Been of out to the chicken place today and just finished bagging and weighing everything and putting it all in the freezer, one lot awaiting collection covered in mats to keep it cool and out of the way of girlies as they haven't been out as yet. Got to pick someone up at 2pm so they will be having quick ones. Put the umbrella up for them at 9am so the yard has kept cool.
Malka thinking of you and Pereg xxxxxxxxxx

Funny old day. Heavy cloud but warm ánd a sweet breeze so after making marmalade ( Irish Whiskey and Apricot and Orange) took coffee and food and knitting out to the back with the dogs and had a lovely hour.

It was so quiet; just the birds etc, but collie refuses to lie in the shade and sit by me and pants loudly.. will not even lie still so finally I put them inside when the sun started to break through

The heat then became intense so in I am now..and folk are starting to diy etc so the quiet was ending

Watched a swallow attacking a chaffinch; aerial battle.

The flies are ****** as always in July so all doors and windows closed to keep them out and the cool in..

They say hot sun tomorrow but we shall see; coastal areas are always different Inland wiil be ferocious

Another lovely scene you paint there Rosebud. I've been lying on the sunbed for an hour outside but it's not so quiet here. One neighbour banging doing some DIY & the other one blowing a pool up & filling it for their 7 yr old son & a lot of laughing & talking loudly going on. At least that's what I presume has been going on as we can't see them due to a high fence between us.
I baked the cupcake this morning & I think it's turned out ok. Not been out with Taffy yet . It's too hot. I think I'll just take him in the garden & groom him for now.

I'm back after nearly a two hour trip home - the first sign I saw was on the M25 so too late to divert off road, saying "M25 Jcts 21 -10 Long Delays". I managed to get off at Heathrow but the trip took me over twice the time it should have done ..... I have no idea why but assume it was just the weight of traffic. My Mum was on goodish form and we managed to get a table in the shade for all 7 of us. It was fantastic seeing my nephew (late brothers son) his wife and two adorable children. Little Isaac (18mths) was a hoot and managed to spray my Mum with some very sticky orange juice. Home now and it is delightful to be out of my smarter clothes and in the shade where I intend to do nothing but relax for the rest of the day.

Malka - I hope you concerns that Pereg is unwell prove wrong.
Pat .... Pat...PAT!!- where are you You clearly aren't here or I would have deafened you with my shouting If you don't appear we'll be having to charter a plane and come and get you and the M25 is solid so getting to Heathrow will be a real problem .

I think there will be a lot of people sheltering in the shade today as it is a trifle warm


I hope you are all well and enjoying whatever it is you are doing.

See you later.

Afternoon all we are not long back.

Lynne I hope you enjoyed the sunbathing although did I read on the next page that your neighbours were being noisy ?
I hope the cup cake went well.
jenny that was nuisance not going to bed till the early hours then up again early. I can see from the next page your mum was in good spirits that's good.
When we were coming off the M11 towards Harlow the traffic was backing up due to the jams on the M25.
glad you are home safe.
Mini poor Chloe rushing to the garden only to realise the strawberries were out of her clutches.
Moyra I hope you have had a good day.

Update on the viewings bit of a disaster and a bit pee'd off.
The first one in Welney took us ages to find which made us late for the second viewing and thankfully the third viewing which we had in place was no no the agent run past there on her way to the first bungalow and it was worse than the one we viewed on Tuesday so that was no no. But we didn't get to see the cottage in Suffolk due to running so late and had to cancel . We did drive by it and are hoping to get a viewing on Tuesday.

The one in Welney we couldn't find at first is right off the road and beautiful garden house not to bad does need a bot more than cosmetic work especially the stairs which are steep and give you nightmares going up let alone coming down I couldn't live with them.
The bungalow we viewed next was very old fashioned and would need many pairs of marigolds and bottles of bleach apart from that it was ok. Nice garden lots of stuff would need cutting back to get the full benefit and then at the end was a barn or old workshop built alongside a garage and you owned the whole footage out the back and the parking for many cars and the drive way leading up to it. Also a garage at the front of the property.
Its a possible but we do need to see the cottage and maybe some others around the Suffolk area.

We have now downed two pint glasses each of ice cream and coke as it was very hot traveling.

Malka I am sorry to be reading that you are worried about Pereg I have everything crossed it is not serious.
Big (((hugs))) to you both.
Afternoon June I hope you managed to keep the chicken frozen and picked up your friend successfully.

Lynn Sorry to hear your home hunting wasn't very successful. Still early days yet. I am sure you will find something to suit you beautifully. It's been a bit hot for travelling and wandering around really, hope Dillon was ok.

Lynn- what a day to be driving around house-hunting and viewing. Good to get comparisons even if only to rule them out and to see different locations. The M4 was really bad too from Jct 4 - 6 .... (which effected the M25) and I felt so sorry for people trying to get somewhere urgently and I saw so many cars which had broken down or overheated. Just as well you left Dillon at home and I bet he was delighted to see you. Mmmmm coke and ice-cream sounds divine.

I've just been putting the wrought iron infill's back into the bench I painted yesterday and they don't seem to fit any more .... I'm clearly doing something wrong so decided to come back indoors before I hurled the whole bench into the river

This is too hot for me today so I'm sure by tomorrow afternoon when its even hotter I'll be in a filthy mood. My car said 28 degrees a couple of hours ago Tomorrow I'm going nowhere other than walking the dogs very first thing.

Moyra Dillon has been good till we get in then he plays up merry hell. We had been gone nearly 7 hours though.
He was far better off left indoors with the blinds almost down the house was lovely and cool which is more than we were.
Looks like we will be out again Tuesday.

jenny my worst nightmare getting stuck in a jam in this weather even worse if you have a dog or baby or small children with you. Makes me shudder thinking about it.
I am glad you restrained yourself from throwing the bench in the river.
Gorden has ruled out the Hilgay bungalow it does have a 90 ft wide garden but it then tapers off to a quite a narrow point he googled it from above.