The Duck Story

I've been sitting here, waiting patiently, hoping every day to read the Duck Story. Every morning I switch on the computer, scan my emails quickly in case the author might have preferred not to post it on his blog, then dart to both his blogs... And what have I got? A big ZERO, zilch, nada, nothing. Perhaps if I remind him?

"Where ducks are involved, anything can happen.
I would be happy to elaborate, but I'm not sure I can do justice to the story." (14 October 2008)

"Someday I may actually be able to tell the story without making those involved appear to be nothing but pranksters. Maybe if I begin now it will be finished sometime next year." (16 October 2008)

Could this be the time? His readers live in hope.

Summer weather

Traditional summer weather returned to south-east England yesterday. We had been experiencing a hot, dry spell with fairly high or high humidity, but yesterday the sky clouded over and we had a shower early in the morning. Another coupe of showers so far today, and more likely. The rain has only just about laid the dust, though, and has done virtually nothing for the grass, which is pretty well brown all over.

I was getting a bit bored with waking up to bright, sunny mornings every day, but now that they have gone, I'm already missing them! Just plain contrary, I suppose.

This is for Skip

Just one of a collection of signs on the Telegraph web site

Independence Day

It's staggering to think that it is actually five years since this photograph was taken! Where does the time go?

That was the second Lions International Convention I attended. It was in Detroit, and Sharon's family was kind enough to invite me to join them to celebrate both Independence Day and a family birthday. What a wonderful way to start a visit to the States.

I really am not so conceited that I think anyone but me will be interested in the pictures holiday snaps I have been posting on my Les Lavandes blog. For a start, they are no better than any average snapper could do. My real purpose is to use the blog as a sort of online photo album with the benefit of adding a commentary. And I know I could quite easily use a word processor to do the job, but at least this way I'm saving space on my hard drive.

The temperature today is some 10 degrees Celsius below yesterday, when Brighton was the hottest place in the country at 30 degrees. The temperature was not the problem, but the very high humidity made things very uncomfortable.

Ho hum

Raspberries this morning. Picking them, I mean - not blowing them. The two of us spent the better part of an hour out in the field, but at least the fruit was at a convenient height.

My computer really doesn't like this hot weather so I am using Sheila's laptop as far as possible but most of the software I want isn't installed so I keep getting frustrated.

Fruit picking

After dinner yesterday I went to put the hose on and noticed that the blackcurrants were ready for picking. Half an hour later, with a trugful of currants and stiff back, I finally got the hose on. Then this morning, Madam announced that we were to go strawberry picking. When we got to the field, she realised that even with her stick she could not easily get up and down the rows, so it was up to me to get on with it on my own. My back is once again stiff and sore.