What a Lovely Day!

Unexpectedly, against the predictions of the meteorologists, yesterday was a beautiful summer's day. The sun shone, the sky was blue, there was no wind to speak of - the type of weather one expects in August, but which has sadly been elusive up till now.

Too late to plan a proper outing, but after I had dug a pair of shorts out from the 'to be ironed' heap where they had languished since before I broke my wrist Ty and I went to Churchtown for the afternoon. The tide was coming in fast and the current was very strong in the river. Ty had a very good swim, while I watched a couple of small inflatables making negative progress paddling down river towards Wearde. More by luck than judgment, I think, they got out of the main channel eventually, otherwise they'd have been in danger of spending the night in the Dandy Hole.

When we climbed back up from the shore Ty found a lovely toy; a rubber ring, but with a woolly coating like a tennis ball. We played with this all the way back to the road. I took it off him and carried it along the road and the bridle path, but as soon as we reached the playing field (last grass before home) he insisted on my throwing it again for him. Twice. The third time I threw it he just sat and looked at it. When he was sure I was going to pick it up, off he trotted homewards down the hill.

This was the third toy he had found in as many days. The first was a tennis ball up a tree at Latchbrook, but he lost that again by knocking it over a fence into some nettles. Despite his clear entreaties that I should rescue it for him it had to stay there, sadly. The next day, Friday, we were walking home from the library past the tennis courts when suddenly he had a brand new ball in his mouth! Nobody seemed to be looking for it, so it went in my shopping bag...

When we got home there was a note on top of my computer keyboard informing me that we were being taken out for a meal by Ron's brother and his wife. And a message on the phone saying the same thing, just in case I missed the note.

We went to a pub/restaurant which is only about five minutes' drive from home, but which I had never before set foot in. The food was good and the evening very pleasant. I took Claire's eating implement with me, but didn't have to use it; I was able to cut up my Cajun Chicken with a normal knife and fork, although I have to hold the knife a little awkwardly. In fact, I am finding that I am doing more and more each day and was feeling quite pleased with myself until Steph said how 'horrible' my poor arm looked! I suppose it does, but not to me. To me it looks almost normal again now.

As I type there is a young herring gull on the roof opposite, begging for food from a parent. What an odd season this has been - the nesting season should be well over by now. The sycamores have almost lost all their leaves now, and the silver birches are about half way there. Blackberries were early but not abundant, some of the rowans were really heavy with berries, others not, hips and haws are few and far between, as are hazelnuts, but the elderberries are doing very well, unlike the sloes.