Gnome

Wifie found this today at the bottom of my father's garden. It does looks as if this gnome is answering a call of nature against the garden gate, though on closer examination he turned out to be a fishing gnome who had lost his rod. But he doesn't appear to be wearing any trousers, so we can be forgiven for misinterpreting his actions.

My father's second wife had a great fondness for gnomes and other garden ornaments, and their small garden was overflowing with all manner of concrete gnomes, birds, tortoises, toadstools and squirrels. The neighbours had a similar interest in these objects, but at one stage there was a rift between my father's wife and the scarey man who lived next door. One morning when my father opened the front door, he was confronted by a two foot tall mooning policeman.

Ten year's ago the second wife, to everyone else's relief, took up her broomstick and flew away to Spain. The collection of garden ornaments, however, remained.

I have had a campaign over the last few years of every time I come down for a visit, spiriting a couple more away to the tip. Dad has no particular fondness for these concrete creatures, most of them have long since faded to a uniform grey, and many are chipped and broken. The gnome remains though in reasonable condition and even has some of his original colour. And Dad has found another use for him, he's blocking a hole in the gate at the bottom of the garden through which large rodents of Norwegian origin were getting access. So this one won't be going on a journey to the tip just yet.

I may not be able to blip again until we are home next weekend. I've had a great palaver downloading this from the camera then uploading it, and I have been unable to download anything from the new camera. I have been unable to edit this picture at all, so this is exactly how it was taken.