Windy.

Today has been windy and apart from once when a cloud released a few drops of rain, dry. A good drying day.

Before going down to the zoo I painted lots of wood hardener on the rotten soft parts of the wooden garage window frames. 

I spent a happy four hours weeding at the zoo, still plenty more to do next week. At one point another volunteer asked for some help in opening the gate to the giant tortoise run and bit later he couldn't move the bolt to the tortoise house. Hopefully he now knows that when bolts wont open first try lifting the gate (that worked for the gate) and if that doesn't work jiggling usually does (and did). While I was there I hand fed some cabbage to one of the tortoises which was outside. It was interesting to note just how strong their bite is (on the cabbage not me). It was making a kind of huffing noise, a bit off-putting as I didn't know if that was an angry or a happy sound. 

Once I got home I had time to take a break for an hour before going off to Pilates. It was a good session. I was a bit worried about my shoulder but that was okay. Peter is out at a meeting so I'm going to watch 70 Up which he wasn't interested in. 

Now for a few more snippets from St Ives.

This is Barnoon Hill which is on the route I took into St Ives having misheard the Satnav. I had offered to drive the last bit as Peter gets stressed in narrow streets especially when there are people wandering all over the road. Faced with this view I was pretty stressed too and yes the way got even narrower at the bottom. I drove very slowly in first gear and breathed out a big sigh of relief as I turned onto a slightly wider road. 

(Above) That's the view looking up from the bottom of the hill.

Naturally I made sure to check out the three charity shops. This one was a vintage charity shop and looked more like an Aladdin's cave. There were small signs on the shelves saying Yes we are a charity shop, as it really didn't look like one. I believe it is for the local hospice. I bought Peter a pack of vintage playing cards as he finds modern cards difficult to shuffle. The old ones slide between each other much more easily.

Finally, this is Seal Cottage which could have been my home had my mother wished. Mrs Sanders was a good friend to my mother and when she left the cottage to the St Ives Arts Society to be lived in by artists she stipulated that my mother had first refusal. But by that time we had moved to London and my mother turned down the offer.

The other side of the cottage sits on Porthmeor with a handy door onto the sand. I can remember sitting at that window being taught to play solitaire on a wooden board with marbles. Mrs Sanders also left me her piano and I had that piano for over 30 years until we moved out of London.