Oh, What A Beautiful Morning!

Sunday. 5.25 p.m. Did you notice that many of the titles for my posts are taken from those of songs in musicals? This one comes from the opening number of the Rodgers and Hammerstein show, 'Oklahoma!' 

I bought The Sunday Times this morning. I went to Tesco Metro in Oldbrook Boulevard. I haven't had any Sunday papers for I don't know how long, well, at least in the traditional, print form. I have a digital subscription to The Daily Telegraph, so I can read it on their website and on the app on my iPad. I was shocked that The Sunday Times now costs £3.50, which shows how long ago I had it when it was probably less than £1, but maybe £2. 

There's an article which interested me, about the boom in television and filmmaking in the United Kingdom, and how there is a desperate need for more studio space because most of what's available, at, say Pinewood or Shepperton, is already booked solid by the likes of Disney and Netflix. The Hollywood studios seem to prefer to make their blockbusters, such as 'Star Wars' and 'Mission Impossible' in this country because we have some of the best facilities as well as the personnel to make them and also companies based here who create the special effects, provide the costumes, set-building, makeup and a whole host of associated creative material.

The Edinburgh Festival has just started. I am totally amazed that theatre companies, who appear there, now have to give a warning about anything that might offend audiences. How crazy is that? Are people so pathetic that they have to be warned if there's any mention of anything sexual, outrageous political matters, anything about gender, Britain's past, such as our empire, slavery, nationality or whatever? It seems people can become 'outrage about more or less anything. Also, there's an article in the 'Culture' section of The Sunday Times about Terry Gilliam, who happens to be one of my favourite film directors. He was the animator, as part of the 'Monty Python' comedy group.  I love the films he has directed, such as 'The Time Bandits', 'Brazil' and 'Baron Munchausen.' He was scheduled to direct a production of Stephen Sondheim's musical 'Into The Woods' at the Old Vic, but, due to his views on transgender and the     #met oo campaign, staff didn't want to work with him, so he has been 'cancelled.' It seems you can't have an opinion about anything unless it's someone else's opinion. He has taken the entire production to a theatre in Bath, where it is about to open. I am so hoping that this production might go on tour and come close to Milton Keynes, probably not to Milton Keynes Theatre, but possibly to the Royal Theatre in Northampton or the Oxford Playhouse.

Monday. 2.10 p.m. I have been experimenting with the animation app I bought from the Apple app store. I have spent around an hour this morning playing around with the set-up, using the piece of card I got in Hobbycraft the other morning and using the Rode device to clamp my iPhone to because you need to have your camera or phone steady before you can even think of any form of animation. I have now done a very short piece which runs for a mere 19 seconds, of a group of bits of Plasticine, and I'm rather pleased with the result. Now I will have to devise something a bit more imaginative and give that a go.

All In A Day's Work!

Wednesday. 6.30 a.m. It's another mild and pleasant morning. Alfie was ready and waiting for me to take him out, barking at me madly.

Yesterday evening I appeared to have got into something of a time-slip, or so it seemed. I fell asleep on my bed and woke up under the impression that it was morning. It's odd what your mind does to you when you're half asleep. Not so much sleep, just groggy. I got dressed and took Alfie out, and I was intrigued to know why there were children playing on Oldbrook Green. It wasn't until I got back inside that I realized it was 8.30 p.m. Not having my FitBit working and on my wrist, nor any sort of timepiece, it was difficult to know the correct time. Well, for all that, at least Alfie got an outing, even when he didn't want or need one.

I have found a great app on the Apple App Store for doing animation. I have paid for it, around £5 and you can do stop frame animation, a bit like Aardman, the Wallace and Gromit people. I now need some sort of rig to support my iPhone and have ordered a gadget on Amazon which does just that and also comes with a microphone for doing videos. I can't wait for it to arrive tomorrow so I can try it out. I have even done a test bit of animation, of one of my rubbers moving across the top of my coffee table. It worked!

