Join me on my trips

 Not sure if this is early or late. Some pictures of the lakes around here. Near my personal trainer. Where I heard the cuckoo. Horcott lakes just up the road in Fairford. There was a fishing competition on and this guy caught a 26 lb carp but put it back into the water until the official photographer arrived.

 Friday 10th May and here is the forecast. Roger and my wedding anniversary. Lisa and Tom remember it well. Missed all the northern lights last night but caught this duck on the tree this morning. And tomorrow is Helen and Rob's 12th Wedding Anniversary. Early morning Thames Water gave us our own traffic light for a few days! Heard a cuckoo down at the water park on the14th - they have become quite scarce. We now know from tree rings that last year was the hottest for over 1000 years, though not the driest here for sure - in fact it wasn't even that hot here last year, nor even in Saudi in November.

 A busy weekend - though these days being busy has developed rather different conotations. Being too busy is a bit show off and is a sort of status symbol for those who think that way on the other hand not being busy enough is negative. Slow time is now considered best for our mental health. Otis had something called slap cheek, a disease I had never heard of but apparently common Parvo virus which is cold like with red cheeks. Goodness how many times do little children have red cheeks with a cold? Especially when we lived in the Free State and no one ever mentioned that it was an illness and contagious! Anyway he was most helpful decorating all the cakes. Well after a wet week on my birthday on Saturday 4th it was glorious warm sunny weather all day. Here is the annual photo of the kids, for once all looking happy  which is not easy to achieve though I think that Sophie was doing antics to encourage this.  Lisa took one of the photos and the other was taken by Rob but portrait was on

 It's still chilly — lots of reasons given including high pressure in the wrong place, northerly winds, etc and of course climate change.  Have started with the PT — that stands for personal trainer. Aim is to be able to sit on the floor and to get up in an elegant manner and also just walk up and down stairs without having to hold on to the rail. What an achievement that would be.  Renewing passport as a new law came in where if your passport is valid for more than 10 years you will be rejected when trying to go to Europe - mine is so that's a job to do. I don't feel that I have enough to do and as the children all get older they need me less too. I mean the grandchildren as the children havent needed me for years really except perhaps for a bit of £. Helen got me to do a bit of research for the local woman who is standing for the Labour Party and in doing so I trawled through information for little villages in the area. Most have a population of around 200 of which over h

This is also Carol and Roberts Wedding anniversary I think 50 or maybe 49 and was Granny and Grandpas too. Sunshine but chilly wind so heating still on but oil prices will go up because of Iran Israel conflict.  I had forgotten about the yellow iris which look nice. The fence makes a great pattern on the patio. Wondering where to travel next. Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, Madagascar though you need a guide same as Namibia if you want to go to Etosha, maybe Eastern Canada and to Great Lakes? A trip down the Danube and then travel onwards on my own might be OK but  like to see the Namaqualand flowers next year in September.

Contacted a personal trainer. Done my ISA. Booked yet another COVID. Need to order oil. Filling up the diary with appointments like lunches with friends. Thinking about food for Bridge party - gardeners on to it. Done a couple of paintings. Both of Texel. Here are the water colours done at the time. Hortus Botanicus, Leiden. Keukenhof. Pretty poor pic of Zandvoort Texel in watercolour and pastel. South Friesland. Giethoorn. Bad Zwesenharn in Germany. Throughout you can see the rubbish weather

Left our farmhouse early. Some pics thereof.