Ramblings
This afternoon I rather struggled with my culling project. The results are
all removed from iPhotos. This led me to
of which I culled all but two images; and back to
of which only one is retained.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s savoury rice and tempura and hot and spicy prawn preparations, with which we both drank Masseria Metrano Fiano Salento 2022.
Most of our garden lights are solar powered. Depending on the amount of sunshine experienced during the day, they gradually brighten the plants and structures.
Yesterday evening, Jackie photographed her arrangements.
Because I continue to fall behind on culling my iPhoto collection, I followed this draft by attempting to reduce those in
I could not possibly delete any of these.
Later, I read more of ‘The Cunning Man’.
This evening we dined on pork casserole, sautéed potatoes, cauliflower cheese, runner beans and chopped cauliflower leaves, with which I finished the Malbec.
I have grown rather tired of focussing on our heating problems, but now I will say that throughout our cold spell two of our radiators on the ground floor have not worked at all; all we have had beside my chair is one plug in electric radiator.
This morning Dan from Norman’s Heating visited to check over the whole system. He is 80% certain that the problem had been caused by “mistakes” in installation. Floorboards need to be lifted upstairs to investigate this. If he is right that can be fixed on the day of inspection. I won’t go into further details until this has been carried out, but remembering what happened on the day these radiators were put in suggests to me that he is correct.
Afterwards I read more of ‘The Cunning Man’, then culled all but two of the photographs in
One is shown above; The other is today’s header.
Although it was cool this was the first day we had been able to enjoy fishing fruit flies from our drinks, listening to delightful birdsong, admiring the spring flowers, on the patio.
This evening we dined on pork casserole, carrots, new potatoes, and runner beans, with which I drank Valle de Eco Malbec 2024.
Today I removed each of the pictures from
which remain elsewhere in my library.
This afternoon Elizabeth visited. She and Jackie chose to go out while I watched the Six Nations Rugby contest between England and Italy.
Later the three of us dined at Rokali’s.
Jackie’s photographs each bear a title in the gallery.
I caught up on some culling this morning.
I retained just two pictures from
and culled just one from
Only two have been retained from
This afternoon I watched the Six Nations Rugby matches between Ireland and France and between Scotland and Wales.
Our dinner this evening consisted of chicken Kiev; Jackie’s moist ratatouille; sautéed potatoes; firm carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower; with which I finished the Fleurie.
While I spent much of the day grasping ‘The Cunning Man’
Jackie, during intervals between bouts of rain
further tidied the Patio Bed;
finished refurbishing Flo’s Fairy Garden;
and continued clearing the brickwork around the old well.
This evening we dined on soft-centred cod and parsley fish cakes; sautéed potatoes; cauliflower, carrots, and Brussels sprouts, with which I drank more of the Fleurie.
Our misty dawn soon developed into a day of sunshine sending us on a trip to The Potting Shed at Hyde for lunch.
Looking down from the hill at Gorley Common. This first gallery is mine;
and here is Jackie’s set.
These two cyclists did well to scale the hill unaided, and I was able to congratulate them on this when we discovered that they shared our destination.
The lunch was really good. Mine involved steak and ale pie, peas, chips, and gravy; Jackie’s, baked potato with a shredded cheese filling, salad and coleslaw. The service was as friendly as usual.
Afterwards we enjoyed a closer view of the deer at the bottom of the hill. The first two pictures in this gallery are mine; the next two are by
Jackie, who also produced these catkins,
and this mini photo story of the pony who left some of her hair on a barbed wire fence under which she stretched before wandering off down the road to converse with field ponies feeding on hay.
When four female pheasants dashed across the road in front of us I managed to focus on one.
Given what we consumed for lunch, a light egg mayonnaise salad sufficed for our evening meal.
Included in her clearance work on the western patio bed during the last couple of days has been revealing Flo’s Fairy Garden
originally completed in June 2023.
Here it is now.
Although the day was mostly bright enough for the above
photography, fleeting mist descended throughout the afternoon.
After drafting this I continued with ‘The Cunning Man’.
This evening Jackie worked her moist heating magic with last night’s roast pork and served it with similar fresh vegetables, with which I drank Collin Bourisset Fleurie 2022
This afternoon I wandered around the garden with my camera.
Each of these images bears a title in the gallery. It will be seen that some of the tulips have survived the stealthily stealing squirrel.
Afterwards I sat down with ‘The Cunning Man’.
This evening we dined on succulent roast pork; crisp Yorkshire pudding; boiled new potatoes; crunchy carrots; tender broccoli stems and runner beans, with meaty gravy, with which I drank more of the Malbec.
Today I retained most of the pictures in
although I have culled a few.
Prompted by Laurie Graves I have begun reading ‘The Cunning Man’ by Robertson Davies, and am already enjoying it.
Late this afternoon, after purchasing vegetables and violas from Ferndene Farm Shop, we took a short forest drive finishing at Barton
on Sea where, along with others on the ground and birds in the air, we watched the sun go down in changing light.
Afterwards we dined on Jackie’s wholesome chicken and vegetable stewp and fresh crusty bread with which I drank Reserva Privada Chilean Malbec 2023.