Good News.

Finally Peter has been taken on as a permanent staff member at the engineering firm where he works. For the last year he has been employed there through a job agency but now he has more security. They have already got him lined up to go on 4 training courses some of which are certificated, which will give him extra skills. Considering that he has made a complete career change at the age of 60 in an area of high unemployment at this time of recession he has done extremely well. I'm so proud of him especially taking into account his bouts of arthritis that can affect any of his joints. He's one determined chap.

I was chatting to Peter in his study when I became aware of some rustling noises coming from a box high up on a shelf. "That's my bat." says Peter fondly and sure enough there was a bat sized gap beside the chimney breast leading into the loft "I've seen it flying around the room." he added. "Hmm." I thought, "Bats don't crunch on dry bread." By the time I carefully lifted the box down the occupant had gone leaving behind droppings that looked suspiciously like mouse droppings. Some little creature thought it had found itself a warm, cat-free room with a supply of bread but now it will have to look elsewhere.

The weather has been variable today but in the morning I still went out and cut back some more plants without stopping for the frequent showers. I also spent part of the morning hanging out of an upstairs window squirting sealant into the gaps around the window frame. The gaps are bigger than I originally thought, hence the draughts, and I had to stock up on more tubes of sealant after work so that I can do all the windows on that side of the house and keep the place a bit warmer.

The afternoon was quite sunny but I had an extra afternoon's work at school. Afterwards I went over to Tescos and had a 'flu jab from the pharmacist there. Good value at £10 and I really did not even feel a scratch. You would have to pay your GP if you wanted a jab unless you are in an at risk group (over 65, asthmatic or other health issues). I always feel more at risk because schools are a breeding ground for germs and little children have such poor levels of hygiene. Now I should be protected from the main strain due this winter.

On my journey home I had to wait while Mr Lewis' cows walked from their field to the milking parlour.

Physio Session.

I left the hospital almost skipping with glee this morning after my first session with the physiotherapist. This is for a re-occurrence of an upper back/neck problem which gives me a painful arm and a numb finger. The guy I saw was very thorough (I had rejected the first physiotherapist I was offered on the advice of a colleague), and ended by giving me a satisfyingly painful massage across the back of the shoulder to help release the nerve. 2 more sessions booked for next week (all part of the free NHS service), and hopefully it will be sorted before long. As I was already in town I took my camera and left it at Jessops to be sent off for repair to deal with that spot that is in the middle of the picture. Luckily I took out an extended warranty last year as my camera travels with me most of the time. Instead I am using my baby Nikon, a Coolpix 2100 which I bought from eBay the last time my camera went in for repair. It has been very windy with some blustery showers so I decided to head out for a walk around Morte Point and maybe pick a few blackberries.
The coffee was made and my bag packed when a 'shower' turned into torrential rain including lots of hailstones followed shortly by another heavy shower. So I chickened out of my walk and pottered around at home instead cooking up some more apples and just tidying.

WWW.

It has been wet, windy and warm today so I was quite happy to be teaching for the whole day though it was a bit of an effort to get up before Peter. Normally I wait until he has gone before starting my day properly.
As I look through the window I can see the tree branches waving back and forth and hear the steady patter of the rain upon the conservatory roof.


Since coming home I have sorted more of Peter's clothes into storage boxes hoping that will encourage him to keep things a little tidier - stress on the word hoping. Next I shall cook up another big saucepan of apples. I have to freeze the puree in batches as I can only make one tray of apple leather at a time. I found some chopped nuts in the cupboard and they are really good sprinkled on the on the apple sauce before it goes in the warmer to dry. Needless to say I keep on having to snack on the fruit leather , well it is fruit so it must be good for me.

The weather conditions should be perfect for field mushrooms. I shall have to have a look around though I won't be going in Ron's fields as he has a group of noisy and feisty bullocks in there. One of them frequently comes down near the house, starts hooting and hollering and even paws at the ground with its head lowered so that clumps of soil fly up in the air. I think that qualifies as aggression.

No Socks ?

It's was dry but overcast in town and gently drizzling up here. This morning I was clearing a chest of drawers in our bedroom when I 'discovered' 21 pairs of Peter's socks. And this is the man who plaintively asks if I can buy some socks next time I am in Primark because he hasn't got any! Somehow the function of a chest of drawers seems to have passed him by and he prefers to leave his clothes in handy heaps on the floor. Admittedly he only had one drawer but I have managed to rehome all the other stuff, mostly in the bin. I find that large clear plastic boxes with lids are much better for storage and they also help to prevent things getting damp whereas wooden furniture tends to attract the damp.
When I got home from work it was to find some delivery men waiting with our replacement TV. After only 10 days use the plasma TV suddenly lost half the screen. Dixons agreed to replace it but it has been a bit of a trial co-ordinating delivery times. First they spent a week phoning up and asking for various numbers from the back of the screen. Then when it came to delivery, in spite of us saying there was no-one at home in the afternoons we were given a delivery slot of 10.30 - 2.30. I left a note on the door saying when I would be home and as they were running late anyway they only had to wait 10 mins for me. As I came down into the yard I could see they had Speedy in the front of their van. He is such an inquisitive cat and often jumps into cars if the doors are left open.

