... and a three-legged poodle

I do like to travel. It's the journey, therefore the 'to' is not so important. There is always something to catch the eye. An oddly shaped tree decorated as a scarecrow; a farm shop which sells not fresh fruit and veg, but 'funky vintage furniture'.
Being designated navigator, the map throws up quirky places - Edvin Loach, Edwyn Ralph, Sollers Hope, Hints. And my favourite, Hopton Wafers.
And then the wildlife. When you are stuck in traffic (roadworks, tractors, whatever), there is time to watch the hedges, the verge, the sky. I still struggle to identify raptors but a female blackbird spreading her wings over her brood to shelter them, is just my level. And a gift.
Arriving is good if the room is clean and the shower works. Good weather, interesting food and a family get-together, makes it great.
I had three creme brulee - one was rich, creamy with a cracking top. Two was small, creamy, crispy top and served with apple crumble and apple sorbet. Three was a Coffee and Baileys which had a crisp top and a very creamy base. A bit weird.
The first was simple and very good.
I had two risottos. Sometimes the portions can be just too much.
Coffee was - variable. Very good and served with Lemon Bakewell tart and/or an enormous chunk of Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake. Or depressingly predictable unless topped up with Coffee Tequila liqueur. Smelt very alcoholic. Maybe too alcoholic.
The trip came to an end with the photograph of a beautiful trumpet-flowered plant, over-hanging the car park wall (taken for identification purposes) and a hurrying dog-walker, pulled along by three snuffling pugs and, yes, a three-legged poodle!

Of lost things...

It is raining and we can not find the best umbrella. We went for lunch the other day and it was only thanks to a kind and observant waiter that it wasn't left at the table. Today, when it is needed again, it is no where to be found. Is it lost then, left on the train, perhaps?
I feel old.
There is a new(ish) sandwich bar on the main road, with a sign on the door -
                               "Were hiring"
Is this a ' sorry if you want a job, but it's too late"? A victim of the dreaded predictive text? Or simply another case of a missing apostrophe?
(Did I mention I felt old?)
There is a website that can put you in touch with the railway lost property office. You just have to be able to describe the missing item. (Was it red, black and square? Or green, black and square?)
I wonder if there is a home, a lost property office for all the missing punctuation? An index drawer in some retired librarian's filing cabinet, perhaps, where all those apostrophes, semi-colons and brackets join together and dance through the cobwebs.
After a settling cup of coffee, the umbrella was found in the boot of the car. Of course, we had been shopping that day and not on the train at all!
The apostrophe, from the sign on the shop door,  is still missing.