Today I shall be Mainly...

[Marilyn]

Pizza does look good ( drool...haven't had Pizza for months!)
We slept as snug as bugs last night. Didn't have to make "the treck" until 6am...a thick mist and the ducks followed me all the way to the loo...and I could see the steam from their breath every time they breathed. They waited for me at the toilet door, then accompanied me back to the van. So I was well protected...but they kept tapping on the van door until we got up.

[Stanley]

Maz sent this pic.

13C outside at the moment....
That looks like the feeding of the 5,000 Sue....
No housework or cooking today so I might be writing again. Looks as though I shall be dodging rain again like yesterday, it's still raining steadily here.

[Sue]

It was fun. Having made the dough on friday, I rolled it out and put it into different sized foil containers in the morning and stacked them up in the fridge. Experience tells us this is the easiest way to handle it in the oven. We tried putting the puzza straight on to the hot stones but it was so difficult to manipulate. I had different size foil trays depending on the age and appetite of the child. For the adults I had a large purpose pizza tray( it has holes in its base) and I used an old oblong baking tray too. I chopped up lots of things for toppings , spread them out in containers on the kitchen table and that was my bit done! The kids loved making their own and devoured everything, apart from our little favourite Valentin, who was not feeling very well. He took his home with him and ate it later. His looked superb too. I have never seen so much tomato and cheese on a pizza before . I had cut up melon and watermelon and bought a chocolate tart and a strawberry tart. We had two pizza doughs left, which I constructed into pizzas, cooked and froze them for a meal another day.

We had poached egg on toast for tea many hours later!

Today there is another local Breton festival. We go every year, lots of arts and crafts, Breton dancing, traditional skills like bread making and a huge display of hand made model trains and farm models etc which Bob loves to look at from a technical point of view. All in all a good day out, normally a roasting hot sunny day, today is supposed to be dull and cool. Otherwise, I have some ironing to do and may continue with my power point presentation on the Widdups, or I may simply sit and knit! Bob has to mount the towel rail in the ensuite but as it is heated by the central heating which we don’t run in the summer he will save the plumbing of it till after our visitors have been. Then its tidy up and clean the room before Thursday.

Love the pictures of the ducks, and like the imagery of the early morning walk Maz.

[Stanley]

I will have to have a lie down....
Considering vacuuming the stairs. This is necessary but still displacement activity.

[Wendyf]

Not going to Trawden Show which has been cancelled because of the wet ground. It's only the second time in my 20 years here, unavoidable but such a disappointment to all involved.

[Sue]

Not going to Trawden Show which has been cancelled because of the wet ground. It's only the second time in my 20 years here, unavoidable but such a disappointment to all involved.

Thats a shame Wendy. I remember the County show in Durham, when I was a child always seemed to coincide with rain!

76 was a really hot summer, and 77 was cool and wet like last year and this year. When we bought this house in 2004 it was also a very hot summer, but the following summer in 2005 was like this summer, cooler grey days and the occasional hot spell. Although the weather seems now to be extreme at times the underlying patterns still seem to exist, one really hot dry summer followed by a cool wet one, although the temperatures and the rainfall are both higher than they used to be.

[Marilyn]

We too have had a normal Winter, except for the four blasts of weather coming up from Antarctica, causing a lot of snow in places. I have known "cold winters" like this, but not since I was a kid...and another really cold Winter when my son was a toddler/pre schooler and I was constantly looking for warm socks for his little feet ( I had a child who found it fun to bury his shoes and socks in the garden, or stick the hose pipe inside his wellingtons, or jump in puddles.) plus, we were dirt poor back then, and heating was a luxury!

[Stanley]

Written an article and done the stairs!

[Marilyn]

You may now put your budgie smugglers on and lay on a deck chair in the back yard, Stanley.

[Sue]

Written an article and done the stairs!

Cleaned out that kitchen cupboard, and been to the Breton fete. Here are a couple of photos for you Stanley

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[Stanley]

No suitable weather for that Maz even if I could find my Speedo trunks.
Sue, I recognise the Fowler Field Marshall, I've used one of those and the portable engine is familiar to me as well. Looks like a good show.
Not sure about today yet, I shall take a view later on. The way the weather is going I could be lighting the stove!

