DAY ONE WITHOUT BLUE: TRYING TO BE DISTRACTED

Its day one without Blue at Moonbase. It just feels hollow round here.

Thanks you for all your message of support. They mean a great deal to me. I know many of you will have been through the same thing.

Seeing his empty mat was heart-breaking but I don't want to move it yet. I forgot he was gone for a minute this morning and picked up his bowl to make him breakfast. 

My own things I'm forgetting. I forgot to eat anything. I keep having flashbacks of our final moments at the vets. I nearly swerved the car. Its so damn hard losing a close friend like Blue after 16 years of his defining presence in our family.

In a vain attempt to move forward, well maybe just move, I visited the local outdoor car boot sale. It was unusually tiny on account of early morning rain, which we desperately need, so I motored to Pontefract to check out a big charity shop and pick up a prezzy for my Missus' 60th. I was struggled to focus doing any of it.

So, trying further to distract my brain from abject misery here's a run down of what I've picked up recently on Ebay, on holiday in the Peaks and also that local charity.

See what you think.

Various die-casts including Lone Star, Hot Wheels, Majorette and Matchbox. All for doing up at some point. Parker parked his FAB1 in there too.

My new additions to the GI Joe/ Corps! gang on the right - Lanard Boomerang Billy. Hasbro Lightfoot [yellow fellow] and my beloved Hasbro 2002 Baroness, who has returned from exile after 12 months [I sold her last year!]. I'm pleased at least toys can come back.

Leia has now joined the old Star Wars crew. She's missing her battle poncho. An old 90's Vader Pez is lurking at the rear as well.

This bundle came home with me today from the YMCA. They are more or less the Village People. The four soldiers were made by Wah Tung and looking them up seem to be called World Army. Does anyone collect them? The Star Wars stormtrooper guarding them is for Junior. I think Junior will do galactically well for Star Wars toys on his 6th birthday late next month thanks to the truly amazing generosity of my friends Paul and Bill  - thankyou! - but more on this in September!

The YMCA threw up these two Action Force figure too, although there are no markings on them whatsoever. is that normal for Action Force? They are Palitoy aren't they?

Some small Transformers from the early 2000's onwards for Junior.

A Micro Machines Star Wars binocular. For Junior too. There were tons of this MM range loose at a car boot in the Peaks. Loads. Boba, Stormtrooper, lightsabre, droid head. All £2 each. I should have got the lot!

Here's peter Pan from the film Hook plus two frogmen I don't know.

The small plastic Galoob A-Team van from their Dynamite Blaster rack toy range.

Galoob's Secret Army Supplies from the 80's, a toy I know little about at present. Half lamp, half container.

An unpunched Welsh Lady with a Sindy face.

One I passed on, an unusual R/C Peterbilt Truck by Atlantic, who I believe are an Italian firm. Looks impressive.

And to wrap up this bit here are some Star Wars double-takes: the gas knobs on the gas cooker we had in old caravan we stayed in last week. Talk about Darth Vader helmets!

and if this soil vent I saw on the campsite wash-house isn't a Millennium Falcon cockpit I don't know what is.

So, anything you like whilst I finish my sausage sarni.

I've just called for Blue to have a bit and realised he won't be coming.

God I wish he was here.

Day two tomorrow.