And you can dance, for inspiration

Himself and I had a wee drive round tonight, looking for Blip likely subjects. I took a turn over the hill, and we glanced over to the little village we used to live in. It has almost trebled in size since we left, and although in the lowering sun it looked beautiful; pretty and inviting, there was no way we would venture through on a evening like this.

We laughed as we remembered one such evening.

I had driven from town the 4 miles over the hill to the village and turned the road up to our house, hoping that we would get in the drive quickly and into the house with the minimum of interaction.

But it was a day like today, and everyone was out enjoying the sun. By everyone, I mean our neighbours. Hearts of gold, and would do anything for you, but my snobbery prevented me from being completely at ease with them.

That afternoon as I tried to pull the car quickly and quietly into the drive and escape into the back of the house, without out drawing attention to myself, I spotted them. You couldn't miss them. They were sitting in the garden, their front garden, on their couch.

They had dragged the kid's play things from the back garden and rigged up a slide into the paddling pool, to one side of the couch. The other paddling pool was full of beer.

As I stepped from the car they shouted, "Oi, Oi, You, Come on over for a drink, Bring the weans". I glanced up and waved, "No, no you are okay... just nipping in", "No, no, you must, because we bought you tinned cider cause we know you are posh".

I think that was a compliment and I obliged by visiting ... the kids were in their element. Water, rough play, they were confused by the use of the word Chute, and not slide, again "because we were posh". A snack was brought out for the kids. Cooked meat and crackers, emptied directly onto the floor for them to help themselves, because that was the easiest way.

I asked, conversationally if they were celebrating in any way, "oh yes, jake got out of jail, yesterday yay." Great times. Jake was lovely too, referred to his child as "Beast", and believe me, this was one two year old child whose answering to that name seem completely appropriate.

Those were the days.