The blurs at the edge of your vision.

Raining, pouring. Great for the garden.

Not so great for the woolly babies.

Leo came rushing in, looking like a wet sheepskin rug, & smelling very much the same. I dont know how he got caught in the rain, as he normally doesnt like it much. Honey on the other hand, couldnt care less about it, but she seemed to only get a little damp.

There are past bloggers, who no longer blog, that I miss. I caught a glimpse of one, rushing past, with commiserations, on another blog. I know, in part, why she went. I hope she is happy. I hope all is well with her.

Another blur at the corners of my mind, or vision, I am not sure which, is a fleeting glimpse of a shadow. But usually the strongest of the sensations, produced by the blur, is the smell.

I am frequently 'visited' by a smoker. I smell the smoke so strongly, I often get up to check if there is anyone there. Of course, there never is. When I used to go to stay with my mother, she would smell the smoker also. We had no idea who, what, or how. My mother had long ago given up smoking, & so had I, so it was really noticeable. But not explicable. (is there such a word?) Goodness I am getting lazy & ignorant!

I am also frequently visited by a perfume. Not one I am familiar with, just a very sweet one, & I feel it must be a 'woman', though of course, there is no one there, & I see nothing. Sometimes the perfume is roses. I guess if I have to be visited by smells, pleasant ones are preferable! I used to believe in ghosts. Now I am not so sure I do. But the smells remain to visit, so where do they come from??

Once after our Employer had died, GOM & I both woke to see him sitting in the corner of our bedroom, in an armchair we kept there. We sat up in bed & stared at him, then each other. We could not believe our eyes. Then the image faded, & he was gone. It was a very odd feeling, & I think we were both glad we had had a witness to share the apparition. I am sure someone who dismisses such things could have a rational explanation for what happened. But it sure seemed real at the time.

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Another 'blur' at the edges of my vision, was performing or 'committing an Intersection Choke'

This occurred in the days when I was a busy shop proprietor. I used to have to drive to work, in the peak hour traffic, to the city where the shop was located.
This particular morning there was clotted traffic as usual. Buses always delayed things in the crush of it all. I got almost over an intersection, when suddenly all movement stopped, & a great bus, broken down, blocked one of the lanes. There was bumper to bumper traffice ahead, & behind me. But my 'arse end' of the car was still hanging out, over the white line, by about a 1/4 length of the car.

I had my daughter with me, she used to come to work for me in the school holidays.

As we were sitting in the car, waiting for the traffic to move, I became aware of a horn blaring at me. I said to DJ 'What type of idiot, who can see we are stuck, would sit there honking the horn?'

I didnt have long to find out "What type of Idiot" A thumping rapping on the car window, & there was a huge cop standing in full Fancy Dress! (oops, Uniform) Gun, Batton, Dark Glasses, Hat. Glaring at me, & snarling at me, with a sneering curl to his lip.
"I have just observed you to perform an Intersection Choke"!!
"Show me your license!"

As I stuttered & stammered the sod wrote me out a ticket telling me how & where I could pay the hefty fine. I dont know what else, or where else I could have gone. I felt it the most unfair infringement ticket I ever got. I felt so intimidated by this hulking monster of a policeman, with gun & all, I just sat there like a gibbering idiot.

We had not been living in Australia very long. In New Zealand the police dont carry guns. I felt so mortified. I wanted to sink into the seat, & never emerge. My daughter was crying. I suppose at least I didnt cry.

Now I think I would argue for reason. I would write a letter explaining the details of the terrible crime of "Intersection Choke!" I have been held up many times since by people 'performing intersection choke'.

There is never a policeman about then, though!
I am the only person I have ever heard of, who has been 'done' for Intersection Choke'!

I once ran a red light, in a panic, in early morning mist, when they were closing the road for road works. I wrote a letter, explaining the circumstances, & got off. GOM got 'done' by a red light camera, for doing the wrong speed, at the wrong time FIVE MINUTES outside the time limit. I wrote a letter for him, & he got off.

On the whole I am a law abiding citizen. I respect the police- mostly. I have never been in trouble with the law. I obey, to the best of my ability, the road rules. I dont speed. I am courteous.

I couldnt believe a policeman would bother about a little thing like that. Why werent they out chasing robbers, or thieves, instead of monstering little old-ish ladies?? I made a policeman friend of ours in NZ laugh when I told him the story. And I laugh about it now.

But I couldnt laugh that day.


And I am not really in laughing mode today either. I still feel like C**P!