Today I shall be Mainly...

[chinatyke]

Look at the price! Got to be the most expensive way of cooking food! Whatever happened to the half-a-oil-drum cookers?

[Stanley]

They were improved and marketed China.
Long slow cooking is the only way. I watched Adam Booth cooking on Youtube last night, enormous rib steaks. Three for $54. Enough meat to feed me for four weeks. Reminded me of the time I went into the Blue Horse Bar in MN and was greeted by "Sorry, the 32 ounce steaks are off". I kid you not......
Enjoying another sunny day. I put the thermometer in the sun while we had our afternoon walk ar 14:30 and it gave 108F. Nice warm day. What a good job I kept my vest on.....

[Sue]

It was misty here till 12.00, as usual at this time of year so took the opportunity to do a major garden tidy up. Bob still has some shrubs to prune and I have the side hedge of climbing roses, passion flowers and clematis to tidy up, which we shall do this morning with its misty start. In the afternoon the temperature climbed to over 30 in the shade and much higher in the fierce sun. We went for a stroll in our local town, bought some bits and pieces for home and sat and had an ice cream as we people watched.

Back at the house we put some garden furniture away for the summer, and sat and had a beer, then I did some knitting in the garden. In the neighbours garden I could here the children in the garden pool. Much bigger than a paddling pool! There were energetic screams and shouts matched only by the french parents( there being visitors too) shouting commands, instructions and frequent telling offs. The older kids, the visitors kept giving a mouthful back and a much overused word by children in all languages ‘Quoi’ . We have had a few weeks of this , hardly a tranquil afternoon. I feel sorry for our neighbour being inundated by friends and relatives and teenage children all summer that are not hers, she has only about 10 days of pregnancy left, she is hot, tired and overridden by visitors. No wonder there is irate shouting. Their own little girl who is only 6 spends most of her time crying. All was tranquil by 9.00 pm!

Looking forward to my chair arriving at 7.30. Charlotte has had to do a considerable rebuild, much more than expected, but kindly said she would not charge extra. I think if we had not had the chair done it would have fallen apart very soon. No one sat in it, now they will be able to.

[Stanley]

Hope the chair is as good as you expected Sue.
I have the loose cover out on the line. The biggest piece of washing I ever do and only 40C so as not to shrink it! I have the protective over blanket I put on the sofa to make it Jack proof in now and there is room for it on the line outside, then it's up to the gods!

[Marilyn]

Febby and I did a wonderful 10+kms bike ride today. Thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Beautiful landscape!
We could have gone longer, but both mindful that Febby had a "hypo" just 24 hours prior.

[Sue]

Its lovely, reupholstered, repaired, re covered.

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[Wendyf]

Brilliant! Lovely to see a piece of furniture brought back to life.

[Big Kev]

Looks lovely.

[Big Kev]

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fitting a new bannister set for youngest offspring...

[Stanley]

The chair looks fine Sue, good for another hundred years now.
The cover and blanket dried perfectly and were both back on the sofa by 16:00. Never managed that job in a day before.
My mind is straying to a quick job on curtains and nets....... No need to worry about the weather, I always hang them back up straight out of the washer.

[Sue]

I am very pleased indeed with the chair, my Dad would have loved it.

Today we have just one more shrub to prune, its massive and needs a major cut. We let it grow large to hide the messy shed and junk in our neighbours garden, but now we have new young very tidy neighbours who have moved the shed out of our view so the bush can be pruned and our original view of the far hill and village restored. We are not all owed to have a garden fire so it will be two trips with the trailer to our local tip. Thats it then, finished. One day to go, beds to change washing to do, house to clean and fridge to empty all tomorrow, plus lunch out. Its been a good summer, and I am still picking and freezing my runner beans! I shall pick all the unripe tomatoes and take them home. It may be the last time as Brexit will probably not allow the transport of food and plants across the border

[Stanley]

You make me feel tired just reading what the programme is!

[Stanley]

I shall be working my way quietly through the morning after sleeping in. I am expecting a visit from Laura later this morning which will be a treat!
Apart from that I'm not sure yet. (Unlike Sue who would have a full programme planned!)

[Sue]

My programme for today Stanley is strip the bed and washing the bedding, shower then wash the towels. After breakfast I will remake the bed with clean bedding, wash the kitchen floor ( I thoroughly cleaned the kitchen and oven yesterday)and clean the bathrooms. Then off out for lunch for our last crepe of the summer. Is that a good enough list Stanley . Afterall this housework I am looking forward to my return to a cleaner and my hobbies of yoga, art, pilates etc

This afternoon I shall pack but need to find all our various bits and pieces spread through out the house. Then its beans and tomatoes to pick. Packing will be a complicated thing. We need a bag for a couple of days and overnight stuff , plus the clothes easily available for the 50 th anniversary do. I shall also have to decide which summer stuff to bring back home on the off chance of some warm days before autumn sets in. The packing will take some time I think!

Despite a summer of excesses of eating, drinking, and reduced exercise I seem to have maintained my normal weight, indeed I may have even lost a couple of pounds. Its difficult to be sure as the scales here are rejects from home as they are somewhat unreliable. I weigh myself when we come and use that as my starting point.

Its only going to be 24 degrees today instead of the last few days of 33. I see it will be raining in Cardiff on Saturday and 18 degrees, even cooler at home. Bye bye summer, I enjoyed you while it lasted!

[Stanley]

Exactly what I was alluding to Sue! I salute your organisation.

[Sue]

Exactly what I was alluding to Sue! I salute your organisation.

If you think I am organised you should see Bob. If you can’t beat them join them !

[Marilyn]

1,500 km down, if anyone is interested
( probably not...)

[PanBiker]

Well done Maz, that's 930 miles in proper distance.

[Marilyn]

Half way, Panbiker!

[PanBiker]

Crack on then Maz, we can't go that far over here in a straight line without driving into the sea.

[Marilyn]

I stood in front of a tap for 2 mins today to get 2litres of drinking water....
I can drink that before lunch!

[PanBiker]

Where are you going Maz, is it up in the Northern Territories?

[Marilyn]

Outback Queensland, but headed eventually toward the coast. Almost bedtime ( 8.15 pm). We shall be fast asleep by 8.30pm. Long haul tomorrow and I have checked out the shower facilities where we are tonight and have decided I won't bother. Will smooth the bed hair down in the morning with a wet brush, use deodorant and wait to see what facilities are like tomorrow!

[PanBiker]

Bit Spartan then Maz Sleep well.

[Tizer]

I heard on the news this morning that Britain's National Parks are having to install `poop bins' - not for dog poo but because people are pooping al fresco and leaving it lying around.