[Marilyn]

Going through the van, checking stocks of non perishable items ( cling wrap, foil, dishwashing liquid, washing powder etc) and removing all non essential items that we will not need on our big trip North East. Heading for Queensland in a couple of weeks and anticipate being away for about 4 weeks. Things might be a bit cool weather-wise at first, but tropical when we get there. Then, by the time we get back, it should be warmer here too, because Spring will have sprung. So lots to think about in terms of bedding and clothing. I shall make the beds up with doonas, as hubby didn't cope well with his sleeping bag for the one night we were away (could have been the wine that made managing the zip a bit tricky )
So once again, the dining table is a useful repository for all things heading for the van.

[Sue]

Stanley the way the weather is going we too will be putting some heating on in the evening, it was definitely chilly yesterday, and due to be even cooler today. Yesterday rain was forecast at 20% but in fact we only had two short sharp heavy showers lasting about 5 minutes each. It is forecast at 40 % today, with little sun. I do not want to get my sewing out again with only three days before friends arrive, it can wait till after their visit, so it looks like the ‘Widdup presentation’ after a spell of shopping ! I have no gardening to do, no dead heading as there are no flowers, except the lavender. This is looking very messy but the bees and butterflies are still loving it so I shall not cut it back until we leave on the 28 th

I see sun through my bedroom window.

I like your comment about the dining room table Maz, when we are at home we use the spare bedroom for stacking all things that are to come to France, and when here we use the study for stacking things to go back home.

[Wendyf]

Margaret Brown and I are leading a history walk as part of the Pendle Walking Festival this morning. Walk 14 in the brochure, we will be focussing on old tracks in the area. We have 12 people booked for a walk of about 7 miles around Earby, Harden and Kelbrook so I hope we get some dry weather.

[Sue]

Margaret Brown and I are leading a history walk as part of the Pendle Walking Festival this morning. Walk 14 in the brochure, we will be focussing on old tracks in the area. We have 12 people booked for a walk of about 7 miles around Earby, Harden and Kelbrook so I hope we get some dry weather.

Sounds good

[Wendyf]

Just returned home after the walk and it went very well, the weather being perfect and some lovely people to chat to along the way. We had 18 people walking with us from all over the country, some of whom were doing walks every day this week.

[PanBiker]

Well done Wendy and Margaret.

[Stanley]

Good walking weather yesterday as long as you kept moving!
Maz, my only table in the kitchen is always covered with stuff.
Sue, CH cracked on briefly just after I commented. Padded waistcoat on as I sat in the front room last night, it's on the North side of the house.
Not sure about today yet..... I'll take a view when the time comes!

[Marilyn]

A cold but sunny morning (2C). At least there is no wind and it is actually quite pleasant, though I doubt the washing will dry fully on the line. I might have to finish it off with 10 mins in the dryer.
Cooking, cleaning, washing today, with half a critical eye on what is piling up on the dining table. made worse by me removing every appliance/crockery/cutlery/glasses from the van for a good wipe over. We only have two of everything, but when it is spread out like this...certainly looks a lot. I want to just take basic necessaries. Other stuff can stay home. ( but it really is easier to take it all out and pack from scratch). I'm very good with spaces and shapes and organising things so that it all works easily. ( it has to...my hubby is not the most tolerant creature!) he also hates anything rattling as we drive along

[Stanley]

I share Dave's hatred of rattles! I used to chase them down immediately in all my wagons. They can get very wearing when you live in a cab....

[Sue]

It was 13 degrees when we got up yesterday and eventually managed 19-20 degrees. Not France summer weather, dark clouds and rain periodically.once again a sunny evening but cool since it never warmed up. This is the season for shooting stars but although the last two nights have been clear we have seen nothing.

The ensuite is finished to a usable level. We have decided to buy an electric towel rail as the other is small. We found one locally, just what we wanted for 345 euro, I think not. Bob has found it at screw fix £110. It looks to be the same one, so I think it will wait till we get home and bring it over next time. Other than that just the pies to be blocked in. Photos to follow

[Sue]

Nearly got a selfie of me in my nightie through the mirror, then managed a ghostly form in the shower, not too indecent though

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Pictures wrong way round again

[Marilyn]

Looks great. Well done. Bet you are pleased with it.

[Stanley]

Very high standard,makes my domestic arrangements look antediluvian.

[Wendyf]

Looks great Sue. Are those the tiles that look just like wood? We have them in our ensuite and I still gaze at them in wonder!