Early this morning I received a FaceTime call from Malachi in Fremantle. Trying to keep up with an 11 year old who was playing Lexulous, chatting with both voice and text, and teaching me various applications simultaneously is testing indeed. All coming at a rate of knots, you understand.
One application involved ‘effects’. These can be changed in rapid succession – both the faces and their expressions. This is Malachi as his Dad. I challenge anyone else aged 77 to follow this whilst at the same time seeking a Lexulous word that won’t be too difficult whilst using US English – I couldn’t even find the icon or whatever to access my app.
I did, however, learn how to take photographs of the people so far away.
At one point, in the Chat section of our word game, I received a long message about arrangements for a meeting. Since this allegedly came from Sam Knight, in whose name we play the game, I assumed it was one my son had intended for someone else.
No. It was my grandson sending a message on auto. I completely lost the plot when he tried to explain that.
We were joined by Orlaigh and her rabbit – er, brother.
The computer was eventually set up in the dining room so we could continue conversing over dinner. Unfortunately the signal there, at the back of the house, didn’t produce very clear images so the photographs of my granddaughter tucking into potatoes and salmon didn’t actually materialise.
Jackie spent most of the day working in the garden, with minimal assistance from me.
She photographed various different rhododendrons;
a number of unfolding ferns,
some in the stumpery,
along with a hosta transplanted from elsewhere.
The clematis buds were photographed against the backdrop of John Corden’s favourite shed.
These gladioli buds are burgeoning.
The Assistant Photographer also produced images of a mound of red Japanese maple beside the decking;
purple silene;
and yellow euphorbia.
The Copper Beech is now sprouting leaves.
While we enjoyed our pre-dinner drinks in the rose garden we watched and listened to
Nugget, winging from tree to tree and resuming his repelling rivals routine. “Where’s Nugget” (74)”.
The song is so beautiful that it is difficult to imagine that it is a war-cry.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s wholesome chicken, vegetable, and bacon soup with crisp croutons and crusty bread. The Culinary Queen drank more of the Sauvignon Blanc, while I opened another bottle of the Rheinhessen and drank some of it.