When your milk turns to yoghurt

 

5.30 a.m. and 15 deg.  I can cope with that temperature. Not so with the high 20s/low 30s of later in the day. I've been up since 3.30 as it was too warm in the guest bedroom, where I ended up last night as a baby bat splatted somewhere behind the table in the bedroom just as I climbed into bed.  

It was a beautiful sunrise this morning and I took some photos through the v. dirty bathroom window.  I must try and clean it off somehow - the hose is leaking mightily in mid-section and I will get very wet I think!!  

The plumber came and sorted out the UV system yesterday.  As he arrived, with the front door left open (I had it shut to keep the flies out), a nasty little black ba*tard of a fly came straight in, landed on my arm and bit me.  It looked like a house fly, but wasn't.  It came back for another go later but I had the door open for a couple of hours then and thought it had departed.  By 3.30 a.m. my morning antihistamine had well and truly worn off, as had the After Bite I put on the bite . . .  Update: b*stard thing still here and bitten my legs 4 times now.  Just put my thin trousers back on . . .

I came downstairs and have finished sewing up the blocks I was piecing yesterday - 27 in all, plus 10 I did on Wednesday.  Will put them with their white halves today and lay them out on the bed to see how many more I need to do.  The quilt will be called, unsurprisingly, Heatwave . . . 

Unfortunately, this latest heatwave has done for my old fridge-freezer, an LG which has done sterling service for over 20 years now.  When I poured milk into my tea yesterday, a lump of yoghurt came with it!   I don't want to spend a fortune on replacing it as I will have to splash the cash.  You used to be able to get Hire Purchase to spread the cost.  Now it is done via a credit card type loan at just under 30% APR.  I don't think so.  Some places charge £15 just to unwrap the blardy thing, and another £35 to take away the old one.  I think we will have to have a family-here DIY job when it's delivered and take the old one to the Tip.  So I will have a proper look at what's on offer today and make my mind up.  It of course costs twice as much or more, to get an energy-efficient one and takes about 10 years to level out savings for running it against increased cost of buying it! A cheaper one it will be then.  (Signed up for a month to Which? now.)

Right, 6.10 now and I shall see if I can get back to sleep for an hour or so.

I did sleep till 8.30, when Pippi announced it was time for breakfast and Hunting.  I bought the Saturday paper, to read about poor Ann Widdicombe, who did not deserve for her life to be taken away by some local murderer.  I liked her, she stood up for what she believed in, called a spade a spade and had total integrity.

I couldn't live in the Med . . .

 Too hot here.  Although my computer tells me it's 26 deg right now, when Tam left (4 p.m. ish) her car registered an outside air temperature of 32.5.  Too darn hot.  She stopped a couple of times to put cool flannels on Rosie and rub her down with cold water.  When they got home it was only 25 deg and there was a sea fret, so hopefully it won't be too hot in their house to sleep tonight.  She is now looking at magnetic window mesh so I can have the windows open at the back of the house to let cooler air in and keep bats OUT.  I may get a similar door mesh too.  Keep the flies (and bats) out as well, as they drive me mad in summer.  

Below: Apple Dappy.  Yummy with ice cream.

Well, I have sorted out why my small Lumix camera's not working and it's crap batteries - they don't hold the charge.  I have had to fork out for decent ones specifically for the camera, not the "should work" cheaper type.  It will be nice to be able to take decent photos again.

Rosie has been running round commando today - in fact, no clothes at all as so hot.  We have been potty training her and she has twigged what "needing to go" feels like and we have had lots of wees and a couple of poos too, so Tam is delighted as she thought it was going to be a lot harder than this. "How do I get her to sit still?"   How it will be with clothing on is another matter.  I had to smile, because she had one of those puppy training pads to put on the sofa, just in case there was a mishap!

I am covered in bites - several horse fly ones once more .  I got these going out to water round first thing and having to walk through longish grass in the orchard to reach Tam's Winter Squash to water them.  I will put my jeans on first thing when I am watering round and liberally spray myself with Avon Skin-so-soft to deter the bitey things.  Of course, the hotter you get, the more they itch and I had to go out earlier to get the replacement bulb for the UV Water system and a spare filter too.  Then I had to go out again a couple of hours ago to take the little chair to my carpenter to do the back splat on it and glue an upright on it.  I thought I would faint as it was so hot and airless when I was driving.  We don't have the humidity we had with the last heatwave but it is going to be 31 deg tomorrow (around 88 deg. F).  I will be lurking in the kitchen with my patchwork.

