Friday 1st July 2016...Rabbits, Rabbits, Rabbits!!!!!

This is going to be a long one maybe a beverage is required!!!

Talking with Janet and Malc last night the subject of me saying Rabbits on the first of the month for the last 50 years came up and Janet said why did I do it as you only supposed to say it for the month of March and Malc says every month when Janet reads the blog she says the same thing...so I Googled it and got the below!!

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Why do we say 'white rabbits' on first of the month?

Photo: S. Klewitz-Seemann/DPA/Press Association Images

We all know the well-known sayings 'pinch punch first day of the month' and 'white rabbits, white rabbits'. They are said to bring people luck if you say them on the first day of the month before midday, but where did they come from?

The theories:

• It originates from Medieval times when people believed in witches. Salt was believed to make witches weak, so the pinch part of the saying is the pinching of the salt and the punch part was to banish the witch once she was weakened by the salt.

• According to some, president George Washington met local Indian tribes on the first day of each month and at the meeting he would supply fruit punch with an added pinch of salt. This tradition became known as 'pinch and punch on the first of the month'.

• 'White rabbits, white rabbits' was written in the 'Notes and Queries' book from 1909. It reads "My two daughters are in the habit of saying 'Rabbits!' on the first day of each month. The word must be spoken aloud, and be the first word said in the month. It brings luck for that month. Other children, I find, use the same formula."

• Apparently it was a common belief among RAF bomber aircrew during WW2 that saying "white rabbits" the very first thing upon waking would protect oneself.

• According to playground rules, your pinch and punch has to be followed immediately with the words, "White rabbits, no return". By saying so, it means you can't be pinched back.

• In the West Country, the retaliation is 'A flick and a kick for being so quick'.

All these are, of course, theories.

So there you have it.....A day for the record books our Janet being wrong for the first time this century !!!!!   (I shall pay for this comment I know!!)
Many tributes and celebrations taking place all over Europe today......

The bloodiest day

Presented byDan SnowBroadcaster & Historian

The first day of the Battle of the Somme, in northern France, was the bloodiest day in the history of the British Army and one of the most infamous days of World War One. On 1 July 1916, the British forces suffered 57,470 casualties, including 19,240 fatalities. They gained just three square miles of territory.

British and German troops faced each other's trenches only separated by a few hundred yards of “no-man’s land”. The British force consisted of soldiers from Britain and Ireland, as well as troops from Newfoundland, South Africa and India. The British generals staged a massive artillery bombardment and sent 100,000 men over the top to take the German trenches. They were confident of victory.

But the British soldiers were unable to break through the German defences and were mown down in their thousands by machine gun and artillery fire. This day set a bloody precedent: the Somme campaign wore on for five months and, in all, more than a million soldiers from the British, German and French armies were wounded or killed.

Today is also Canada day!!!

I am happy to be a proud Canadian and a wonderful holiday to all my Canadian friends everywhere!!
Well finally on to today!!!
Friday is Malc's day to go play golf at his golf club and I have always wanted to watch him play and this morning he invited me to go and walk the course and watch him....
We arrived at the club

at 8 am and although it was not raining it was quite bleak...Malc played in a group with three other men and I walked around with them watching...

Is that not the look of a man on a mission??
Unfortunately the rain started to come down...I was given the job of caddie but the rain won out and they cut short the round and headed back to the clubhouse and I was a bit glad...

I was happy to be able to watch him play and I can assure you he is not called Mally down the middle for nothing!!!!
Came home and pleasantly surprised to find my camera that I had ordered two days ago had arrived.....so the shots from now on with the new camera which is a Nikon 20 times zoom and just like my older one....

Now those eagle eyed readers out there will notice a Teddy on my pillow he was acquired today I know what some of you are thinking but I wanted something for my room!!!!  By the way his name is TEDDY!!!!

 Tried my camera out on the back yard

and then the zoom!!!  Looks good I think!!
After a bit of lunch I then went and did my walk it is 6 km and a lovely route will take my camera tomorrow and show you all.
Stopped in at the town and did a bit of shopping and took these

Janet and I watched some tennis from Wimbledon and then Sam came over for dinner and then the Pearson boys do what the Pearson boys do best!!!

We did not know that Sam snapped us watching a great game of soccer from France which Wales were well deserved winners!!

It has been a while since a tub shot so thought I would cheer you ladies up for the weekend!!!

 Do not forget this is my blog and I can write what I want!!!
This is where I am in England!!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend both Canada and the USA celebrate holidays this weekend...
Breaking news!!!
From San Miguel...I put a few feelers out about finding an apartment when I return in November and I have tentatively found a small Casita to rent and in fact I have rented it before Casita Doris(after my Mum)..it is on the top floor of my friends Karen and Gregg's lovely home and if it all works out will be a great place for me.....also I contacted the coordinator of the English school and I have been accepted to teach English to the Mexican adult class again, that is news that warms my heart!!
Yashi Kochi!!!