Good Morning Wednesday 19th August2026

Good morning Michael from Co Armagh, I’m up for a pit stop , it’s cold feeling here but I’ve no idea. If it’s raining , it’s pitch black. , even the solar lights have run out of steam
I’m going back to bed and hope for more sleep

Hoping for a good day for all

Good morning, it’s very dark here and the pavement looks slightly damp but it’s definitely not raining 🥺
I need to have a tidy before the cleaner comes this afternoon, she’s blitzing the living room today!
I have a phone call from the pharmacist sometime today and a practice nurse appointment to check my blood pressure which is, apparently, too low (nothing new). I suspect that the pharmacist will tell me to stop taking Ramapril 🤷🏼‍♀️
I’m praying for rain, I suspect that at least 60% of the plants in my garden are dead, it looks dreadful. I’ll ask my gardener to come and clear it in a couple of weeks. At least I know what plants are tough enough to survive drought.
At least it’s cooler at the moment, a blessing for most of us I imagine 🙏
Best wishes to you all x
🌹

Good morning from Malta where another beautiful day is dawning with a high of 36°C forecast.

I had a very productive day yesterday getting all my jobs done and everywhere clean and tidy. Also washed everything in sight so the machine was busy and the sun dried it all nicely. Even washed my hair, a job I dislike, as my appointment isn’t until Friday and I couldn’t bear to wait.

We don’t have hosepipe bans here despite the lack of rain but I save what I can to water my plants. The a/c gives off a bucket of water every day and I use that as well. Touch wood, I’ve managed not to kill most of them for a change!

I left it too late to go to the shop yesterday and decided I could live without bread. I might go this morning if I can be arsed!😄

Hope you all have a good day.☀️

Good morning from a damp Bristol. It has rained gently during the night, but I have no idea how much. Probably not a lot, but it certainly has made things fresher.
r&l remember not to do much. Don’t spend too much time/energy tidying up for your cleaner.
DS called me yesterday afternoon; it’s the first time I’ve heard from him in ages. He was dealing with a new term, his two boarding houses, an extra class, etc. he was mortified, but I told him I never worried as I knew he was very busy with new term, etc.
FAB cafe today,I wonder how many and who will turn up.
I’ll carry on cutting out and assembling my fish patchwork this afternoon, although I might sit out for a little now it’s not so hot.
Have a good Wednesday. Carpe diem 🦩🦩🦩

Good morning from s somerset, no rain here but it is cooler

I did nothing yesterday afternoon, felt shattered after a few hours buying and moving heavy sacks of soil for home and that was followed by work on the allotment.

The soil up there is like solid rock below the dusty surface powder. Large cracks have formed in the clay and I am thinking that I am glad my house is not built on clay. I had hoops to build and supports to put in because things were shifting with the clay moving because of the drought

I did some admin at home in the evening but a few hours were spent watching a film and I had a doze on the recliner. All that physical work did result in a full sleep last night

Goodness knows about today, I have no plans, certainly no shopping, perhaps I will finally get the beds ready for guests. It was very humid yesterday, blight weather, not nice.

Good morning Michael and all GN's from a very dark, still, morning in North Yorkshire. Tried to go back to sleep, but wide awake, and brain already thinking of the many things I need to do today, so given up and am creaking my way around. The darker mornings and evenings seem to have happened very quickly, and I need to get myself into that change mode, of starting any trips out earlier, to make the most of daylight, and coming back to do jobs indoors when it is darker . - Well it makes the most of the weather and a good excuse to ignore boring sorting jobs out!

My plans for yesterday did not go as I intended , but for positive reasons. I was ,as usual these days, struggling to get going, and so have to do sitting down jobs, until I can get myself loosened up a bit. I got showered and dressed. in quite tidy going out clothes, with the idea of doing some things, like checking up on some business things, calling at the garage to check when my MOT was due and arranging a date for it to be done, seeing what is happening at Upfront, in terms of events and what things are on offer such as short courses etc to begin in september, when the schools are back etc. I am still of the old school, that I tend to choose what I am wearing, according to what I am doing, and old but clean T shirts and trousers or shorts are my start for having a clear up at home, and something a bit more presentable for going out, depending on whether that is on the yellow peril, or in the car. So was in presentable mode, but I firstly still needed to do some sorting out, after my trips to the coast etc. I wanted to restore the car to ready for any trips out, with my box of tricks, clean picnic stuff, bone china mug at the ready and cutlery and such things as sharp knife and bottle opener. My clothes selection , which means my older mac, towel , spare change of clothes and jumper in a bag, all at the ready, so that if I suddenly decide to go off somewhere I dont have to come home first but like the scouts "be prepared" and save fuel. There was quite a lot of things to sort out, and put away, and one thing led to another, so that I never actually got out at all. However my halo was shining a little as much sorted back into correct places, wardrobe sorted out a little and then I started having a look to see if there was any reasonable last minute deals to get away. Between the hot weather , which has meant that I havent even been out as much as usual, and not been on any trips to visit a garden , I have been feeling stir crazy, and itching to get out and about.

