Joe Tree Day

I wasn't around in the early days of blip but I'm happy to support today with a tree in Joe's memory. Blip has become such an important part of my life so this is a good way to say thank you for that.
This is a flame of the forest tree in downtown Palayamkottai, the twin town of Tirunelveli to the south of the River Thamiraburani. It's actually the part of Tirunelveli which is home to me.
in school this morning I had a remarkable coincidence. They were expecting a visitor from England and so I was asked to stay around to help talk to him. He'd visited before, but I'm more up to speed on what is going on. We were chatting over lunch, and I mentioned the other day it is today, Dewi Sant. Having a Welsh mother I was never allowed to forget the date. It transpired that Neil was born in and spent his childhood in the same Welsh Town as my mum, a small town on the North coast, Old Colwyn, now a part of the better known and larger Colwyn Bay. We'd never have discovered that were it not for the date.
I also visited a friend today someone I have known for 25 years, distressingly his Parkinsons has become very severe since I last saw him three years ago. He is just a month older than I, so it was hard to see him so. I'm hoping to pop back briefly before I leave, I have an open invitation from his wife so I don't think I'm intruding. I had brought them a box of my home made shortbread, which he likes and which keeps very well (I know because I tried some before handing it on). I had brought quite a bit with me to give to friends. As few people here have ovens, most cooking is stove top, so people tend not to bake.