Oh how I adore this poem by Stevie Smith.
Sing to the tune of Greensleeves & feel the fun & joy…Here is the great master Stéphane Grappelli on his violin, to add to your pleasure…
CLICK ON YOUTUBE THEN RACE BACK & CLICK ON THE RED LINK AND SING YOUR HEART OUT…Great party piece when slightly intoxicated?
I remember her standing in our hall at Oak Bank…her hair middle parted and twisted behind; Tartan shawl with new born babe enclosed snugly warm.
She was Mrs McPhee of Scottish Tinker stock, a regular visitor with Black Tent beyond Fort Road Kilcreggan and always came to see my mother.
Oh to hear from Mr McPhee of Glasgow, now in his 50’s, who wrote a Blog and a wonderful poem about his dear departed mother…was that She & He?
One of my earliest memories as a child. Said Mr McPhee is blind now, so perhaps I will never hear back from my little request on his blog…I am intrigued.
Looking for my friend in Iowa…I love you.
IN MEMORIAM 1911-2004
“But there are advantages to being elected President. The day after I was elected, I had my high school grades classified Top Secret.”
I had privelige of a month as guest of Olusegun Obasanjo at his Otta Farm 1985; exciting to see Obasanjo Farms flourish over 27 years…
“I arrived Murtala Muhammad Airport 26th March 1985…and no one was expecting me!
Managed to find good people in the chaos, and central Lagos several locally brewed & delicious Guinness later & a night at Hotel Palm Palm 2 watching UK ‘s Rising Damp in TV lounge…I got delivered to Obasanjo Farm Otta…to be greeted by a stripped to the waist and wearing white jeans and purple cap, Olusegun himself, on a bicycle, chatting or shouting, as he did in one breath, whilst great convoy of Chick trucks banked up in the Farm’s main driveway…no one daring to complain at Oba’s important gossip session nor their dusty need for beer & chopping.
One of the most inspiring & welcoming months of my life…amazing people, amazing country, wonderful hot Sun to make ones heart smile every day & dance…
…EMAJO for Nigeria x
We loved a Farm in Africa…in the heart of the Ogun State…”
Evelyn Atholl Moir & Istvan Bohus
“…and a Hog in th Pond” 
“Obasanjo climbed the car, took control of the situation immediately and knew what to say and do, he controlled the whole crowd; that is courage and decisiveness and action that Nigerians need in a leader.”
Obasanjo told me, during lunch at his farm, Easter 1985, that he has been a Soldier, at that time was a Farmer and wanted to be a Lion Tamer…prophetic words. He served twice as his nation’s head of state, as a military ruler between 13 February 1976 to 1 October 1979, and became President Elect of Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007.
He trained as a young soldier close to my home in England…
Denison Barracks, Hermitage, Berkshire.
Small world.
Oluṣẹgun Mathew Okikiọla Arẹmu Ọbasanjọ.
My kindly host at Obasanjo Farm Otta, Easter 1985.
I am sorry I tried to chase you from the garden Sir…picking the capsicums close to dark…we had some good chopping and dancing EMAJO!
I always wonder how the Essells got on when they left the farm for Canada, Mrs Essell an Airforce pilot?
Enjoyed my adventure to Otta ii. Palm Wine & juju where the stills once were. They brought me snakes and lizard, but I’d left for home. Yoha & Doc the dogs…and those giant pineapples growing on the dump. I wandered lost and found the cattle with the giant horns, and helped to kill to pigs in the Meat Processing so I could understand the task. I fear the snake skin slough I gathered from behind the house hedge was from a snake I’m glad I did not meet!
Beautiful Nigeria, wonderful warm people, may you flourish under that Hot sun x
What happen to my dear friend Pinto?
Two beautiful ladies who have touched our hearts ‘midst the clutter of life, and given us HOPE…
Moss Piglet’s homeboy Axi Ambystoma Axolotl…
AKA Ol’ CUP MOUTH,
He wants to celebrate our crossing the continental landbridge today and hitting República del Ecuador with his ‘I’m homesick’ song …not again Axi PLEASE
…go on then Axi HIT IT BOY!
“I was NOT born in Basingstoke! I am endangered in the wild and I came from somewhere in an egg. I’m an eight and a half year old baby…I am EXOTIC OK”
NEWS FROM THE TANK: AXI GOT A NEW HOUSE…bigger tank arrived yesterday 30th October as O’l Cup Mouth’s ‘heed’ got bigger due to ‘kerfuffle’ here on WordPress AND the cheeky fellow got some of Fred Cat’s Pollock Fish, (the tail end) for breakfast this morning, after months of refusing to eat anything but 99p Store’s Mealworm for Birds…after rejecting his expensive ‘Krill’ flavoured sinking Trout Pellets, now in the post to an Old Sea Dog in Scotland, who will probably get a tummy ache from tasting them! Oh lordy.
I had to rescue this little creature the other night…she had big spider’s web and body parts fluff ball attached to her back leg and was struggling. I discovered a gallery nest, made up from silk, fluff and the rasped candy shell of an old peanut M&M sweet!
I have deduced the little creature…and her colony, arrived here with an ornamental Date Palm gifted to us when we moved to this house three years ago.
abelmoir 
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