Yesterday, one of the buttons came off my shorts. They are by Weird Fish, if you know the brand. Without a button in a strategic place, I'm reluctant to wear them, as you can imagine. I have sewing thread and needles, which I bought in John Lewis a few months ago when I had a similar incident with a pair of chinos. But could I remember when I put either of them? Having moved so much out of the kitchen so that renovations could take place, it's difficult to find anything much. I will eventually return a lot of the things to their rightful places in the new kitchen units, but as regards sewing things, forget it. I did find the needles and decided to go to Hobbycraft to attempt to find sewing thread. I also bought some card and some Plasticine, which I intend to use for the animation I mentioned. The card will become the background which I will construct and the Plasticine will be made into some sort of character which will be the star of the movie I will attempt to make. I bought a cafetière in Sainsbury's yesterday, along with some ground coffee. I love proper coffee and making it in either a filter coffee maker of cafetière is, to me, the best way to make it. I just needed an air-tight container to store it. So, on the way back from Hobbycraft I had intended to go into The Range to have a look and see if they had anything suitable, but when I got down as far as  Childs Way and had hoped to turn right onto the roundabout which leads into the retail park where The Range is situated, the road was coned off, conveniently blocking my exit and therefore preventing my getting to where I had wanted to go, so I changed course and ended up back at Sainsbury's and managed to get exactly what I was looking for regarding an airtight container for my ground coffee. 

On returning to Dexter House, I then intended to sew the loose button back on my shorts, but it was then that I discovered that the aforementioned button was broken, so when I attempted to attach it back to the shorts, it just came off. It then occurred to me that a pair of trousers I had in my wardrobe had conveniently got spare buttons sewn inside the lining, and on removing one of these buttons, it turned out to be exactly the right size to replace the one that had come off. I was then able to sew this spare button on, after some considerable effort, because the material where it was to be sewn, was quite thick, with several layers, but after some effort, the job was done

Virus Variant and Proof of The Pudding

There's supposed to be another variant of the coronavirus. Well, there would be, wouldn't there? There has to be. Just to make sure, we have yet another lockdown Christmas. Can't we just get used to it and be done with it? As Mr Jones the butcher says repeatedly in 'Dad's Army,' '"Don't panic!" It's all negatives. The media seems to love negatives. In fact, they seem to thrive on it.

Saturday. 9.15 p.m. Boris has been on doing his impersonation of being Prime Minister, telling us like good sheep that the omivirus (is that it's new name?) has arrived at the UK's shores, and we must keep on being told what to do etc. I mean, omicron. Why is this variant named after the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet?

I have managed to ice the Christmas cake I made. A layer of marzipan and then soft white icing. No sooner had I completed it than I had a parcel arrive with the decorations, and they are now on the cake! I have really got no idea how it tastes, and I can't wait to try it around Christmas day.

Monday. 10.25 a.m. A layer of snow covering the grass and other surfaces when I took out Alfie at around 7.20 this morning. It's not very thick, but still, it's still snow. Whether we get further remains to be seen. Very cold and I must remember to find my gloves as my hands were beginning to go blue, which is never a good sign.

Tuesday. 10.30 p.m. It's been a good deal milder today. I think Alfie appreciates it when it's warmer.

I went to Sainsbury's. Basically, to collect a repeat prescription from Lloyd's pharmacy. I have been attempting to get a doctor's appointment for the past two days. The cough is getting annoying and I really need something to relieve it. You ring and ring and only get a stupid recorded voice. I did attempt to leave a message for the receptionist, but then they emailed me to say I should ring to make an appointment. So much for our 'wonderful' NHS! What are they doing? Having extended tea breaks? More likely they are using the pandemic as an excuse to not do their jobs properly. I bought a bottle of Robitussin which I have started dosing myself with. It seems to be working. I just have to keep on taking it and hope it does its job.

I bought a sweet little Christmas tree in Sainsbury's. A real one, potted and ready to decorate. 

Wednesday. 6.40 a.m. Goodness! The 1st December. Where has the year gone? Gobbled up by covid, unfortunately. We have to wear face masks if we enter shops (which I had to in Sainsbury's yesterday morning. I thought I would get away without one, but the thought police were on duty so fortunately I had one in my coat pocket.

