A Funny Old Day

It's been a funny old day.

I woke very early after an exceptionally odd night pony. I was being chased by someone for driving off in what turned out to be his toy radio controlled red car. How bizarre is that.

The morning started very warm and very misty but soon the sun burned the mist away and the heat set in.

I'd just got into the car and was driving away from the Cottage when I suddenly thought "Why am I hurrying off to play croquet when I have so much to do at the Cottage and it's a fabulous morning here as well as on the croquet lawn? I'm playing Association croquet this afternoon anyway." So I came back.

There is a certain something which appeals to my Protestant work ethic in the achievement of the washing on the line, the deck washed and scrubbed, the windows and frames cleaned and gleaming and the dust washed off the car.

The temperature on the deck during the morning was over 30 and I worked in my shorts alone - when out of the sun, of course. The deck was too hot too stand on for more than a few seconds where the sun hit it. It was absolutely fabulous. I'm sorry I'm not trying to rub it in because the UK is having such foul weather it's just that this weather is absolutely perfect for me even when working. I know that it wouldn't suit some of my readers anyway.

I forgot to say that this morning was an Elgar morning. Seemed just right.

For the first time I saw the swallows in front of the Cottage. They fly around up at the house all the time but I've never seen them down here even though it's only a matter of yards away. On the croquet lawns they fly around all the time skimming over the ground and collecting the insects. Sometimes they come so close that you can feel them as they fly by. They seem to have absolutely no fear of humans. Mind you when they can see how slowly we move I'm not surprised by that.

Whilst I was sitting having my coffee and doing a bit of a Times 2 crossword and listening and watching I became aware of a tickle on my foot. As suspected there was an ant on my big toe joint. I could only watch fascinated (for a few seconds!) as it tried to make off with a bit of skin left loose from a blister I got when in Taupo at New Year. I never thought anything would want to make off with my body or even a little bit of it.

Played Association Croquet this afternoon on a very hot and sunny lawn. Did quite well.

At about 5pm I arrived at a friend's to sort her Broadband connection and give some tuition on emailing attachments etc. Did that and sat down outside to some dinner. While we were eating, dark and very heavy clouds rolled in. I thought we would have a thunderstorm. We had just finished dinner as huge drops started falling and I raced to put the hood up on the car. The thunderstorm never came but it is now nearly 11pm and the rain has been coming down in stair rods for nearly 4 hours. The farmers will be ecstatic.