to see, because the water is rather green), and I managed to see six 'silvery' types of fish, maybe sterlets, and three gold fish. I should transfer them a soon as possible to the main pond. But herein lies the quandary.<br />
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This is feeding time in the pond. I try to cover the surface of the water with food nuggets as quickly as possible, but within seconds forty or fifty fish, large and small, are trying to grab something to eat. Chaos reigns - it is a wonder that there are so very few collisions and no fights at all.<br />
But this is my quandary - shall I put another nine fish into this existing melee, or shall I just wait until something bad happens with the other tank?The Welkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08745923858650389376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8349030660517093328.post-32239748380083321092014-06-24T09:12:00.001+01:002014-06-24T09:12:27.008+01:00Corpus Christi Barnard CastleOnce again this year I have been able to celebrate Corpus Christi twice, once on its proper day with a Traditional Latin Mass and again on Sunday with both a Traditional Latin Mass and with Novus Ordo Masses.<br />
I have also been able to celebrate with a group of our children, nine in all, as they have made their First Holy Communions. Preparations began for them on the first Saturday in Lent when they were asked to come to church for instructions each Saturday morning. And I am glad to say that they, and their parents, came each week to receive a half hour's instruction from Carol and me. <br />
Saturday was their great day to receive for the first time, and they did so with enthusiasm and reverence.<br />
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(I can only count eight children here - one seems to have got lost!)</div>
After Mass, we all retired into the garden where the children had an al-fresco breakfast on the lawn - and actually so did everybody since the amount of food available was immense. Indeed there was so much food that it was the basis for a great feast on Sunday afternoon.<br />
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On Sunday afternoon there were further celebrations of Corpus Christi. We had our Procession of the Blessed Sacrament, beginning in church and then processing around the outside of the church to halt near the Tomb of John and Josephine Bowes where we celebrated Benediction, and then continued back into church for a further Benediction. Then came another opportunity to try to consume all the food which had been brought. And we failed. Father was given the job of trying to eat everything which was still left, and even he failed, leaving quite a bit for the jackdaws who this morning were delighted to get the sandwiches which had been left over.<br />
Many were the expressions of delight from the children and their parents at the outcome of all their hard work and their enjoyment of our celebrations.The Welkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08745923858650389376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8349030660517093328.post-25696047630321889482014-05-19T18:25:00.002+01:002014-05-19T18:25:37.716+01:00Yesterday,Sunday May 18th, was a special day: it was the day of our parish Procession in honour of Our Lady. There was the usual small crowd of more traditional parishioners who were willing to come to church a second time, but the sun was shining warmly and we were able to process around the outside of the church, past the tombs of John and Josephine Bowes, past the Presbytery and into the front garden to stand in front of the statue of Our Lady of Barnard Castle,all the while singing Marian hymns.<br />
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As we stood (and sat) in front of the statue, we recited the Five Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary, and after we finished the Hail Holy Queen, I gave a short talk. I reminded everyone that when Jesus from the Cross gave His Mother to St John and St John to His Mother, that He was making Her the Mother not only of all of his followers but most especially of John the priest and of all priests; I asked the group to pray for moree priests for His church. After these prayers we returned to the church for Bendiction. However, before Benediction began, we had to crown the statue of Our Lady in the sanctuary. Jane was our May Queen and managed perfectly.<br />
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Our service ended with the traditional Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament<br />
Tea, coffee and cakes were then served in the presbytery and most people sat on the lawn in the warm sunshine and enjoyed the peace and the conversation for quite a long time. As someone said, it was a very enjoyable occasion!<br />
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PS. I hope to be able to publish another chapter in the story of the fish quite soon. Watch this space.The Welkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08745923858650389376noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8349030660517093328.post-28464760236884895972014-01-10T11:44:00.000+00:002014-01-10T11:44:27.976+00:00Update Number 2 for Paul and anyone elseNow you see it....<br />
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Now you don't....</div>
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Or rather it should be the other way around. Denis and his marra have uprooted the pampas grasses which obliterated the view of the garden and pond and made it look so much more open. The pond is also more securely netted against any further predations by Mr Heron.</div>
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And while I was taking this photo, I was under surveillance from an anxious dog in the window!</div>
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I feel that I should burst into song - "Whose is that doggy in the window, the one with the waggerly tail?</div>
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Happy New Year!</div>