Of course, this is just the time when the water pressure upstairs has decided to get weak and feeble.  My fault I think, because when Sam (helpful neighbour) changed the water filter for me a few weeks back, he hadn't done it before and asked if I wanted the water turned back on full.  I didn't know, so said no, and checked the water pressure downstairs which seemed ok.  I was wrong.  I have texted my plumber to come and change the £91 worth of UV bulb and filter anyway.  It runs out next week but is beeping annoyingly to let me know it needs doing.  I texted him again to say I couldn't shower, because of the low pressure upstairs, could he come out sooner?  He's texted back to say he'll be out tomorrow afternoon.  Phew.

Tam and I finally got the proper curtain pole up in the guest bedroom and the pretty cream curtains hung again, so I could pull them and keep the bright sunlight out (south facing room, along with my sewing room).  However, it hadn't got put up before because we couldnt' find the hand drill (not sufficient room to use the electric one.) Well, I had seen it recently, behind the front door on the shelving where the useful tools etc live.  But could I find it today?  I looked and looked, pulled things out and it was NOT there.  Tam went to look and put her hand straight on it - on top of the box of chisels!  I would be willing to bet good money that it was NOT there when I was looking, so Keith must have come along and spirited it out of hiding.  Then we couldn't find the wood drill bits - eventually ran one to earth, ONE.  He had dozens.  It was exactly the right size for the screws we were using too.  How odd is that?

Watching: he Pendragon Series on Prime.  Based on the novels of Stephen Lawhead - Taliesin, Merlin, and Arthur.  Then come Pendragon, Grail and Avalon.  Tam still has her copies in one of the bookcases upstairs.

Podcasts - Lots of TImeteam this week, and today it was back to The Three Ravens and a very good interview with Philip Carr-Gomm, who is a Druid and well known for blending modern psychology with Druidry and nature-based spirituality.  Very interesting. 

A bat too far

 I am not scared of bats flying around. However, I am fed up with them.  With this hot weather, they are inside the house, however they get there (suspect through open windows).  Anyway, yesterday I was just SO tired from nearly a week of loading, unloading, and all that driving and didn't want to do anything much.  I managed another twelve blocks for D&E's  quilt.  I was upstairs in my sewing room, and Pippi walked across my table behind my s/machine and was about to dab at something on the wall - a very dead-looking bat (mummified in fact!) which had hung itself from one of the photos of Tam and Rosie that Tam had had printed off and put around the walls for Keith, in his final months.

I flushed it down the toilet, and sadly that photo will have to be binned.

I had to sleep, late afternoon. My poor brain was so frazzled from all the concentration of driving and needed to rest.  I read a bit more of my book too - Kate Ellis, The Painted Doom.  I went to the Library first thing and two of the books I'd ordered were in.  Another Kate Ellis (The Skeleton Room) and Horatio Clare's Brecon Beacons Myths and Legends.

In the evening I went to Netflix for the 3rd Enola Holmes film.  This one got silly.  They went properly radical with Moriarty, who was a woman, who could do Kung Foo or some similar martial art. . .    Moriarty was NOT a woman in the books and I am a traditionalist.  Then at the end it got all anti-Colonial and PC and if there is an Enola Holmes 4, I doubt I shall watch it.  However, I can recommend a brilliant series on Channel 4, The Light in the Hall, which was filmed in Carmarthen, Llandeilo and Llandovery and I thoroughly enjoyed. 

Tea was a King Prawn stir fry, using half a fresh yellow courgette from my neighbour, fresh beanshoots, spring onions, 1/2 a lovely pepper I got at Chris Thomas', tomatoes, and some Pak Choi, baby sweetcorn and mushrooms from the freezer.  The sauce was the Sweet Chilli and Garlic one I like.  Scrummy.  I had half a pack of mixed grains and rice left over from a chilli the night before, so that went in too.  Another meal now in the fridge.

However, when I went up to bed, I had just settled down with my book and noticed a bat flying round my bedroom.  Then there was a splat - and I thought it had gone down behind the chest of drawers.  But no - to my horror it had gone splat on the pillow just inches from my head!  I was out of that bed so fast!!!  I was not going to try and get it outside, so just retired to the guest bedroom for the night.  Around 5 a.m. Alfie was yowling to go outside, so I went downstairs to let him out, and noticed a bat hanging on the step of stair carpet.  But there must have been two to start with as when I went to the loo, there was a drowned one floating in there.  Clearly thirsty . . .  Stair bat is now rescued and outside in the old feed/rack room where it is cool and dark.

When Tam and Rosie arrive today I need to get Tam's help to put the proper curtain rail back up.  The light woke me early this morning.  I lay in bed and watched Swifts flash past overhead, and then I could see a branch on the bank waving, so sat up and watched no end of birds in the shrubs.  Two male Blackbirds had a set to.  A pair of Wrens flitted between branches on the Kilmarnock Willow.  Dunnocks, Sparrows, Blue Tits and Great Tits flew here and there and the winner of the Blackbird fight fed on immature blackberries which had grown through the Magnolia.  I had been meaning to cut them right back ever since spring but will leave them now until they have fruited.  It would seem that tidying up is not good for nature and my untidy garden actually encourages wildlife.

