Vague thinkings

Well, it is Monday and even though I am long since retired, I still tend to view Monday mornings with a slight sinking feeling.  Completely irrational, I know, but there it is.

So, what, you ask (or maybe not), are these vague thinkings?

• I do hope that nothing horrific happens between now and Wednesday afternoon.  I think it will be sometime in the afternoon on Wednesday that the Queen becomes the longest reigning monarch this country has ever had.  The newspapers over the weekend covered the anticipated event but the colour supplements yesterday were almost devoted to it.
• The funeral of my friend went off on Friday almost without a hitch.  There were so many people there that the crematorium rigged up a loudspeaker system outside the chapel but the funeral directors managed to cram everybody inside, standing in every space available.  I had agreed to make a tribute and had laboured long over what I would say.  What I had not planned for was that two of his sons would speak before me and between them they covered quite a lot of what I had planned to say.  My tribute had to be made very much off the cuff.
• Unfortunately, the Old Bat had been unable to accompany me.  We had been out for a meal on Thursday evening and just as we were leaving, she fainted.  Everyone was very kind and attentive but she recovered after a few minutes and felt much better once outside in the fresh air: it had been hot in the restaurant full to overflowing.  But next morning she felt unwell, so unwell that I had to cancel an appointment she had with the oncologist that morning.  The doctor, however, telephoned while I was out and told her that things were looking good although she would like another blood test next week just to be on the safe side.  I was much relieved as it was this time last year that almost the same thing had happened and that was when the Old Bat had to be admitted to hospital as an emergency, only to be told she had cancer.  Thank goodness she was back to normal on Saturday.
• That picture of Watendlath Tarn yesterday reminded me of another lake picture.  This is Siesta Lake in Yosemite National Park.  It seems hardly possible that it is now very nearly nine years ago that i took this picture.