I have started to decorate the Christmas tree. Not only that, but I bought two sets of LED tree lights but ended up having to untangle them. Not an easy job. I went to Hobbycraft this morning and got some crêpe paper. Goodness, even that is made in China. I can't believe we can't make it in Britain, instead of having to import it from the other side of the world. Just think of the carbon emissions produced to transport it. Crazy! I then went into Pets At Home, which is further along the parade of units, and bought a small water bowl for Alfie which we can take with us when we go to Worcester for Christmas. Oh, and some treats, which will keep his nibs happy. I then walked along the parade to have a look in Smyth's toys. I have to say, I'm not impressed. Just a load of junk basically and plastic which will eventually end up in landfill. Nothing I would deem in any way suitable for either of the grandchildren. I'll just have to have a word with Chloe as to what she suggests. Something they can share, although I don't think that Rosie is exactly of the age to be able to share.

7.00 p.m. As I write this I can hear the wind howling around outside. Sounds somewhat mysterious and I almost expect Cathy to start knocking on the window to be let in, her out of 'Wuthering Heights.'

Thursday. 8.10 a.m. We were out at around around 7.30 a.m. this morning. There must have been a slight flurry of snow overnight, because the grass was covered in a light dusting of the white stuff. Alfie was soon beetling back indoors, having done his usual sniffing around act. I can hardly blame him as I'm not over-delighted with snow.

I made some mince pies to take to the final session of The Prayer Course this evening. It was mid-afternoon when this decision was made. I had all the ingredients, so I thought it would be a good dry run for making a far larger batch to take to Worcester. I was more than pleased with the result. The pastry was rich and crumbly, and I have to admit they tasted far better than bought mince pies. As they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and all seven were consumed at the Prayer course. So, I'm more than happy to make a larger batch, but may keep them baking a few minutes longer than I did this test batch.

As regards this new virus variant, I think the that term 'proof of the pudding is in the eating' can just as well be used in relation to the virus as well as mince pies. We are told that we have to wait around three weeks to discover how infections it is, and it will be well into January before we can return to anything close to 'normal.'

Lost Phone and More Rain

I had a phone call yesterday, Wednesday, But when I went to answer I could't find it. The landline phone is wireless and it has a base unit near the point where the line comes in and the handset sits in this unit. I usually return it to the base when a call ends, but for some reason it go separated, so when I went to answer I couldn't find the thing so the ringing came to an end. I hunted around  the lounge and the table where the unit sits and then realised that there was a button on the base unit which would find the handset if you pressed it, which I did and there was a 'peep' and the handset was discovered between the sofa and the armchair where I usually sit. So, panic over. No idea who it was who rang, but later I got a call from one of those computerised systems, saying it was BT and they were about to turn off my broadband. But, considering what happened a few weeks ago with my laptop being hacked, I doubt it was genuine. When they rang then and said they were from BT, no doubt this latest call was a scam of some sort, so I put the phone down very quickly.

The weather is as wet as ever. I just hope it improves soon. I want to go to the history festival in Campbell Park this weekend and if it continues to rain that's going to be washed out, unfortunately. Alfie didn't get his routine early-morning walk around Eaglestone Park. I'm not taking him out in pouring rain otherwise we're both going to come back soaked to the skin.

I've been to Sainsbury's this morning. They've moved everything around in there and it's annoying, to say the least. You get used to the layout and then on your next visit it's all been moved around. They know that the average shopper buys basics, such as milk, bread, potatoes, sugar, each shop and these are like points on a compass which you move between. They haven't been moved, I notice. In the personal care and pharmacy area everything is different. I just cannot find bath gel, how ever hard I look.

Friday morning. So, another week almost over. No sign that the rain is going to stop. I left off taking Alfie until I was sure it wasn't raining, or if it was, that it wasn't too heavy that we would get a soaking. After 7 o'clock I peered out of the bathroom window and couldn't see the stream that we usually get, running down the road in front of the house, so I made the decision to venture forth. Alfie is like a coiled spring, he doesn't relish being cooped up indoors.

The bird feeding station is suddenly alive with birds! As I write this and look out of the lounge window I can see at least 6 little birdies on it. I think they're some sort of tit, but not sure. Only problem is, a great fat pigeon insists on landing on the feeder and almost destroying the entire thing. It frightens off the birdies and then a loot of the food in one of the feeders gets knocked and the seeds fall out on the ground. I don't know how to prevent it coming and ruining things. I know what I'd like to do, but I don't think the neighbours would be happy. I might get a pea shooter and shoot it up the backside. Anyway, I took some photos of the birds on the feeder yesterday and uploaded them onto my Facebook profile if you want to have a look.

