Visitors

We've had a busy weekend with plenty of visitors starting on Friday with Evie and Amelia here for a sleepover. They were joined the following day by Charlotte and Callum up from Plymouth with their lovely son who is just over 1, Jacob. It was such a lovely weekend with them, including a chilly walk round Martins Farm, a couple of hours by the woodburner and more people dropping in with Joe and Kate arriving for tea, along with Bridie and Joseph. 

We were in bed by 10.30 but the children got another couple of hours of fun with a midnight feast starting well before then but lasting past the witching hour.

Jacob got to be entertained by several excited children and was just a little smiler throughout.

Digging Bournemouth

It was another lovely day, aside from just a few minutes of showery rain around midday. After a morning walk, I did my porridge using the thick oats for the first time and I wasn't that keen to be honest and will try them with less milk and water tomorrow.

Juno was soon out again, this time for a 2 mile plus walk across Clump Hill, a different path for us and one which had a fence between two fields which I had to lft Juno over. I won't be taking that route again. 

After popping into Morrisons for a few things I was off in the motorhome to Joe and Kate's where I spent some time digging another part of the garden. They have seeded the last patch I did a few weeks ago and will be doing that to the newly dug part as soon as they can. There's quite a bit more to do but it is nice to have the time now. From there I went with Kate to collect Evie and Amelia from school before bringing them back to ours for a sleepover and the chance to see our Plymouth visitors tomorrow.

It’s a beautiful day

A complete contrast with the recent mornings walking in the rain, as Juno and I set out at 6.15 in the dry and it was most definitely much more enjoyable than trudging with hood up and face to floor avoiding the worst of the squalls.

After breakfast I walked across the golf course down to Verwood for a dental appointment at 9.00 which was all perfectly routine, very welcome after the pain of early summer when I was in agony but with no apparent cause. I listened to Brave New World on Audible as I walked and plugged myself back in after the dentist and walked to Joy's to meet up with Alison and to collect the car whilst she went off to do some Christmas shopping with Bridie. 

My task at Joy's was to cut the grass on the front lawn which was also covered in leaves from the apple trees and magnolia. The photo shows it looking pretty good afterwards with the sun coming round to warm the garden. I also got a list made of future tasks which include mending the side gate, digging over the veg plot, pruning back the pyrcanthus and laurel, clearing the moss from the path and patio and weeding the front drive. That ought to be enough to be getting on with although I also have some inside jobs like cleaning up the garden tools e.g. lawnmower, clippers and so on.

It was then time for a drive to Morrisons for the weekly grocery shop. We are buying a lot more own brand goods and they seem fine so far. However, just bought a small ketchup which is a big change from the usual Heinz. It is cheaper of course but will it be the same? I doubt it but we will see. We are not going to try changing from Heinz baked beans though. Every time I have had a different version of those they have been horrible. 

I got Juno out again before lunch and then took off for Wimborne to collect Maria from school ahead of dance. I finished reading My Name is Lucy Barton as I waited, book number 47 for the year.

Turned out wet again

There has been so much rain lately the small river that trickles along in our local woods has become something of a torrent. I managed to grab a walk in there during the morning but the other walks were in pouring rain, including the early morning excursion in the dark. It was not something that got me jumping out of bed by any means and Juno was exactly the same.

I took down the bird nest boxes for their annual clean and was pleased to see that three of the six chambers had been used during the summer, two from the front garden box and one from the rear. In all cases it was house sparrows who used the spaces and there are certainly plenty of them around feeding everyday. It would be safe to assume some of them must have been our babies, surely.

Wet weather day

It wasn't the best start to the day with an absolute torrent of rain greeting Juno and I for our walk at 6 this morning. We managed just under a mile by the time we got back but without too much damage from my point of view. Poor Juno was soaked. 

With it being such a filthy day I did little except about the house with replacing the mastik in the kitchen for the kickerboards and cooking. Most of my time was spent looking out the old CDs which we burnt photos and videos on and adding them to an old digital photo frame and watching them back with Glen, Alison and Maria. Maria was especially pleased to see so many videos of  her dancing and singing at such a young age. It was lovely seeing the photos from Paris and Rome and Guernsey plus the many old ones from multiple visits to the Hebrides.

We still managed a further two dog walks in between downpours and successfully dodged any more showers.

Recovery day

Despite the busy weekend, I was up for the dog walk by 6.15 and took in a 1.5 miles before settling down to a quiet day. It is a privilege to be able to make that choice and I remain incredibly grateful that I have been afforded that opportunity.

The birds were pleased to see the feeders filled once again and they are as busy as ever with so many goldfinches and blue tits amongst them. I got a shave and cut my hair before heading back out with Juno for our longer walk, this time over 4 miles in lovely sunshine. I had BBC sounds for company, In Our Time and Desert Island Discs, and we managed a walk with few others around.

Lunchtime gave me a chance to catch up with Glen who got himself some waffles and then headed off to the gym.

I did a Sunday dinner for tea with another dog walk in between, and the food was well received which was nice.

Maria is doing her homework and has got into a great routine with a couple of hours a night when not dancing. Even better, she learnt she'd achived 90%, a platinum, in her latest dance exam, this time for modern jazz. She is doing so well and lovely to see her getting her reward.

