Poor Pannal

Where have I been. Last time I looked it was June now it is September where has it all gone. I have golfed, walked, gardened. Visited my four children. They have visited me. I have been on holiday with them. Oh I see that is where it has all gone.
We have also had the bombshell dropped on us of all this housing. Our lovely Crimple Valley being destroyed by on one side of the A61 Leeds Road housing and on the other side employment. Remember the gypsy site. We were all convinced that it was a ploy by Harrogate Borough Council. They would put forward a gypsy. Oh just remembered travellers site, everyone would panic and then we would be told we are not going to have a travellers site but we are going to have housing and everyone would say well that's better than a travellers site. Until that is they found that they are planning lots and lots of houses. Where are we going to walk, exercise dogs, see wildlife. There is lots and there used to be a lovely flower meadow with orchids here and there but unfortunately that was all destroyed by the farmer who rented the land. If what HBC are planning comes to fruition then we shall have nowhere to walk. We really won't. All have to march in single file round the rec. There is also a proposal to build houses on Spring Lane and a group have been formed to fight this. Caused some agro in the village as the leaflets they sent out was just objecting to this proposal and nothing else. No mention of Crimple Valley. Crimple Valley was declared a Site of Special Interest and a green wedge that separated Pannal from Harrogate.The River Crimple runs through it and it is on a flood plain.  None of us can figure out what has changed apart from the fact that someone has got it in for Pannal with the number of houses proposed and Crimple Valley being wantonly destroyed.   There is of course not just us, proposed house building all round Harrogate. Everyone says we need more houses and we are sick of hearing - the government are telling us to do this. We are all here, in our differing ways fighting this proposal. OK enough. On to a more unusual subject. What goes through cats minds. I was cleaning the fireplace had removed the fire guard had left all the doors open. Marble was out in the garden when she made her "bid for freedom" she ran in and straight up the chimney. Fortunately I grabbed her back legs and picked her up before I either had to call the fire brigade or wipe up sooty footprints from the carpet. I had a sooty top and I threw her out in the garden and she flew through the air quite well for quite a distance. She is getting used to flying. Talking of flying I was sitting out in my neighbours garden when Denise said "there's a drone". When Derek and I looked up we saw nothing and she said "I did see one" Derek and I looked at each other with that look one gives when they think someone has lost it then over it came again we all saw it .Don't know where it came from or went back to but not a welcome sight as our rear gardens are meant to be private and there it was hovering over all the back gardens.