The men unpacked the new TV and set it all up so hopefully there should be no more problems. Now we can settle down on those winter's nights and watch Strictly in its full glory.

The cats know the warmest places in the house and Smudge is often found in this large pot by the Rayburn. (Don't worry, I only use this pot for boiling my t-towels and an occasional jam making session.)

End of the Indian Summer.

That's it, the good weather has gone. This afternoon at school the temperature suddenly dropped about 10C and it felt as if it was about to rain. Driving home the cars coming in from the hills had their lights on and sure enough, once I got up into the hills I found the clouds had dropped to road level and the wind had swung to the north-east. This morning the sun was still shining as I cut back the climbing rose and the honeysuckle on the side of the house. It was melt or be scratched to pieces so I chose melting and protected myself with heavy clothing. Every autumn I cut back the rose to a bare framework and each summer it grows up to the gutters and is covered with scented blooms. I still need to cut back the branches over the porch but as it was raining when I got home I just cleared up the last of the leaves and branches that I had cut in the morning.

A Perfect Day.

Another perfect day. In every sense of the word. It is our wedding anniversary today, 35 years! I noticed that last year I had put 38 years but we were married in 1976 so I must have been having a stressed out teacher moment. I was treated to roses, chocolates and a neat little bonsai tree from Peter. I couldn't have asked for anything nicer.
The day was so beautiful that while Peter went off rowing with the gig club, Vytas and I went for a long walk to Bull Point and around Morte Point. It's such a sociable thing to do, to go for a long walk and simply chat and admire the scenery. I really enjoyed having that time with Vytas.

Being early in the day there weren't so many people around. We saw the seal in the big gully but no sign of any pup yet.

Walking helped us to build up an appetite as Peter had booked a table at the Station Inn for our favourite carvery. For a couple who almost never eat out we have been there an inordinate number of times this summer but our youngsters have appreciated the good and plentiful food.
Before going in to eat we sat outside enjoying the sunshine.

I hadn't noticed the alpacas on previous visits, just the Gloucester Old Spot pigs but today there were 5 or 6 ranging from black to brown to white. The meal as usual was excellent and when we got home all Vytas and I could do was sit outside with a cup of tea and read our books.

Eventually we roused ourselves enough to do a few jobs. Vytas mowed all the grass and collected a big basket of windfalls for me and I cleared the gutters at the back of the house, again. After Vytas left for his long drive home I realised that it was the perfect opportunity to oil the garden furniture so I set to work with my little brush. Then tomorrow I can put the chairs away as the weather is set to break by the evening.

Vytas Returns.

22C this afternoon so who's complaining? Vytas came down this afternoon, to spend the week-end with his old mum and dad. It is good to see him especially as he was only here for a few days at the beginning of the summer. Living nearly 5 hours away means that we don't get to see him that often. After his long drive Vytas was keen to stretch his legs so we went for a walk up the hill and around the local tracks. Near the top of the drive we found evidence of badgers, a handy ditch under the fence to get into the field.
The countryside down to the sea was covered in a gentle heat haze. Earlier in the day I had driven to Ilfracombe and the traffic was noticeably heavier on the road that leads out to the beaches.

(There is an irritating spot appearing on many of my pictures. I have tried cleaning the outside of the lens to no avail so I think I will have to take the camera back to the shop. Luckily I took out an extended warranty as I take the camera with me nearly everywhere I go. )

At the top of Rookbear Lane there is a big pit, about 10ft deep, dug into a field. (Just the other side of the damaged gate in the picture above.) Romas had seen it before and wondered if someone was building a swimming pool but I think it is probably going to be a slurry pit. It also clearly shows what kind of soil/subsoil we have here. Stones and clay with only a thin layer of topsoil.

Earlier in the day Peter had helped me move my PC so that I could tidy up the carpet in that corner. Owing to the fact that originally there was a big stone bar built in this corner which we dismantled we had to cut and turn the corner of carpet and add extra at the edges to get reasonable cover. Today I used carpet tape to join the cut edges which had developed an unsightly gap. When it came to putting the furniture back I wanted to rethink the layout and this was made a necessity when the second small PC table fell apart when I tried to push it across the room. There was nothing on it and it is past repair so I had another think about the layout, Vytas helped me to move furniture around and now I have an even tidier computer area. That's 2 more jobs crossed off the sitting room list - nearly there.