KEN ASHLEY

KEN ASHLEY

A  TRIBUTE TO A WONDERFUL HUMAN BEING

I am part of a social group of foreign nationals living in and around Pedralba, a pueblo in the Campo north-west of LLiria, Valencia, Spain. We are a group that is always keen to integrate within the Spanish community, and to a large degree we have achieved that as evidenced by the number of Spanish nationals impacted as well.

We are all living in the third stage of our lives that is made all the more pleasant in that we get to enjoy the sunshine and the life that is available to us in this part of Spain. However, we are perfectly aware that from time to time we have to draw strength to say goodbye when it is time for one of us to pass. We are now having to draw deep to pay our respect and to express our love for a stalwart who has added so much to our daily lives.

Ken Ashley, a retired fireman, after spending a life in service to others has continued to do that while in retirement. Our Ken was a big man, both in stature and in personality. He lived a responsible life and he was generally thought of as the go-to guy when something needed to get done.

He was possessed of a pleasing singing voice, and together with his guitar he was always there when we needed cheering up. One of the contributions the English language group made to the pueblo was to stage two concerts a year; one at Christmas and one during the summer. The choir was originally led by Nigel, our president at the time and when it became necessary for him to step down Ken took up the baton and did a splendid job.

He could often be seen going walkabout with his friend, Megan, an extraordinary dog while wearing his trademark extra large cowboy hat. He was the very image of health and strength and the one person we thought would live forever. However, on Thursday, 29^th March he arose from bed and commented to his wife, Heather that he really didn’t feel all that well, and with one gasp he fell down between the bed and the wall, and he was gone.

I like to think that Ken had things to do, people to see, places to go in his next life. I am a staunch believer that what we call death is not the end, but rather simply the moment when we discard our existing body that no longer works as well as it did to exchange it for another new body to start the process all over again. He will think it’s all new, just as he has done every time before when he has lived and “died.” That is possible because our bodies do not have a soul, but rather it is our soul that has a body.

So, Ken, I thank you for everything you did to contribute to my life, and that was much, and I join with everybody else in our group in saluting you for being the wonderful key figure you have been. I have only ever known you to be pleasant and courteous, and I carry with me your mantra: “Hey man, what’s your plan?”

People may ask me how many years did you spend among us in total and I would have to say I have no idea of what your age might have been. My impression is that you were, and will be, “Forever Young!”

KEN ASHLEY, we shall never forget you!

Copyright © 2018

Eugene Carmichael

The Rat that ate the Car

Rats are such pests. When one is known to be on the loose in the house men are known to wreck the house in trying to catch it. Certainly they are more than enough of a problem in the house but they can also be a real nuisance outdoors as well.

For a couple of years we had rats outside the house. We also have two cats that only once in a long while will bring us the remains of a rat to indicate they occasionally earn their keep. Then there is Max, our dog who is short in legs but long and sharp as a mouser. He is always on patrol and has brought down several of them.

This year is a bad year for rats. A couple of years ago I opened my bonnet to discover evidence that a rat had taken up residence in the engine compartment of the car. I was then parking under a tree so presumably the rats came down from the tree and got up into the engine where it was warm. I’m saying that was a rat but it could have been a squirrel as there were shells from nuts.

Later that same year my wife had her car put through general maintenance followed later by about six weeks by the ITV examination. When they opened the bonnet a lot of shells came pouring out from the false cover in the bonnet indicating there were critters there, or they had been there. Amazing!

However, this year we have learned about a neighbour who had parked his car in one place for some time as he was using his second car. When he came to start up the first one it would not start. He opened the bonnet and was thunderstruck by the sight that was before him.

A rodent of some sort had bitten through cables and hoses in places that he could see, and later at the garage it transpired that it had been all around the engine destroying everything that was rubber based. It appeared to have been dining out on this particular car for some time. At the garage it is a great curiosity as they have never known anything like this.

I don’t know what the final bill will be, I certainly wouldn’t want it. So, the take away from this story is: The instruction to check your engine takes on added meaning. It would be a wise thing to do indeed!

Copyright © 2018

Eugene Carmichael