  

Birds on the bird feeding station

After some thought, I decided to upload a photograph onto this blog post, so here they are, tucking in to the grub in one of the feeders.

I've been out. I have to get flea and worming treatments for Alfie, so I drove over to the retail park at Rooksley. Pets At Home is one end of the parade of units and Smyth's Toys is the other. I walked the length of the parade, past Hobbycraft, one of Carol's favourite haunts as well as Next. A lady was arriving at the Costa's branch and she unlocked and then went inside, locking the door behind her. When I walked back past later I noticed a sign on the door, saying, 'closed due to technical problems, sorry for the inconvenience.' Don't ask me what the problem was, because I didn't know, but probably an electrical fault with some of the machinery they use, a fridge or one of the coffee machines. Not good for business, I'm certain. 

Pets At Home have a subscription service for the flea treatment, which means I will have the phial with the treatment in it delivered via post every month, which means I won't forget to treat Alfie every couple of months. Then I walked along the parade and went into Smyth's toy warehouse. Not actually a good idea, because I was surrounded by so many toys it was impossible to choose what I was after for grandson Eddie. I was after a bath toy, something for him to play with when he's having a bath. I couldn't resit many of the interactive toys, those that make a noise, dance around or otherwise have a button on them to get you to press and get the toy to dance, burp, sing, or make some sort of noise. Something that Alfie would love. So I fell for a  Grumble, which makes rude noises and does all sorts of strange things. If nothing else, it made me laugh, a d probably some other customers in the store!

Getting Colder?

There is a definite nip in the air. Considering how warm it got during the Great 2018 Heatwave, I'm not surprised that I now notice that it's getting colder in the morning, especially when I take Alfie out for his morning run in Eaglestone Park. I went out in a short-sleeved polo shirt when we went to Whipsnade, but considering how much colder it gets up there on Dunstable Downs I'm not surprised and had to eventually put on my jacket as I began to feel cold when we were looking at the penguins. We're now in the, sad to say it folks, what I would call without too much hesitation, the run-up to Christmas. We've already seen hints of the impending Festive Season, with bits and pieces in some shops, crafting things in one of the shops, I think The Range, the other day, and possibly The Works. Well, I suppose some people make their Christmas cards and decorations and need time to make them well in advance.

Having said it was cold, a couple of hours after I'd written the above paragraph, the sun is out and it's quite warm. Just typical for this time of year.

We went to Hobbycraft because Carol is looking for more crafting materials. I'm not over-keen on this vast warehouse of stuff. Over-priced. Carol bought a stamp and then we went to Sainsbury's. Ordered my repeat prescription and collected another repeated prescription. Later we went for a walk round Furzton Lake, somewhere we haven't visited in a long time, certainly not since our other dog, Poppy, died. It's somewhere that she'd quite happily love to swim, in the lake, although, having been on the Parks Trust website and on boards around the area of the lake, dogs are not supposed to swim in the lakes or other areas of water. Well, it would have been no use trying to stop her, because she'd have been in whether she was supposed to or not. Quite a long way round the lake and the park and we spent some time sitting on a bench and just enjoying the scenery and the warm weather. There were quite a lot of people walking, or cycling, around the lakes. It was especially nice to see families together, which makes a change that they weren't arguing or spending too much time on mobile phones.

A lot of children we saw at Whipsnade have those scooter-things, which I don't think are appropriate for use in such a place. They seem to be everywhere. Use them supervised (as most of them are there, with parents and other adults they were with somewhere around) but they could be dangerous and get run over by vehicles moving along the zoo roads, or collide with other zoo visitors on foot.) 

Potting, Wool, Coffee and Hospital

A really weird collection of different elements to today's activities. We've now managed to re-pot the Christmas tree and the fuchsia plant, a job we've been meaning to do for some time. The fuchsia was relatively easy, but the Christmas tree posed something of a problem. It wasn't until I removed it from the pot it came in that I discovered that it was actually in another one inside, which had to be cut, being made of tough plastic, with the loppers. The Christmas tree and the fuchsia were given good waterings and both seemed really relieved to get a good drink. Not surprising, considering how hot it's been over the past couple of days.