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<br />The Welkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08745923858650389376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8349030660517093328.post-67467507023029387512013-12-13T11:54:00.000+00:002013-12-13T11:54:32.025+00:00Update for Paul (and anybody else)You ask after Mr Heron. I think he must be alive and well, but I haven't seen him for months. I certainly did not poison him, shoot him or otherwise do him any harm, but he has been conspicuously absent.<br />
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However, as I hope you can see: his absence may have everything to do with the net which is stretched across the whole pond, plus the plastic netting fixed around the sides of the pond. He may have tried to land on this net without telling me, but I think he would get a bit of a bouncy shock, which would put him off from ever trying to do it again.<br />
On the other hand, if you look closely at the second picture, of the fish tank, you will see that I have some concern for its future.<br />
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This tank, which holds about ten fish, is showing its age, or at least the supports are. I had the tank put in place long before the pond, and the wooden frame is rotting away. Even more of a problem is the 'table' supporting the filter tank (You may also see here the Heron Countermeasures which are in place). I have yet to decide what to do about it, but I hope I can decide before the whole thing collapses!The Welkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08745923858650389376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8349030660517093328.post-65319357034929275802013-12-08T12:38:00.000+00:002013-12-08T12:38:47.069+00:00Long time since the last one!What a miserable day! I have just returned from my midday walk with the dog Storm - dark stormy skies, cold wind, blowing drizzle. Wonderful - it's good to be able to get out!<br />
And a bit of a mess-up with today's feast. I am very pleased that I have been able to offer a Mass in honour of the Immaculate Conception in the Extraordinary Rite this morning, whereas my other Masses in the Novus Ordo were for the Second Sunday of Advent.. And of course I can celebrate the great feast again tomorrow in the Novus Ordo. But I wonder why, when we can transfer Holydays of Obligation to the nearest Sunday, without worrying about the Sunday Mass, why we could not ignore this Sunday to celebrate the wonderful feast of the Immaculate Conception on its proper day. Just a thought.The Welkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08745923858650389376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8349030660517093328.post-28641546656792864212013-08-05T08:17:00.000+01:002013-08-05T08:17:17.616+01:00Blessed Sacrament Miracle?The following article is taken from http://www.spiritdaily.com<br />
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Msgr. Ramiro Valdes Sanchez, vicar general of Guadalajara, Mexico,
has announced that the archdiocese is investigating a possible
Eucharistic miracle that reportedly took place last week. <br />
Msgr. Valdes Sanchez said he has received instructions from the
archbishop of Guadalajara, Cardinal Jose Francisco Robles Ortega, to
direct the investigation.<br />
The pastor of Mary Mother of the Church, Father Jose Dolores
Castellanos Gudino, said that on July 24, while he was kneeling in
prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, he saw a flash of light and heard a
voice.<br />
“Ring the bells so that everyone comes,” the voice allegedly
instructed. “I will pour blessings upon those present and the entire
day. Take your small tabernacle for private adoration to the parish
altar and put the large monstrance next to the small tabernacle. Don’t
open the tabernacle until three in the afternoon, not before.” <br />
“I will perform a miracle in the Eucharist,” the voice continued,
“the miracle that will take place will be called, ‘Miracle of the
Eucharist in the incarnation of love together with our Mother and Lady.’
Copy the image that I will give you now and show it to others.” <br />
The voice then reportedly told him to share this with all of his
priests to aid in their conversion and that he would fill all souls with
blessings.<br />
Fr. Gudino said that after hearing the voice he could only say, “My Lord, I am your servant, let your will be done.”<br />
With local people gathered at 3 p.m., he recounted that he
“approached the tabernacle and upon opening it the host consecrated by
Our Lord Jesus Christ was covered in blood.”<br />
According to the priest, the voice also told him to establish an
adoration chapel and to allow any scientific study necessary to confirm
the miracle.<br />
Msgr. Sanchez said samples from the host will be studied in Guadalajara. <br />
“First of all the testimony needs to be gathered from three people
who were present, obviously in this case from the pastor,” he explained.<br />
He also said that a team of experts will be assembled to investigate
whether there is a scientific explanation for the phenomenon.<br />
“While this is occurring, the Church in Guadalajara, through the
Cardinal Archbishop, has said that the Host should not be exposed to the
public and that it be kept in a safe place, in a tabernacle,” he added.<br />
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“The Catholic Church’s legal doctrine states that when an
extraordinary, uncommon event occurs, the necessary precautions should
be taken to determine if the event can be explained by natural causes or
if a more serious investigation is necessary to determine if it goes
beyond the natural and whether or not it should be considered a
miraculous event,” he explained.<br />
<br />The Welkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08745923858650389376noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8349030660517093328.post-50987733701963413032013-05-31T11:37:00.002+01:002013-05-31T11:37:18.326+01:00Rosary Relay For PriestsRosary Relay for Priests is an attempt to encircle the globe from midnight to midnight of Friday, June 7th, with the saying of the Rosary from one shrine of Our Lady to the next. However, all this week, I have become convinced that the day for the Rosary was today, until I realised just before Mass that I had got it wrong (again!). Even so, I explained to my congregation that we would say the Rosary after Mass "because it may be that that some priest somewhere needs our prayers and couldn't wait untill next Friday".<br />
