Sunny.

Borthbados today. Just listening to the news and hearing that the govt held a COBRA meeting to prepare the heatwave at the beginning of the week. (Oh what a surprise, Boris wasn't there but is at Chequers preparing for a leaving do.) The first ever red alert for heat has been issued for some cities possibly 41C, 3 degrees higher than the previous record, and amber alerts for most of the rest of the country. Also hearing of wildfires in France and Spain. That's not good.

This was the view at 6.00 this morning. I got up, fed the cat, took my pills and went back to sleep for a couple of hours.

After breakfast we finally went for a walk. Mind you it was only along the beach. Peter reckons we walked for two and half miles each way while my calculation was under two (we both measured on the map but disagreed exactly where we got to). I suggested Peter put one of those distance apps on his phone but he baulked when it asked him to register. 

This was our turnaround point where we stopped for a coffee and a biscuit. There were marker ropes and signs asking people to stay off the shingle as the ringed plovers are nesting in the stones. We stayed below the tide line where there wouldn't be any nests.

They're very hard to spot (centre of the photos above and below) until they move.

Some of the walk was on the sand while at other times we had to walk over the stones which is a good test for our knees and ankles. Usually I stomp along in my wellies but today I wore my walking boots to give my feet some proper support. Ended up with two blisters on one toe so now I know where to put plasters when I wear my boots again.

We came across a few mackrel fry thrown up on the beach. This is what has been attracting all those hundreds of sea birds.

When we got home I got the parasol out of the garage so that I could give it a good clean. It's been stored in this and our last garage for over five years so was rather dusty and had wood shavings and spiders' webs inside. I hoovered and washed it and now it's open over the garden table on the terrace. Having a bucket of soapy water to hand I just had to wipe down all the skirting boards indoors. They look nice now and I'm sure if I put my mind to it I could keep the place spotless and shiny all the time. But why? I've got better things to do with my time. Even if it's just watching the boats in the bay.

I had a bit of a disaster as I hung out the washing, the line broke with all the washing still on it. Fortunately it wasn't sheets and things but a dark wash so I didn't mind if socks and shorts sat on the concrete path for a while. The line had broken where it was stretched over a mediun sized hook in the garage wall and I was able to make a new loop and hook it over again. I really need to put up a thicker hook or loop. After all that I decided not to bother cleaning the paint spots from the windows and doors at the front but sat in a sunlounger instead. I've done my Welsh and now the blog so the evening is free. We might even eat supper outside though Peter isn't keen on the people walking past at the end of the garden.