Carol has been busy with crochet so we went to Hobbycraft at Rooksley to buy some woo. We went into Costa, just a few doors along within Next and I had a tasty mango and passion fruit cooler whilst Carol had latte. I also had a cheese and chicken toast. When we sat down to have our drinks Carol was chatting to a lady at the next table who was knitting and made a comment regarding the balls of wool Carol had with her. Her friend turned up and it came out that she was a hairdresser. Carol mentioned that she was in need of having her hair cut and styled and the lady was a travelling hairdresser so Carol booked an appointment.

We were in actual fact wasting time; there was no point in going home because by the time we'd crossed Milton Keynes to get home, we'd only have to go out again to visit the hospital for Carol's blood test in the oncology department. We had a quick browse in Pets At Home, glancing at the rabbits, guinea pigs and other small animals they have in there in cages. It was after this that we drove towards the hospital. There was always the hope that, if we got there in good time, Carol would be seen earlier. But this didn't happen.

Fortunately we were able to park in the carpark near the cardiology department. There were actually few spaces but a car was coming out so we grabbed the opportunity and took their vacated space.

The oncology unit seemed busier than usual. The nurses seemed to be working harder than ever, probably due to staff shortages. We waited for a good twenty minutes past the time Carol had been booked for her blood test.

Later. At around 7 o'clock this evening we got a telephone call from one of the nurses in the oncology department to say that Carol's next chemotherapy cycle would have to be postponed yet again because she wasn't producing sufficient blood cells to fight of infection. So hopefully the next session will be next Monday (blood test) and Tuesday (Chemotherapy.) Getting somewhat frustrating, particularly as we're getting to the end of the 12 cycles of chemotherapy.

Sunny and Warm

Goodness gracious! What's this? The sun is out. It's really warm. The past few days have been dull and overcast. On Wednesday it was foggy early and we had rain.

Wednesday we had to be at the Oncology Suite at Milton Keynes Hospital because Carol had the  beginning of the eight chemotherapy cycle. She wasn't due there until midday so we had time to take things slowly which was pleasant, not having to get up too early. We drove over to Rooksley as Carol wanted to visit Hobbycraft as she wanted to buy some crafting materials. As we parked the car near the store and got out to walk down to the entrance, Carol shrieked as she had seen a large rat. I looked down into the flower bed and saw the tail of a large grey rat scuttling away. I've seen several rats in Milton Keynes and had Alfie, or little Yorkshire Terrier, had been with us I'm sure he would have known how to deal with it. They say that you're always no more than six feet from a rat wherever you are. I can well believe that, considering how untidy people are, dropping litter and food which only attracts them. Not a pleasant thought.

The oncology suite was busy when we arrived. Unfortunately the carpark at the rear of the hospital, where we usually park, was full so I had to drive back to the front of the hospital and park in the ground-level carpark and walk back to the oncology suite. There seemed to be a shortage of nursing staff in the unit and again there was no receptionist on the reception desk as there was a few days ago when Carol had her blood test. The nurses are on the go all the time we are there. They never stop. I can never praise them enough as they do an amazing job and always do their jobs efficiently and exceptionally.

We had to go back to the oncology suite on Friday at around 4 p.m. so that Carol could have the pump she has removed. All seems to be going well and she has another M.R.I. scan on Wednesday and then a consultant's appointment on Friday so we should know what the next stage of her treatment is going to be.

I recently bought a Kindle Fire tablet, the HD 10 inch model. Considering the price, it is a really good piece of kit. Carol bought one a couple of years ago and she has been pleased with it, although by now it might be considered somewhat out of date, as all computing equipment has a limited life, when they keep on up-grading the operating systems they run on. I have downloaded the official Scrabble app and played this game on my own, versus the computer, but now Carol has the app on her Kindle and we have managed to play a game or two using both our Kindles. This will be good as a way to pass the time the next time we go to the oncology suite.

As I write this, it's Saturday afternoon and looking out of the lounge window I can see the sun is shining. The trees at the back of the house, all along the Redway, are beginning to come out in leaf. There is plenty of almond blossom coming out all over Eaglestone estate. The bird-feeder is busy with a wide variety of birds visiting, but I'm not so sure I want squirrels eating the food which is really intended for them. We've had two competing squirrels on the thing, doing their usual acrobatics. I think I'm going to have to buy a baffle to go on the upright to deter them.