And so we did.<br />
And, anyway, by the end of the day, that priest could be me!<br />
I think this Rosary Relay For Priests is a splendid idea; I hope everyone will join in, either with a congregation or on your own.The Welkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08745923858650389376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8349030660517093328.post-12641612827866932232013-05-29T18:31:00.004+01:002013-05-29T18:31:56.371+01:00The War on TerrorNo more sightings of Mr Heron ( a real terrorist if you happen to be a fish!). Of course, I am sure he is still around.<br />
But I thought I might review the saga of my relations with Mr Heron from the beginning, and how I hope finally to outwit him.<br />
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Having dug a fish-pond with my own fair hands (and a dinky mechanical digger I hired) at my last parish, I came to Barney with the same idea of keeping fish. This is my pond at St Patrick's Ryhope.<br />
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After a few months I bought a four thousand gallon tank and about a dozen fish. This pic gives you an idea of what the tank might have looked like before the weight of snow in 2010 collapsed the structure built to keep out Mr Heron. Because it was here that I first came into contact with The Terrorist - he had been standing on the edge doing a spot of fishing.<br />
After a year or so, the PP of Ryhope St Pat's offered me all the fish that remained at Ryhope. I made arrangements with a professional to bring them to Barney, and I put them into the tank. This meant that the fish in the tank were tightly packed, shoulder to shoulder. I asked the same professional to make me a pond at the front of the house. And so it was done.<br />
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As you can see, it was built level with the tarmac at the front of the house. The children used to love standing on the stones at the side of the pond, bending and pointing at the fish. No-one fell in, but it was touch and go at times.<br />
Mr Heron also used to like to stand on the edge of the pond to perform his nefarious deeds. Which is what I discovered one early morning when I found a half-eaten fish lying on the tarmac; the surveillance tape showed me the heron standing on the side and fishing to his heart's content. This was when I first started to put string and rope around the front of the pond.<br />
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I didn't need to worry about the far side where the pampas grass was well established, looking, as Number Two said, like camouflaged assassins, or ghillies, or some such. At the front of the pond, I next installed metre long spikes into the rocks and fixed netting to the spikes.<br />
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But, as you can see, having cut back the leafy, hairy, pampas grass, the pond is wide open for the heron to attack from the lawn-side of the pond. I filled the gaps with odd bits of fencing and string.<div>
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But then came the latest outrage from Mr Heron. He jumped into the pond and swam or strode about looking for his breakfast.</div>
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The only solution then is to cover the whole pond with a net, because I know that he can get into the pond, and he knows that he can get into the pond, but whether he knows that I know that he knows ..... (Iwish I had never started that). We have now fixed more spikes and garden netting around the open side and we have covered about half the pond with a net.</div>
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As soon as I can, I will cover the whole pond with a net, and with a lot of luck I will be able to frustrate the heron in his ambition to empty my pond of my fish. Who knows at this stage whether I will succeed?</div>
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Now for the next really diifficult challenge - to defeat the other horrible enemy - the grean, slimy algae and blanket weed. No matter how much you scoop out or how many chemicals ("doesn't hurt the fish") you throw into the pond, nothing seems to work. </div>
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STILL, MUSN'T GIVE UP!</div>
The Welkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08745923858650389376noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8349030660517093328.post-23432340113376000302013-05-23T14:29:00.002+01:002013-05-23T14:29:35.810+01:00Defensive MeasuresWhen Denis (who has just taken over looking after the garden, and doing a fine job [photos when this cold weather stops and growth begins]) suggested that the best way to keep the heron out is to put a net over the pond. Good idea, thinks I, but it's a big area to cover.<br />
Then I remember two things: that I do not need to cover the whole pond but just enough to keep the big bird away; and then I remember the net I used to cover the strawberry patch with, which was folded up round the back. (The strawberries have gone to pot - the squirrells and the blackbirds get them before I do!) Having retrieved the net and unfolded it on the ground, I realised just how big it is.<br />
Yesterday afternoon, John and I stretched the net over the pond, as you can see.<br />
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Its position is temporary. John and I are planning to extend the mesh fence all around the pond, and I think that we will then be able to cover most of the pond.<br />
I would love to see Mr Heron try to land on the net - he would become a champion trampoliner!The Welkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08745923858650389376noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8349030660517093328.post-15818898446883123832013-05-22T18:40:00.000+01:002013-05-22T18:40:56.149+01:00That Gay Marriage ThingIn case anyone has not seen this communication from Coalition for Marriage, I repeat it here, since it is worth consideration.<br />
