Locum challenge

Another Monday, with housework to do after breakfast. Then, I completed and uploaded to YouTube the Morning Prayer video for Thursday, before cooking lunch. 

It occurred to me that if I'm going to do what I've done previously on a locum trip to Spain, and take my Chromebook with me, that I should check to see if there's a suitable app to use that will enable me to make the usual Morning Prayer video using the Chromebook while I'm there. I propose to continue my weekly offering, with reflections relating to issues of interest about the place where I minister. 

The first one is a real no brainer, as the chaplain's house is in San Pedro, a town and its surrounding area named after a sixteenth century Spanish ascetic, Pedro de Alcántara, a Catholic monastic reformer who encouraged Teresa of Avila to reform women's religious orders. I think she's better known than he. Nevertheless, an interesting man. I won't know what else there'll be to reflect on until I get there and immerse myself in a new environment.

Anyway there's no guarantee that the chaplaincy provides an up to date device with Windows 10, whose basic (and very useful) video editor is what I've learned to use with ease. I spent an hour looking at the on-line options that Chromebook can run, testing them with this week's file of pictures and audio, but didn't achieve anything that exactly matched its capability. An unproductive hour maybe, although I did learn a few new things in the process.

I walked in the park mid-afternoon, and caught sight of an egret on the east bank of the Taff a few hundred metres below Western Avenue bridge, much the same place as I saw one last, two years ago. It hopped about in the water near the edge, as if it was unsettled by something. Then a heron flew in and landed quite near, and the egret went into hiding, only emerging when there was a safe distance between them. A moment later, a cormorant appeared, diving for fish. I missed getting a photo of them together, thanks to the cormorant being very industrious. It occurred to me that they'd turned up in the same small location because it was a spot where elvers and small fish could still be found. The river level is very low at the moment.

Clare called me as I was on my way home to say that her telephone appointment with one of our GPs had revealed that she was advanced spinal osteoporosis. She's been urgently referred to a specialist for examination a a treatment plan. Under the circumstances, the doctor was impressed she'd made such a good recovery from her back injury twelve weeks ago, Her general fitness and physical mobility are a key factor in this, thankfully.

After supper I watched a couple of episodes of 'Suspect' as all are available on the channel four website, then watched 'Sherwood' live. Its portrayal of the conflict between NUM and UDM miners in the 1980's and its legacy of bitterness and broken relationships feels very authentic, written by one who knows the Nottinghamshire pit villages from first hand experience.