Eighth Chemotherapy Cycle

A rather cold and overcast day. Some slight rain.

On Saturday Carol had a scan appointment at the hospital. At first, when the letter came, we thought it was to be at the M.R.I. place she'd had an earlier scan at, called In Health, just behind Sainsbury's in Witan Gate. It was as well Carol queried the location, as she rang and was told that it was actually within the hospital campus. I think I had an idea where it was, as I'd walked past on several occasions when Carol had been on Ward 19. The appointment was on Saturday and it meant that her parents would be able to come with us. The appointment was at 2.20, but we got there in plenty of time. Well over an hour in total. She got a second letter, telling her that she'd been given yet another scan appointment, at the same place, for this Wednesday. She queried it, because if her chemotherapy cycle went according to plan, she would have the pump with her she would be given as part of the treatment and it would be possible to have she M.R.I. scan with it in situ. She was correct as it was to be re-booked for 18th April, during the week between chemo treatments and when she didn't have the pump.

On Sunday Carols mum and dad went back to Bournemouth. We went over to see them at the hotel in Newport Pagnall. By now the weather began to change. Rain, although not heavy. We'd had the best weather when we'd visited Waddesdon on Friday.

Today Carol had to be at the oncology suite for a blood test, at the beginning of the seventh chemotherapy cycle. As it was gone 10 when we arrived in the hospital campus, it was quite difficult to find a parking space, but there was one available, fortunately.

In the oncology suite it was clear that there was a shortage of staff, particularly the fact that there was no receptionist. We had to wait quite a while before Carol was signed in. One of the nurses had to do this, which meant she had to leave off another job elsewhere. Quite a lot of patients waiting, coming and going. Carol didn't get taken into the room for her blood test until well past 10.30.

We left and drove to Rooksley because Carol wanted to go to Hobbycraft. We had a look around but couldn't find what she was looking for. We went into Costa in Next and had lattes, really nice cheese and ham toasties and chocolate tiffin. I was ready for something to eat as I was hungry by this time. We then drove over to Westcroft to go into Morrison's, to buy something for our evening meal and for the next couple of days.

Under normal circumstances Carol would have had the bloodiest on a Friday and then have the chemotherapy begin on a Monday. We were expecting the seventh cycle to start tomorrow (Tuesday) but thankfully Carol checked her paperwork to learn that this cycle will begin on Wednesday, so it was as well the M.R.I. scan she had booked was rescheduled. We trust that the bloodtest will allow the seventh chemotherapy cycle to go ahead as planned.

Fine and Sunny, But Cold

We visited Hobbycraft at Rooksley on Thursday morning because Carol was looking for something to keep all her crocheting bits and pieces in. Even though it's a Thursday and early it was surprisingly busy. People going slightly potty because it's almost Christmas. We looked in Smyth's, which replaced the Comet warehouse which used to be in that unit until they went bust. We'd seen a special English Heritage edition of the boardgame Cluedo, which we rather fancied, but is currently out of stock. I don't think it will be sold anywhere else except in an English Heritage shop at their properties, and we haven't seen it on Amazon or in Toys R Us, but we had to look in Smyth's. Then we walked along to Hobbycraft but we couldn't find anything worth having for Carol's crochet bits and pieces but we bought a couple of large balls of wool, one of which she will turn into a scarf for myself. We went into Costa's, a few doors along and part of Next Home. We had Billionaire's hot chocolate. I had to queue for some time to get served and when I reached the till I was told that they had no cream to put in our drinks. I don't think the manager (I presume that was his role.) didn't seem amused when I asked for a reduction of the price considering they had no cream. It was nice, hot choc with a layer of caramel at the bottom of the glass, although a bit sickly-sweet. Nevertheless, it was nice to get out of the house. We wandered around the Next store, which was all household items, furniture and accessories and a lot of Christmas decorations.

We drove back home via Watling Street and then came down Chaffron Way. It's clear why this section of road was closed off on Sunday when I went to Shenley Christian Fellowship on Sunday morning, because there were sections which have been resurfaced. It would have been difficult to do any work with traffic moving through. 

