Warmer.

We've had quite variable weather today. Although it started off damp by the time I went for a quick stroll to take photos before leaving for school the sun was trying to break through the clouds and it felt very warm. The birdsong was echoing through the valley and when I walked up to the pond the splashes and widening ripples were evidence of the frogs beginning to be active.

At school it started to rain lightly as I took my class outside for the afternoon playtime and came down heavily as I brought my class in. We had been the only class outside for the playtime as teachers may chose whether to carry on working, have a wet/ indoor playtime or go outside. As our PE lesson had mainly been fairly static balances and afterwards the children had done some more phonics and then songs on the carpet I knew they needed a good run around. After school, being one of the fortunate ones not needing to stay in school for the first of 2 3-hour first aid sessions I planned to get away fairly quickly. I offered a lift to one of my friends who usually walks home through town as by this time the rain was torrential  and my friend has been working all week with laryngitis. We didn't get away as quickly as we hoped because my car was blocked in by the head teacher's car due to someone parking in her space. Unfortunately she was on the phone, a very long conversation. The school administrator let her know the situation and eventually she came and handed her keys to me while she was still on the phone. I handed over the keys to my friend as I'm not very good with cars and didn't wasn't the responsibility of moving the head teacher's shiny new car. The rain had stopped and we missed the traffic that sometimes builds up in town at that time. After dropping off my friend in Newport I stopped at the Lidl's on that side of town. It was strange walking in there because it's recently been refurbished. Lidl's has always been very basic, not quite the warehouse style of Brian Ford's but no frills. Now things have been moved around and the shelving and fridge cabinets upgraded. It took a little longer to find the things I needed but as do doubt the other Lidl's will be exactly the same it shouldn't take me long to get used to the new layout.