SIREN

After staying at home yesterday I was determined to have a trip out today. It started badly and I was beginning to wish I hadn't bothered.

The bus I went out for didn't turn up. The next bus was late. So I had a wait of 35 mins. When the bus finally arrived it only got as far as the village - 3 stops - and then it broke down. Overheated/no water. Bus driver told us to get on the next bus which came along. Waited around 5 mins till another bus arrived.

This bus also broke down - overheated - no water. ( I was beginning to wonder if whoever was supposed to top up the water on the Go Ahead Northern buses this morning had forgotten to do it! ). We had got as far as Lobley Hill this time. By now it was about an hour since I left the house and I hadn't got very far at all. So another wait for the next bus to come along. This one actually managed to get me to Gateshead.

Once I got to Gateshead I walked down to the Quayside and popped into the Baltic Art Centre for a mooch. Then I walked across The Millennium Bridge to Newcastle.

I had a wander looking for my blip shot. I had heard that there was a statue called " The Siren" and I found her.

Siren by Andre Wallace (1995) bronze on a steel
column. The bronze torso is smoothly formed with the head having a slightly exaggerated scale with a bell for an earring.

Greek legend has it that the Sirens lured sailors to their death with the beauty of their singing.

The Forum Challenge word today is WARNING which sort of fits with my blip shot. Sailors would need a warning so they wouldn't fall for the charms of the sirens.

After taking my shot I got a bus up to the centre of town and did a bit of shopping. No problems with the bus coming home. Got here around 6.30pm.

On my way home I called at my neighbours Jan and Mark to ask about their cat Cookie. He had been missing for 3 days. Luckily he had just returned home late this afternoon. Mark said he seemed traumatised - shaking and frightened. They gave him food and he went straight to sleep in a cosy bed. They are going to keep him indoors for a few days so he can get over his ordeal. Of course no one has any idea of what happened to him. He's an adventurous cat who has already lost one of his nine lives. A few years ago he came home one night with his tail hanging off and it had to be amputated. He recovered from that incident very quickly - he is a tough Cookie.

Had a quiet evening watching TV. Neil called unexpectedly to pick up a couple of things he had forgotten. He had played rugby today and his face was a bit bashed up and he had a gash on his back. Typical. He was only here a few mins and then he was off into the night.

Steps today - 9,517