Warm Weather

Well, it seems that summer has finally arrived. Yesterday was supposed to have been the warmest day of the year (so far) according to the weather forecast on BBC Breakfast this morning. It seems that it's likely to last for a few days more. I just hope it stays warm into next week as Carol is on Half Term and we're planning the usual days out, most likely visiting National Trust and H.H.A. properties (that's the Historic Houses Association.) We got new membership cards for both organisations and we want to explore some new places we haven't been to before.

Gary (our neighbour) came round yesterday evening. He had to nail a piece of timber onto the fence on our side. I'm not entirely sure what it was for, so I must go and have a look. Apparently the sections of what we imagined was another shed turns out to be a summerhouse, although we can't see where on earth it's going to fit in their garden as it's about the same size as ours so by the time it's constructed they'll have very little space left. He came to collect the loppers he lent me some while ago which I used to cut back the annoying branches which grow along the fence. Actually the same trees (for want of a better word) have come back so I'll have to have another go at cutting them with loppers I have since bought from B and Q. Gary has now managed to cut back the brambles from the roof of the shed. Carol was concerned that he was going to stand on the roof of the shed to do this work, but it wouldn't have been a good idea because the shed is in a very poor state of repair and I doubt it would take his weight. 

I have managed to cut the grass. I did around half of it yesterday morning as it was sunny and finished it off early this morning. Done well before 8 o'clock. I didn't want to spend any time next week mowing so that is why I did it this week.

Carol is doing visits to the pupils on work experience. I occasionally go with her. I can't believe it's a year ago since she was visiting pupils doing their out-of-school placements. There's one she has to visit this afternoon at Hobbycraft, which is across the city at Rooksley.

Alfie doesn't particularly like it when it's hot. He can never find a spot which is cool enough for him to lay down. I'm glad we had him clipped last week. He keeps moving around the house to find the coolest spot. I'm really glad I finished mowing the grass when I did because now it's far too hot (10.15 a.m.) .

Some confusion when we drove to Tesco in Oldbrook Boulevarde earlier this morning. There were traffic cones blocking off part of the road going towards Four Bridges Roundabout near Eaglestone and Saxon Street going into the city centre was closed. Lots of workmen in those luminous orange high-visability jackets and a large digital screen with the words 'Closed for 2 Days' on it. It would appear that the road surface along that stretch of Saxon Street is being re-surfaced. I can't say I'm annoyed that we had to take a detour to avoid this work, as the road surface has become really bad with potholes the entire length. I'm wondering which section will be next for the work.

Rubbish Left After 'Electric Daisy' Carnival'

On our way back from our outing to Whispnade we went over to Hobbycraft at Rooksley as Carol wanted to buy a magazine on dolls houses. We looked all over the place within the store and could find nothing regarding the model-making of dollhouses. They have recently up-graded the store, which we visit regularly, and the layout has changed considerably. We could have purchased a magazine about dolls houses in W.H.Smith in the central shopping centre, but it was easier to park outside the store in the retail park rather than going into central Milton Keynes. We found the racks which contained magazines on a variety of hobbyist topics and there was a dolls house magazine, but not actually the one Carol had wanted. We had to queue up at the tills to pay and when we got there and asked the cashier where the dolls house bits and pieces were she told us that they were no longer available in any Hobbycraft store due to the fact that people stole the stuff. They were available, though, through their website. She even said that, it might be that Hobbycraft might close it's bricks-and-mortar stores and only have an on-line presence. Sad if that's the case. It would be awful if traditional stores were to disappear altogether, even though internet shopping is more convenient and easier. The only problem is having to wait for your order to arrive and the possibility of fraud.

We drove back home via Watling Street and then along Chaffron Way and past the National Bowl. We were absolutely horrified by the amount of litter all along the verges and on the side of the grid roads around the bowl, presumably left by the crowds who had attended the Electric Daisy Carnival  concert yesterday. It seems some people have absolutely no thought as regards their care for the environment or the fact that merely dropping their litter is just downright untidy and that someone is going to have to go and pick it up. If the promoters of such events cannot clear up after their concerts then they shouldn't be allowed to put on such events or else employ people to clear up the mess.