Anfield- Liverpool 3 Southampton 1

That was a weekend to remember. Up by 4.30 on Saturday morning, my train to Gloucester was at just after 6 from Salisbury and I needed to drive and park up before settling down for a couple of hours and then meeting with Paul and Lewis. Paul was kindly driving to Liverpool and had sorted out some accommodation for us too which meant I could relax a bit.

The trip went very smoothly with just the odd hiccup, the first of which was taking the turning before ours off a roundabout which gave us the opportunity to experience the glories of the Mersey Tunnel, twice as we had to get back on the other side of the river to find the correct location. It then turned out we had the wrong post code and were about two miles from our proper destination. However, we did that easily enough and then found parking easily, very close to the ground and and not far from the digs.

Thereafter it was just brilliant, the ground at the end of the road, great pubs and lots of people getting ready for the game, the atmosphere building. To be under the gates to Anfield, to see the photos of the players, to walk out from the stadium concourse under the seating and into the stadium proper, all were magical moments.

We had barely started before Bobby Firmino had scored and we got to sing his song and although Saints equalised, Darwin Nunez scored twice before half time to make the result a comfortable one. We got to see all three goals right in front of us, got to sing You'll Never Walk Alone at the end of the game and all in glorious sunshine.

The long day did catch up with us and we had an early night after a few more drinks, the long drive and train journey ahead. Having got a direct train to Gloucester, the return was a 4 change marathon but I ended up leaving the others at Bristol instead and only had two changes, home just after 4 in the evening, in time for Juno's walk. 

It's too warm for November.

We were awake even earlier than usual for some reason and I was out with Juno just after 6am for a very dark walk, at least at the start. By the time we were home the light was coming through, a dull day but dry. The allotments are essentially up together now and just need maintenance through the winter but there is no need for me to plan regular visits. With Joy's hedges done and the lawns cut, the same is true of that commitment, just the regular trips down to do little jobs. That means my days are going to be nice and clear in general and I'll be out with Juno a lot as the days shorten and we arrive at the Christmas holidays.

Having done the household chores, Juno and I did a woodland walk to Remedy Oak and back via the village green. It was still overcast but by lunchtime the sun was out and I took the opportunity to cut the grass, rake a few leaves and chop some kindling, as well as sawing up some of the recently pruned apple tree branches. It was so nice I sat outside for a while and watched the goldfinches, the sun warm and inviting a bee to be about collecting nectar. That doesn't feel quite right for the middle part of the month and I took in the fact we have so many plants in flower. The winter jasmine obviously does well at this time, the fuschias too but the others ought to have given up by now, surely?

Digging the autumn

Main on the plan for the day was a trip to the allotment in Wimborne but before that I had the usual early morning dog walk in the dry for the second morning in a row with time to stop and enjoy the mass of rooks and jackdaws leaving their roost just after 6.30. Then it was breakfast with the children until the buses at 7.15 and 7.35 and a few minutes before feeding the birds and getting the bike out for a ride to Verwood where I got my flu vaccine at 8.45.

From there I popped over the Morrisons and then home for another walk with Juno, this time into the woods for 2.5 miles, a muddy old tramp through the damp paths deep with leaves.

I got a flask of coffee ready and took off in the motorhome for Wimborne but stopped to buy a few more garlic bulbs for planting at West Moors next week. I was greeted by the tool store having been blown over and the new frame for the seed trays under cover having also been blown over. It's happened both times I have visited recently and it is obviously too flimsy for the outdside world, hence packing into the motorhome for a trip back to Woodlands where it might survive more readily.

There was plenty of weeding to do with the ground still warm but also soft enough to make it easy enough. I have cleared most of the beds now and have enjoyed seeing the onions and garlic emerging in the bed nearest the compost heap. There are lots of greens still productive and they'll keep going until the spring. 

There was time to walk another 1.5 miles whilst waiting to collect Maria ahead of her dance lesson this evening and then tea with Joseph and his friend Charlie, over for a play before both were collected for home by their mothers.

Glen in Scotland

It's been a little while since I last updated the blog and the best photos to upload are those Glen took whilst in Scotland with Harry and Rag. They had a great time, especially in Ullapool where they danced and sang and drank in several of the local pubs. There was time for them to climb Ben Nevis too and Rag looks to have enjoyed the views.

More usually Glen is back at work and popped in at lunchtime for a little food and a catch up before heading to the gym. Bridie dropped Joseph off before school and he caught the bus from here where he is also having a sleepover tonight. Maria has no dance this evening but she has been following her study timetable conscientiously with a couple of hours of homework and revision a night, dance permitting.

Alison was at work and is there permanently for now, three mornings from 8.30 - 12.00 and an hour on Tuesday from 8.30. Thursday is completely free. 

That left me out with the dog at 6.15 but without any rain for the first morning in quite some time. We did just under two miles before breakfast and then housework, prepping the food for tea and another walk, this time at Remedy Oak with a diversion to the village hall where I put up posters advertising Harry's pilates classes which will be running from later this month. I am now listening to Ian Rankin's latest Rebus novel. 

Once home, I was off on the bike to Verwood where I did more of the hedge, this time round the back, before cutting the grass for the last time this year. It all looks neat and tidy now and was certainly made easier with the new ladder. I got some shopping from Morrisons as I rode home and then did a litter pick before a bit of a rest ahead of the children coming home.

Tomorrow should be an allotment day and then perhaps Joe's on Friday to do a bit more gardening there.