So I was looking for two different things. One was for a few days away on a last minute package possibly in Scotland west coast, and the other was to find a couple of day trips in a coach, to try out from here , now I can leave the car nearby for the day. It is partly experimental on physical and mental grounds. I have to find out how well I can cope with sitting for a longer time, with my back, even if the seating is very good. In a train I can get up and walk about so it is easier. Then I have to get my brain used to coach timings, which are a lot slower than when you are in your own car and going directly to your destination, not picking up at other spots etc. So I am going to give it a try, to find out what I am able to cope with, and then I also plan to go on a trip to the coast, for a day to probably Whitby or Scarborough, and investigate the hiring of a buggy so that I can get about for an hour or so there. By the time I had done all the planned jobs, checked on emails etc etc . it wasnt worth going out , but at least I could see some progress here.

So this morning I am planning to wash a couple of jumpers and my big woollen jacket (a bargain bought for £5 in a charity shop about 3 years ago) but it is quite thick, and I need to wash them gently by hand and get them all cleaned and ready for autumn. A couple of my jumpers have not really been worn at all, but have been crumpled up in my bag when I have been out in case I needed them in the evening. Then I am collecting things together, and go to do what I had planned down the high street, and might call in for coffee at Cafe Nero, as may check if a friend is likely to be down there this morning. Proceed to garage etc etc. so getting into autumn mode, and of course many of us have either been away on holiday or grandparent duties and so time to catch up and make plans, especially see what courses are happening which might appeal for the start of the school and adult learning sessions. I do find that this is my natural time to be making plans and actually acting on them. Comes from being a teacher I suppose. Still havent heard from my son and family so another job for today is to try and ring him and just check that they are all ok and hopefully plan a meet up before Joshua goes to school, so we might think of a halfway rendevous, or alternatively I might look to see if there is a coach trip going there on a weekend where I could just go on the coach, and arrange for them to meet me and we could spend the day at their place and then they would take me back to the coach. Ah well will see what I can come up with.

It is whist drive tonight and think it will be a bit cooler . Look forward to going to get my brain into gear and enjoy the company. The village hall there has a book sale bit and so I will have a quick check if I have any more books that I can give them. They sell them for 50p each and there is a big variation in books available, but it all goes to the village hall funds. My idea is to give them more and empty some more shelves here, but I usually find something irresistable to buy myself, so not a lot of progress clearing out but all helps .

The sky is clearing now , but still cool and no sign of either rain or sunshine, so will have to see what arrives. Time to get cracking on my hand washing and shopping list, and see what the day brings. Hope you enjoy the bicycle racing Mick. The other day I met a man in the cafe, who arrived on an electric assisted bike, and I was able to ask him what he thought of it and so forth, as I had thought of possibly looking at one of those for myself. However it doesnt sound as though it would be helpful enough and they are very expensive. Again I think I might have a go at hiring one to try out , as we have a bike place near Grinton, and it would be lovely if I could do at least a little ride up Swaledale on that. I used to bike a lot, especially when I was a teenager and working in a riding stable at weekends where it was a 4 mile journey there and then back of course which was tiring after a long day and in hilly terrain.Aggie , hope you did better than me and got back to sleep. Well I shall crack on with the jobs and come back to read more posts while I have a coffee. Wishing everyone a good day with successful plans and meeting friends.

Good morning from a cloudy and cooler Black Country where it obviously rained overnight! Yay

Over to Mums yesterday and then in the afternoon to meet a friend I encountered 3 lots of roadworks. They seem never ending here.

Today my friend and I are off on the bus to Bewdley. We used to be able to catch a bus directly there, but now have to change.

Wishing you all the best day possible.