Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Balls of Steel


This was the sky as Dave and I were walking home from work yesterday afternoon. We had a couple of dramatic showers, some even featuring thunder and lightning, which in London isn't all that common. (At least, not as common as it is in Florida!) I know the garden is loving the rain, but it came down so hard that it flattened my poor foxglove seedlings. I'm sure they'll bounce back.


This Eurasian jay has been visiting our bird feeders for the last few days. When I first caught a glimpse of it I thought it was a hawk -- it's much bigger than our other garden birds and I couldn't immediately see its blue wing bars. It loves the seed feeder, while the feral parakeets and the robins seem to enjoy the suet.

Last night Dave and I watched another episode of "Unforgotten." Netflix doesn't yet have Season 4, so we're watching it on ITV's online player, and it's doing the strangest things. We watch with subtitles, and for some reason a random line of dialogue from earlier in the show -- even an earlier episode -- will sometimes embed itself at the bottom of the screen and stay there. Last night, inexplicably, it was the phrase "balls of steel."





I couldn't stop bursting out in spontaneous laughter, even during the show's dramatic moments! Probably not quite what the writers had in mind.

25 comments:

Lini said...

That is too funny. Thanks for the belly laugh.

Moving with Mitchell said...

This is hilarious!!! You've made my day -- and it's only just begun.

Frances said...

We also had a terrific thunderstorm yesterday afternoon...lots of hail too. Not looked at my foxgloves yet! Hope they will be ok.

Tasker Dunham said...

Surely, that's just too bizarre to be random. Conspiracy theory?

Yorkshire Pudding said...

When I saw the blogpost title, I thought you were going to be writing about me. What followed was therefore something of a let down.

Anonymous said...

Sorry but I can't resist. Was the thunder and lightening very very frightening?

Balls of steel! Well let me tell you about.....nah.

Bob said...

I guess they really wanted you to know about Jack's balls?

I love that sky shot, though I'm not too keen on the weather it brings.

The Bug said...

Hahahaha! That is hilarious. And I LOVE the dramatic sky!

Ms. Moon said...

That's the sort of sky that can make you wonder if the end of the world is upon you. In which case- you must be brave. You must BALLS OF STEEL!

Linda Sue said...

Wonder if the subtitle makers thought it would be a great idea , punk the company for not paying them enough maybe , hilarious.
The dark threatening sky and the slanted sunlight look a lot like everyday up here. Looks like home.

Anonymous said...

That Eurasian Jay is quite beautiful, and the balls of steel is laugh out loud funny. Thank you for sharing both!

Sharon said...

"And he has...balls of steel" made me laugh too! That sky is a very dramatic. It certainly looks like a storm on the way. Beautiful bird!

Ellen D. said...

So funny! I use CC because I have hearing loss and they are often displaying the wrong words. I imagine a speed typist racing to type in what the speaker is saying and just not able to keep up to all that is being said. Or maybe it is like when I speak to Siri and she doesn't understand me and gives me a weird response. The other night my phone came alive and Siri replied to a person speaking on the TV! The person on TV said, "Oh Dearie, how are you?" and Siri replied, "I am fine. Thank you for asking!" Odd!

ellen abbott said...

oh how funny. it certainly made me laugh.

Linda Sue said...

spooky and hilarious- tech speaking to each other! Twilight Zone episode for sure!

Edna B said...

I've never seen a Eurasian Jay. It's beautiful. Enjoy your rain, we could use a little of it. Hugs, Edna B.

Ursula said...

How sweet of you to feed the birds.

Balls of steel? I pride myself on having a spine (and nerves) made of steel.

When Netflix or Amazon Prime start playing up with the subtitles (not least a time delay) switch it off, turn back on again and try to find where you left off. It's mildly annoying but it tends to help. Subtitles are great - except when they aren't. The other day I watched a "foreign" language film (subtitled by default) and I am sorry to say that the subtitles bore little resemblance to the actual dialogue.

U

The bike shed said...

Jays are interesting birds - same family as crows and magpies - the corvids. We have them near here and they have a raucous cry - very rare to see them in a garden but perhaps that's an urban adaptation.

Allison said...

That sky is an amazing blue. We used to get that sky during monsoon, and it was so magnificent in its color and depth.

Beth Reed said...

Oh I burst out laughing as I read those lines. "Balls of Steel" is just too funny. I watch with subtitles but so far I have not had anything get stuck as of yet lol.

The rain must have been a welcome. I hope that the seeds do bounce back. I am sure that they will at some point. I would love some thunder and lightening. So far the rain that we have had in Reno has been refreshing and we could really use some more of it but we are in the desert so when we get it we are appreciative.

I love the little jay. I am so glad that he is stopping by the feeder. Sometimes it is the little things that makes a big difference in the lives of our wildlife and he found you. I hope that he comes often.
Have a great day.

Catalyst said...

Great Balls of Fire!!!

Sabine said...

Why does that not happen to me when I watch???? I want that.

I love the Jay. Such gorgeous plumage. We used to go searching for that turquoise-black-white feather from the side of the wing as kids. Jays lived in the forest then, never came to the gardens and suburbs as they do now.

jenny_o said...

That sky is wonderfully captured. We had the same sky and a pretty good thunder and lightning storm yesterday also. It's weird how often your weather and ours is in synch.

Margaret said...

This is hilarious! Thanks for sharing.

37paddington said...

Very funny. I shall have to watch that show.