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THE BILL DOESN'T
JUST REDEFINE MARRIAGE, IT WRECKS IT<o:p></o:p></h1>
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Dear marriage supporter,<o:p></o:p><br />
Last night, the same-sex marriage Bill was formally passed by the House of
Commons at Third Reading, pushed through by the three main party leaders even
though they had no mandate to do so.<o:p></o:p><br />
However, a number of MPs came over to our side of the argument and voted
against the Bill for the first time. It wasn't enough to stop the Bill at
this stage, but we are gaining momentum.<o:p></o:p><br />
The Bill now moves to the House of Lords where the Government faces a much
tougher battle than in the Commons.<o:p></o:p><br />
On 3 June the Lords will have an opportunity to vote down the whole Bill,
but even if that doesn't succeed, there will be other opportunities to derail
it later in the Lords.<o:p></o:p><br />
The Bill now carries a commitment to review civil partnerships,
potentially allowing heterosexual couples to choose a civil partnership
rather than a marriage - a move which would cost the country at least £4bn.<o:p></o:p><br />
So the Bill not only seeks to redefine marriage, it's now trying to wreck
marriage by introducing an astronomically expensive two-tier system with the
option of 'marriage-lite'.<o:p></o:p><br />
We always said this Bill would unravel and cause marriage to be
undermined. It's now beyond doubt. This Bill wrecks marriage.<o:p></o:p><br />
The House of Lords, already alarmed by the undemocratic and shoddy way
this Bill has been hustled through Parliament, will be even more angered at
the way marriage is being tossed aside.<o:p></o:p><br />
For all these reasons, there is a long way to go and there's still
everything to play for. We will be fighting for marriage every step of the
way.<o:p></o:p><br />
Yours sincerely,<o:p></o:p><br />
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<img alt="Colin Hart" id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/09b50bf032ab47d3992863a44/images/chsig.png" /><o:p></o:p></div>
Colin Hart<br />
Campaign Director<br />
Coalition for Marriage<br />
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The Welkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08745923858650389376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8349030660517093328.post-39319397490068909952013-05-21T08:51:00.001+01:002013-05-21T08:51:38.623+01:00Gay Marriage?So the de-christianisation of the British Isles continues apace! Led by a man who says he believes in marriage and family life.<br />
How could Maria Miller, the minister, keep a straight face in Parliament yesterday when she said that marriage is the bedrock of society? Surely it is only the 'bedrock of society' because it can increase and sustain society for future generations? All other gettings-together may be wonderful, but they do not 'increase and multiply'.<br />
It is claimed that the first 'gay marriage' will take place next year. I wonder how soon the first teacher will be sacked because he or she refuses to teach gay marriage. How soon will the first priest be denounced because he adheres to the Church's teaching about marriage as a union of man and woman for the birth and upbringing of children? Of course, these things are already happening, and no doubt there are those who would like to raise the temperature because they fundamentally hate and wish to destroy Christianity.<br />
God help us all.The Welkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08745923858650389376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8349030660517093328.post-13456560827556974762013-05-17T08:03:00.000+01:002013-05-17T08:03:30.343+01:00Mr Heron .... again!I know that I haven't blogged for some time, but Mr Heron has again got me all shook up, and I feel the need to tell someone!<br />
Yesterday morning, when I returned at 5.45 am from my early morning walk, as I walked up the drive with my faithful companion, Storm, with a great flapping of wings, the heron took off from the pond and flew away over the nearby roof-tops. He is a big bird, Mr Heron! I am more used to sparrows, pigeons and even jackdaws, but a heron beats them all.<br />
I determined to try and find out how he behaved when visiting my pond, so I began to watch the surveillance recording for the half an hour of my walk. The heron arrived shortly after I left the house at 5.15 and he landed on a bare patch where there used to be a large bush which I had agreed should be taken out. Silly me. But I thought that spot was still too high above the water of the pond. Then he made his way into the run-off from the filter tank, and then - Horror of Horrors! - he jumped into the water and began to swim like an ungainly swan! Did you know that herons can swim? I do now! As far as I could see, he caught three fish for his breakfast, and only flew off when I made my appearance.<br />
Yesterday afternoon I feverishly extended my fence system of protection, and trailed some redundant cables across the length of the pond to deter swimming. I hope that I have done enough!<br />
I haven't seen him so far this morning, but if I do I shall have some harsh words for him.The Welkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08745923858650389376noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8349030660517093328.post-52397757200685429242012-12-27T08:28:00.000+00:002012-12-27T08:28:05.933+00:00Christmas 2012A Happy Christmas to all readers. That is, if the word 'Happy' is still acceptable. So often when I have said "Happy Christmas", I get the reply "Merry Christmas". Have I missed something? Has the word 'Happy' been expunged? It is true that I do not like the Happitudes (Happy are those who mourn, etc) but 'Happy' is still a good word.<br />
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So a very HAPPY AND MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all!</div>
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Here are photos of our altar and crib here in Barnard Castle this Christmas Day.</div>
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