Wednesday 24th April 2024

Still struggling with my head cold but this image cheered me up. It came from Julie, her group had done spiral dancing in the morning, in the afternoon they walked up to Hurley Beacon which isn't somewhere I know on the Quantocks. Looks a lovely walk up there on a lovely spring day. I'm too tired to write anymore, but glad Julie's having a good time.

 

Tuesday 23rd April 2024

 

And that is am, not pm. Last night I thought I had a sore throat developing. At 3.20 am when Gingernut woke me as is his want I definitely had a head cold. At 11am the Dream Doors team arrived to measure up the kitchen, but by the time they left I was coming down quickly, shivering and a thick head. Worse still there's hardly any food in the house so to feed a cold I had chips with baked beans. I thought while Julie is away at Halsway I could get a few jobs done. As it's turned out I lay on the sofa watching black and white movies before turning in at 8pm absolutely shattered. 

Monday 22nd April 2024

I knew Gingernut would feature regularly on this year blog. Tonight we had a bag of crisps and then watched Car S.O.S. a proper lads night in. The reason being Julie is at Halsway Manor on a Yoga and Mindfulness week. So for four nights us chaps have the house to ourselves. I've not got as far as wearing a teacosy on my head as most men do when left in a room on their own, but we got close. It was an interesting Car S.O.S. as they restored a Citroen HY van for a 19 year old who lost her mum in the Manchester Arena terrorism attack a few years ago. The poor girl looked traumatised and not sure about this reveal and restoration, which fits, as her grandmother said she's still suffering from the attack as one would expect after such a tragic event.

Sunday 21st April 2024

 

As you can see it has been a busy day gardening. Well for us humans at least. For Gingernut it has been a truly exhausting day sleeping. to be fair though, he dis wake up mid morning, walk over to the greenhouse, had a look at what I was doing and then curled up on top of the compost bin, asleep. Tonight as I relaxed after our gardening day he came into the conservatory, bagsied the best chair in the sun and collapsed. it is truly remarkable. However as a result of pottering about I noticed 'Thelma's' Lily of the Valley are just looking fabulous, not all in bloom yet, nothing is going over, simply that perfect state of emergence, fresh and green. The originals of these came from Thelma's garden in Dorset, and have been in this pot for years, though some have also escaped into the garden now. for a few short days each year they bring back lovely memories, memories now that are nearly a quarter of a century ago. 

Saturday 20th April 2024

 

The first of two trips to our favourite theatre today, the Watermill Theatre at Bagnor just outside of Newbury. Today we were there to see a very modern adaption of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. It was excellent, in fact I can't recall ever seeing anything here that was not brilliant. The stage and auditorium inside a converted Watermill is tiny, I think something like 150 seats,  but the cast they get here are so creative you forget the stage is six feet away. As it's about an hour and a half away we make a day of it, stopping at the Hungerford Garden Centre, then lunch at the Watermill before the performance. We left home at 9.30 and got back at 7pm. Really lovely day in the April sunshine.

Friday 19th April 2024

I wonder when it was that a hot chocolate could only be served with a fancy design on the top? The last time I was here the lady serving me tried to do a swan. Today it's more Fred Perry logo than avian illustration. What this doesn't show is it was raining, more fine mist but definitely raining. I was desperate for some fresh air over lunchtime and headed out for a wander just as the blue skies of the morning packed their bags and shuffled off. I didn't mind sitting in the drizzle, it gave people walking past something to talk about, and the drizzle only lasted ten minutes.

Thursday 18th April 2024

 There is a reluctant tolerance happening in this image. Gingernut, sunning himself on top of the compost bin doesn't link Treacle. Treacle is always in our garden avoiding being chased by Gingernut. There is a regular sparring going on but this morning in the warm sunshine they both just avoided contact. We do worry about Treacle, her home next door has two dogs and another cat. That fact is probably why she spends so much time in our garden. But she's always restless and fidgety which possibly explains why she's so thin. I like her and she sometimes sleeps on my chest. Sadly though Gingernut can not stand her. Not long after this was taken he chased her out of the garden.