Another hot day

Thick mist at 6am, but it's now wall-to-wall blue skies and getting hot. Things to do...

And it's 'heyho, heyho, and off to work we go!'
A judge I've never heard of, all the claimants are suffering from depression and the aircon is boil or freeze.
What a lovely day.

You energetic people ! I'm still having my

Been awake since 5 and up since 5.30. Would love to drive to the coast but too many 'start of the week' jobs to do (it all goes downhill after the Monday push!).
Scything.... phew!

I've been up for a while too. Still drinking coffee and reading. No swimming for me, but I'll be getting the scythe out later and mowing some of our hay and wildflower meadow. Will probably need my midge and cleg jacket on (it covers my head too.

Yes, nothing but birdsong here too. We have sparrows nesting in the defunct kitchen chimney and they start up when we start cooking, especially curry I find.

I'm up Mamie. Wall building sounds familiar. When Mr. B. re-built some of our walls in previous summers, he would start at 6 and finish at 11 am. All my windows are open and all I can hear are the birds. Lovely. A swim later for me, as well. Enjoy your day.

Am I the only one up? OH has gone outside to work on building a wall in the potting shed, under a hot, tin roof. I am going swimming when the pool opens at 10am in the hope that everyone else will be sleeping off yesterday's Bastille Day celebrations.

Had planned to meet up with sisters IL and BIL in Kent plus niece who is 14 today and stay over, but heat has done for DH who is feeling fragile after a bad night and I have taken executive decision that 2 hours + on the M1/M25 even with air con was not the best idea.So a quiet day at home. Problem - as we had planned to be away until tomorrow afternoon, I have NOTHING to eat in the house!!
One of those days when something will have to be concocted from freezer and fridge contents, then

Speaking of people parking on your property, we used to live in a house with a very large drive and were happy to let people park on the drive until a neighbour (who had made a point of knocking on the door one night in the pouring rain simply to tell us we weren't welcome in the village!) when his daughter was getting married told his guests to park on our drive - without asking us first. They parked in such a way that it was impossible for me to get my car out. At the time my husband had his JCB parked up in the field behind our house and when he got home and saw all the cars he knocked on the neighbours door and said he would give them 5 minutes to move the cars otherwise he would bring his JCB down and move them with that!

Our little beach has been packed all week. Great to see everyone enjoying themselves but I do wish they would take their rubbish home with them - after all, they managed to cart it to the beach in the first place! They also want to park as near as possible, so leave their cars on my property which is infuriating, especially when they chuck their cigarette stubs and other unmentionables out of the window . Am I becoming a Grumpy Old Woman? I love it when they all go home at 5 and 'our' beach is returned to us!

Our beaches are packed! We have new neighbours who asked if there are quieter beaches in this area. Of course there are. People seem to want loads of facilities when going to the beach. I do like to be in an area with loos. Also our quiet beaches aren't so easy to get to - parking is a problem but one can easily go by bus. Other then loos there are no ice cream kiosks, bouncy slides, Punch and Judy Shows, deck chairs and so forth. And not many people. No beach balls landing in your lap, screaming kids, radios. and dogs if you can believe that, why take your dog to the beach on such a hot day - we have one dog beach so they are all there panting with the heat. Me, I'm staying in the garden.

So hot here, friends down staying with us from Edinburgh. We got a boat from Kingston to Richmond, life looks very different from the river, loads of people taking their lives in their hands and jumping and swimming in the Thames, it's not very clean. However everything looked gorgeous, very Wind in the Willows. Wandered around Richmond had tea and cucumber sandwiches in a sweet little tea shop off The Green which is surrounded by lovely Georgian houses. Strode up Richmond Hill to a splendid viewpoint, just outside Jerry Hall's house! to look down at the meandering river and meadows below. Back to Hampton Court on the river boat, a slow hour and a half from Richmond, and then had dinner at a favourite haunt overlooking the river and Hampton Court Palace, well the walls anyway. Perfect English summers day! We have never had friends to stay in the summer where the weather has been so lovely, usually it downpours.

The beach last night at sunset was just perfect!

Today I really must address some "work" stuff that has been on hold as I have lolled around relaxed in the heat. I will do it soon, while it isn't too hot. That's the theory, anyway.

galen my two middle DGC love Slimbridge - they live in Cheltenham so it's not that far away. I think it is quite magical at times. Enjoy it!

Slimbridge is lovely - enjoy!

Heat is really getting to wee GS with chicken pox! Poor little chap, itching and sweating it out! he is covered from head to toe in calomine lotion and spreading it everywhere!

Are you telling us you are not caber tossing Bags

Off to Kent County Show. Have a good one everybody.

Have a great day, galen .

I'm on duty at our Rotary Shelterbox stall for a couple of hours later, at the local highland games.

I'm off the Glastonbury with the church later (yes I know its too late for the festival )

No, it's Peter Scott's original wildfowl place, but it has special safe play area for toddlers. DGD loves it and its i lieu of a 2nd birthday party.
Must go!

Is that a theme park?

Off to cut the rough grass while it is cool enough (it is too far from any house to disturb the neighbours, or even DH who is still abed).