Turn on the dark

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July prev« »next

The World Cup continues and we follow our nation through the rounds. While also enjoying thespecial matches as the underdogs defy the odds and perform heroically - nice.

We manage to pick a rainy week to visit Scotland while the rest of the island fries Inthe high temperatures. We enjoyed a lovley few days beside a Loch in Spa hotel. We walk, ate, took photos and enjoyed the scenery. We also ventured into the pool, Steam Room and Salt Room.

We install a blackout blind in the bedroom and it is really dark now.

It's over, finally. Well done Spain, now just three weeks to some normal football.

There was briefly a chance of rain but no. Month ends with high temperatures again.

June prev« »next

And the second more difficult fence post repair spur is done - yeah!

The hot temperatures mean the morning walk is scheduled for earlier in the day. temperaturesof over 33^o C are not welcome by me. Reduces my physical activity. Modern British houses are great for keeping the heat in but lousy at keeping it out. It gets so hot our outside Tai Chi is cancelled.

A walk up the valley to tour a winery was a very pleasant way to spend a few hours. We enjoyed the wine, in various flavours and types, a tasty picnic and an insightful tour. We did need to stop at a roadside van for some tea and coffee as we walked home afterwards, lovely.

The World Cup starts with an overdose of football in the late and very early hours for us. Mostly enjoyed via highlights the following morning while we have our tea and coffee in bed.

We move the nature cam around to work out the hedgehogs route into the garden. Earlier we found a dead one and also spotted three simultaneously on the camera; we think the bigger older one died.

Winery

May prev« »next

We go to a garden centre. Yeah, I know, no biggie, even if you consider it was an weekday afternoon but it's nice to do even if most others there are older than you. We still enjoyed a wander round and a drink with cake.

We visited the local Wap, an old English village affair followed by a fair.

The whole family enjoyed a trip to the local Ten Pin Bowling alley for some real life bowling. Not surprisingly didn't score as well as on the Wii. The balls are heavier.

Our Friday pub has reopened after a bit of a spruce up. Food still excellent.

As the footy season ends we get a heatwave. It brings everyone out.

Bowling Fun

April prev« »next

Oo, it gets hot for spring. Our Tai Chi moves outside. Claire and I try some badminton.

The seniors visit The Netherlands - Keukenhof and Delft in particular. Both beautiful in very Dutch ways. We go back to pub we also acquanited last year and enjoyed an Amsterdam platter with some lovely Dutch treats.

Weston-super-Mare provides a lovely sunny day out. We visit tier 6 Optima Stadium for thelast match of the regular season. Somerset means cider but we stick to tea and coffee plus some food. The two stands fill out butwe choose the open air and leaning on rail next to the side of the picth.

March prev« »next

Illness returns to dampen activity this month for us. We manage a few lovely outings including a visit to The Meadow, a local pub and a nice canal walk.

We really drop on when Elziabeth treated us all to a special visit to Vale Park and we witnessed the great FA Cup victory over Sunderland - all round epic! A brilliant day, lovely hospitality and topped off with the wonderful football!

The local park is a bit of a boggy mire in places thanks to all the recent rain. Only drying out towards the end of the month and the first hints of spring appear. We've lost all the swans and most of the ducks too.

The month ends with a return to average weather which means it has turned colder. We enjoy a few quiet days and bird watching as we start filling the bird feeders again.

We walk down the valley to watch another local lower league game. A lovely friendly venue and we watch te match from their singular small stand.

Vale Park Joy

February prev« »next

Rain, rain, go away! And flu/covid pls!

Brief respites allow some small excursions. I visit one of the very local tier 10 football teams. I joined a crowd of 89. I also visit a charity art exhibition. It's always difficult to judge how quickly to get back to normal levels of activity.

And the seniors start some Tai Chi - nice.

In the final week we manage a trip to an excellent local pub for friday lunch, lovely; finally feeling just about fixed.

And end the month of rain cutting myself on my new cheese knife. Also cleaned out the bird feeder and little more tree pruning. One of the renters down the road moves out and next door trampolining is heard in the morning.

Elizabeth makes great progress updating the scrapbooks she's been collating over the years.

January prev« »next

Oh, snow, maybe, rain probably! The weather is so random with a wet bias.

We get rain, wind, frost and slight snow. None of it consistent and some threatening to cause official warning levels being triggered.

Not encouraging to you to go far but I manage the daily walks okay. We seem to have lost one of the three swans from our local park pond. We did get a dusting of snow and some cold; nothing exciting so far.

The month ends with a nasty cold/flu/covid thing impacting the seniors. I'm second so briefly play at being the nursemaid but soon I'm down too.

I walk to see my first tier 10 footy game at a local town side. The food stand provieded a lovely bacon sandwich and tea. They sponsor the ground.

Swans on ice covered pond