Where has the summer gone?

Henry has been and gone again, and what a delight it was. We had him last weekend whilst Bex and Steven popped up to Liverpool to complete the city’s half marathon. He is fab … a deliriously happy child with none of the terrible twos. It is fair to say that when mum appears he immediately disregards me (in particular), which I find hilarious. But you still can’t not love him. Bex and Steven then came back here, as did one of her friends, and we had a week of trollying people about here and there, which I didn’t mind. They left on Wednesday which has meant C has had chance to get the house back in order … before they turn up again mid-next week for their final foray before they get on the silver bird back to Saudi. It will have been a whirlwind summer, but I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.

love this lad

As well as looking after all of us – and that’s not a small thing when we have a houseful because, no matter how many times the kids say ‘can I help’, the question is always half-hearted and laced with a threat of which nursing home they’re going to choose for us if we ask too much from them (on their summer holiday) – C has spent her time running (some long runs), sorting our small but perfectly formed garden, and tending the veg patch. We have beans and courgettes and some shared potatoes (with the landlords), and C is v proud of that.

how does your garden grow?

I’ve been doing some ad hoc work for my mate, and still selling stuff. It’s been fascinating, and not without effort. There is no question the work does impact upon what I was expecting this summer to look like (I had a full day in the office on Thursday, for example), but it’s professionally fascinating whilst also keeping me out of mischief. I also spent some time on it yesterday. And it’s interesting to see C’s reaction. I have worked before during our nomadic time (leadership consultancy in schools), but this is different and less predictable, and possibly more involved and unending. For her I sense it’s good to get me out of the house, but more difficult to plan around, especially the short notice stuff.

ooo, look, a train!

But we had a lovely day on Friday meeting up with our Army pals, Alasdair and Annie, at Dyrham Park NT. It’s madness that they are reasonably close and we see so little of them. They are into the motorhome business and it seems very likely we will spend time together in the autumn as all of us are heading to Spain for about 8 weeks. That will be fab.

a lovely day …

Talking of which Doris has sprung a leak on her front windscreen. A small amount of water pools along the sealing rubber at the bottom of the windscreen. I tried three times to establish and then seal the hole … but to no avail. The water is not doing any damage, but it’s annoying that I have not been able to sort it. What I have done is create a very small channel between the windscreen and the dash at the lowest point in the rubber seal … the water escapes onto the bonnet. That seems to be working?

I couldn’t fix it

We’re off to Derby first thing tomorrow. I think I mentioned the issue with our Ford Focus before, so I won’t dwell on it. In short the car needs its wet cambelt changing and a garage in Derby are experts (and 2/3s the price of a dealer). And it’s C’s birthday! So we’re having a romantic two nights in a Premier Inn in England’s prettiest city. Lol. We’re coming back via mum’s house and then onto Mary’s, home here on Friday. A change is as good as a rest!

Stay safe.