Women

This photo has done the rounds at such length there can be few who have not seen it as yet. While I find it somewhat true it is also true that many Europeans can also go to excess and the fact is that it makes them even less attractive than the Americans.
Without question neither come across as what we want in the real world, some-one with the ability to look after their man while also benefiting the farm with their ability to work hard. Of course there are some who don't quite fit the bill even with their innate strength.
But a good hard look around the world will usually find the one you require, me being very happily married man, of course I merely take on additional farm hands but it does make a difference to have properly capable workers around the farm.
All this is said, of course, with the knowledge that there are feminists around who will take exception to the idea of men having an ideal that should be matched to provide the woman best suited for marriage, hiring, squiring around or whatever else.
To them I say . . .

'Nanas

What a strange thing happens as one's body becomes acclimatised to a new regime. I seem unable to stay away from the addictive banana. I vaguely seem to remember that it has three different sorts of sugar in it so I really should not over do it, I suppose.
So I have considered trying them as other useful things, not just as a snack. But so far the the result has not been perfect, dammit.
The strong desire may be a hangover from the war, or just post war, period when exotic fruits were not readily available in the UK, too many U-boats around to make fruit imports a worthwhile exercise. Which meant of course that the rich (and lovely) might get them on rare occasions but they were far beyond the dreams of ordinary souls like my family.
But I do remember being told a wonderful fact that may, in my pacifist old age, be the reason why they are so alluring. But then how many apples, pears or pomegranates actually cause death deliberately? Of course we can't be one hundred per cent sure since not all of us talk to plants like good old Charles, possibly because those of us with less horselike wives prefer to talk to them, probably with a far higher likelihood of getting an understandable response.
Having said that we should always remember that the wild banana if not properly fed, housed and, especially, trained has been known to turn on its owner, a very terrifying experience to those not used to the world in the raw. Luckily my experiences in Nigeria have prepared me for sudden and unexpected dangers.

Changes

After many moons of investigations the doctors have decided that my body is collapsing, pre-diabetic, liver functions and blood pressure all to

hell and gone and other such depressing nonsense.

So for a month I have been drinking no alcohol, and have just bought an electric running machine, which seems a misnomer since I am the one who has to run, and am actually using it, so far in brief attempts and at a fast walk rather than a run. Unfortunately, although I may incline to the poster idea that is not an option in Qatar. However not drinking wine with meals has expanded the number of restaurants that we can enter dramatically!
And, naturally, the waiters do not have to carry quite such a lot to me at one time, freeing them for other duties.
And my wife has pointed out that I should listen to, or perhaps view, the sentiments of these ladies since there are undoubtedly a number of advantages. I am not quite so certain as Alice but there is no doubt that there are certain conversations that we do not need to have these days. Which is the only advantage that I can think of.