Today

Today - 1
Part of our service to the farming community is to drop off parcels at a mutual venue, today I delivered a parcel to an auction market cafe.  I queued up with the hungry farmers to speak to a staff member and when I finally reached her, she said in a dull monotone ... 'yes'.

I said who I was, who the parcel was for and then made a request that as it was a fridge item, please could it be stored in their fridge until it was collected.  The sweat-shiny faced woman looked at me for a moment or two with her mouth open, then shrieked 'Fridge?? Fridge??'

She turned to the rest of staff and said loudly 'She said to me - put it in the FRIDGE!!' she screamed a manic laugh and snatched the parcel from me and, as I tried to explain that there was an icepack included and could she just place it somewhere cooler than the sweltering kitchen, she stalked off still screeching 'fridge ...FRIDGE' (Now, I am not sure what I triggered but I suspect it was a raw point ...)

Today - 2
A burly gruffly spoken farmer came in today, I'd just taken a call from him not ten minutes before ... he'd found a newly born lamb savaged by a dog. He was angry. He was furious.

When he arrived, I directed straight down to the waiting vet as he humphed and growled and vented his feelings.
A ringing 'phone distracted me as he left.
It seemed not two minutes before he returned and I assumed that he'd left it with the vet to be stitched up ... how wrong I was. It had been savaged beyond rescue and it was decided that it was kinder to put it to sleep and the big and gruff and tough and now deflated farmer was unable to watch his lamb being injected. His anger was now sadness - I felt sad for him too.

Today - 3
Waiting at the auction mart, I over heard this conversation ...

Well 'e ******* put t' ******* line in t' wrong ******* place an'  he painted it t' wrong ******* colour ... can ya see it? (vigorous pointing at a sign above the door).
A-a-a-ye I can. (A craning of a craggy neck upwards).
Also, also he ****** well 'e dint match t' *******colour wiv the writin' Can ya see it? 
A-a-a-ye I can.
Well, I was ******* mad, I were, ******* mad!
A-a-a-aye (nodding head sagely).
So - I did 'im, I dint pay 'im, I ******* well dint pay 'im.
A-a-a-ye (more head nodding).
So, (a very audible rubbing of scaly raspy hands together gleefully) I go't  fer free! I was *******, ****** chuffed wi' me'sell.
(Just more nodding and staring at the floor).
An' I ******* put that **** sign oop an' I neva paid a ******* fing fer it!

The two gents then wandered off back inside through the door below the shamed shop signage cheerfully resplendent in it's various shades of yellow and green sporting a crooked line. I looked at it and wondered at the thinking of the first man - he was unhappy with the sign, refused to pay however he still used it and despite his annoyance was triumphant because he 'go't  fer free!'

Today - finally 4
Watched a nondescript grey car pull up with three occupants. The driver, an older stern faced man, had a light grey blue shirt on with military style epaulettes and the other two were obviously in police uniform.  All three solemnly removed their police jackets and donned civilian fleeces. As they walked past me, I could not resist ... and said 'Now that's a sight you don't often see ...'
The older man turned to me and tersely said - 'What's that?'
I replied ' I noticed the epaulettes and decided that you were not farmers ...' (followed by a slightly nervous giggle as I wondered if they had attempted some form of casual undercover').
The man suddenly smiled back and laughed a 'Well spotted'. And with that, the three of them turned and slipped into the crowd.  What had I just witnessed I wondered??

When I told Himself of my day he looked at me oddly and said ' What a strange world you inhabit'.