Jenny G, amazing how good poo can make you feel sometimes Hooray for both your boys!!!thats brilliant.

Eileen - yes, they don't break up until next week.

Wow, you must be a great swimmer then!

No, not one-two-one unfortunately, it's one-to eight! She's doing well with it though, she's just turned 7 and has done her 25m front crawl.

The thing with the direct debit is I'm not overly impressed with the organisation or the instruction to be honest - it is variable - and with direct debit, if you want to stop the lessons, you have to give a month's notice. The school lessons would be with the same instructors at the same school.

Loki finally condescended to eat his breakfast.

Lucky star.
That must be really hard for them, school in this heat
Great acheivement for her at only 7, love to hear of kids swimming
Have five brothers and one sister, all really strong swimmers, life savers all that. Used to train before and after school then at the club, galas at the weekend still love it and go to the pool alot
Glad Loki had his breakfast

Jenny, yes, it's a great way to have the front door open, the front patio doors onto the terrace (cos that IS the terrace but at the front door end), but Dave laughs at me the way I padlock the gate, cos he said, all a burglar would have to do is to climb onto the railings on top of the steps and just hop over the wall onto the terrace and calmly walk indoors, but I don't like to think of that, it's basically, just to stop anyone sliding the bar on the gate to open it with Zena loose indoors, cos she'd be there like a shot! So no, I couldn't do it and go out sadly, and the ballistrade wall isn't that high either, she gets her front paws up there to peer over the top metal bar, and sometimes I do wonder if she'd ever jump over there if there really was a threat from someone

Today is better, we have a breeze again, same as you Jenny, so much better than yesterday's stiffling, still heat. I'm sitting here next to this air con unit which I have on the fan setting at 22deg, but when it gets hotter, the actual air con kicks in, but that's not a problem cos I've stuffed the big hole where the air comes out through the patio doors into the conservatory and then that other door is open from there to let it out - sorted! Now I actually feel a bit chilly sitting here next to this, so I must now be aclimatised to 30 odd degrees methinks.

Went up to the van and that blooming pilot light went out again this morning, this is after my plumber has been twice, serviced it, then fitted a new thermocoupler thingie, and still it goes out sometimes. He's completely baffled, he's phoned the company, they were as helpful as his 4 yr old he said, but I've now got to stick the co2 detector in the cupboard where this boiler is, and if it goes off, then he might well know what the problem is. He did try to explain it all to me, but it got a bit technical lol! He said there is nothing wrong with my boiler, nothing wrong for him to give me the gas certificate for renting, it's just the boiler over reacting to this hot weather first thing in the mornings when they run the hot tap or shower. As for fixing it, well, that's another problem he said, cos he can't!!! I feel another note coming on to stick on the wall somewhere......

Tcht, I dunno, I just looked outside on that terrace to see if Zena was out there, and she's fallen asleep on the job Tcht!!! Good guard dog she is hey



WOT??? It's my lunch break!!!!!


Waiting for the plasterers now, and then I'll be off for a nanny nap when I've got them organised, well, I like to think that, but these guys seem pretty good at organising themselves, they're doing a great job out there. I might take some pics of the before and after for Dave, might cheer him up a bit knowing it's another job off his long list

I think it's hotter than ever here today. 36 on the outside thermometer.
I'm free till Sunday now. OH left the building about 1/2 hour ago. The amount of stuff they took you'd think they were going for a fortnight ( with a bit of luck they might do )
I've only just been able to get on here today. The tele started playing up this morning with a message on about a fault. Then the BB wouldn't come on. Virgin had a van across the road playing with the box outside so I'm presuming there must have been something wrong in there. Probably the heat got to it.
Glad to hear the boys have done a poo jenny sounds as though they are getting much better now.
Right I'd better start doing some tidying up now I can see the floor again.

Took Mabs and Keshi onto the tow path so's I could have a nosy at the roadworks on Ringley Bridge, they have closed the complete road off for 6 months, that is the only through road there is, apart from the farm tracks the locals know about, and I saw they had put Access Only signs up to the main one, but hey ho we'll still use it. Anyone using it as a rat run to avoid motorway holdups in the morning wont know though, and doubt they would use the farm tracks in posh cars anyhow. Soooooo it is all very very quiet roadwise here, which is great. Buses are dropping people off at the pack horse bridge, they walk over the bridge and get on a bus the other side. After I had given the workmen the 3rd degree I walked the babies back on the tow path because it is nice and shaded, stopped for a chat with the dinner ladies sat outside the school kitchen to give them a low down on the bus situation, came home, handed bones out, Cariad and Lona went onlead with a back pack on and off we went onto the river, which was busy busy today.
They have very kindly 'made' me a new rock I have taken piccies of it, she is going to make sure it is put in place when they leave how nice is that. More of the waterfall disappeared today, piccies to follow with piccies of my new rock All the horses in a field upriver came out onto the river to drink then they started heading for the waterfall, so that will be different, I think the noise will put them off from coming too far though.
Once that waterfall has gone there is nothing to stop horses and cows from making their way along the river, through several villages and ending up at Salford Quays
Those piccies of Zena are great Helena, and she is nice and safe behind those gates, because these days there is always someone isn't there who is daft enough to come through the garden gates. She looks nice and comfy there, fancy waking her for lunch, tut tut That pilot light thingy sounds a bit scary, is this in the new van, because surely you can do your MadWoman impression in the office if it is.
Brilliant news about the boys Jenny, I know you were dreading the first poo's and so pleased they were decent ones, albeit multicoloured. You will sleep tonight won't you
Kids still at school here as well Eileen, although I think we are on the last week now. There is like a wooden pagoda thing in the playground that some of the children were in, and I noticed one had a cardigan on beats me
Sorry to hear Loki is off his food Linda, more than likely the heat, Mabs hasn't eaten her lunchtime bone today, she is OK in herself, ate her brekkie, I am sure it will be eaten by someone soon (I would say Lona)
Hope Dillon's claw heals up soon, its taking its time isn't it.
Will he be busy shredding the sock as fast as you put a new one on

Taffsmum,
Heaven having some time to yourself, enjoy

Nechda - lovely piccies of gawguss Zena xx

- I am kernackered and feel lousy. Coughing from all the dust that flies up whenever a vehicle goes past, got agonising tummy cramps no doubt from all the tension, and it does not look like I will be able to get to the macolet today.

Here's the piccies

Keshi - the first one of her not sopping wet for a while, so thought I'd put it up


My New Rock



Work Continues

Gorgeous keshi, really nice new rock Diggers