View through the - rather dirty bathroom window, due to bats and House Martin nest over it - looking across towards the quarry, which is invisible now there is lots of foliage on the trees, and a misty early morning light.

Right, this won't do.  Housework needs to be done, and a chocolate apple cake baked.

P.S.  Just found another bat on the stairs . . . removed . . .

What £7.50 bought me at the greengrocery warehouse

 Well, I am sick of driving now.  Not to mention packing and unpacking.  Bar yesterday, I have done nothing else, daily, for nearly a week.  I am giving myself tomorrow off!  Anyway, Unit looking a bit more exciting and full of different things.  Hopefully some folk will find them of interest.  Of course, what sells is militaria.  I need to try and use what little knowledge I have, to try and find some more bits.  

I stopped at Chris Thomas's greengrocery warehouse again - where we used to always get our fruit and veg from.  Tuesday is a better day to go, as that's when fresh stock comes in so there are always some really good £1 boxes of stuff then.  Next time I go that way . . .

The lemons were enormous - 3 for £1.30.  The peppers 2 for £1.  4 good plums for £1.  Raspberries £1.  Strawberries £1.50.  Apples £1 the bag.  I think the very fresh (still had ice on it!) Broccoli (well, Calabrese) was about 70p.  

I may just have treated myself too, having earned enough to top up fuel for the week (£40) at the Fair, with £5 left over.  Tee magazine, a new one, was £5.99.  It will stay in my collection for several years I suspect.

Plus it came with free seeds.

The Tesco shop had a large bag of the cat biscuits I buy, as they were on special offer so £4.25 cheaper than usual. It's cheaper to buy the big bag. The cat sachets (40) were also reduced and on offer, from £12 to £10.75.  I would have needed both next week anyway.  I got my lunch there too - a meal deal - and a few other things.  £48.74.  I remembered the black eye pencil - the dark brown one I bought on line goes on far too ginger! I went to Lidl for eye makeup remover pads (dry ones) as they were £1.80 in Tesco.  In Lidl I got a double pack for the same money.  It pays to shop around.

Now I must quickly water round as it was cool and overcast here first thing, and pots still looked damp.  Now they are definitely NOT!

St Michael and all Angels, Eaton Bishop

 You will have to forgive me for not going into the detail I would like to with the amazing glass in this church, but I have had a hectic three days in a row, lots of driving, packing and unpacking and not much time to unwind and relax.

The tower is Norman, with a broach spire and what were formerly windows possibly ante-dating 1870 when Sir Stephen Glynne visited the church, but did not mention them.

The arcades are Early English, having circular piers and octagonal capitals.  The font is 13th C with a later - Victorian - bowl.

15th/16th C (perhaps earlier) memorial for one of the great and good in the parish.

The glass was donated in 1330 and came from the same workshop as that at Moccas and Madley, both nearby, as well as examples  much further away in Tewkesbury, Ludlow and even Bristol.

 

I think this was the East window, which shows such amazing detail.

This tonsured figure may be Adam, son of the Munmouth family.

St Michael weighing souls.

Sorry these aren't very clear - you will need to click on them to enlarge them and read them more easily.

Sadly the camera on my phone is not a good one and close ups can, like this, be dire.

Now, away I must to pack the car once again for a long road trip tomorrow to finish setting up.

Lots of driving . . .

 . . . yesterday, but what a joy to see beautiful views in places (see new header photo) and the wild flowers were stunning.  Meadowsweet, the lovely purple-blue Meadow Cranesbill, Musk Mallow, Common Mallow, masses of my favourite wildflower, Purple Tufted Vetch. (I must get some seeds and sow it here in my wild flower patch).  Knapweed, Honeysuckle, Agrimony, yellow Kidney Vetch, pink and white Clovers, Rosebay Willowherb, Betony, Yarrow and Umbellifers.  Just glorious.

I need to go with another car load to the Unit, as I have more room than I remember.  I will try and go on Monday morning.  I have room for paintings on the walls so will need to get some nails up to hang them from.  That will clear a corner of the Library!!

I stopped in Tesco to get some lunch on the way home, and some Magnesium tablets as nearly out of them, and they do help sleep, as well as heart function.  Part of my lunch I had at tea - a little tray of pre-cut Mango, which went down very well.

I stopped at Chris Thomas, the greengrocery warehouse, in Abergwili too, but didn't buy much because my time was spoken for over the next few days.  Just some raspberries (one tray in the freezer and one to bake Raspberry Muffins with today - £1 per tray), two huge cooking apples at 20p each, and 4 luscious Nectarines.  

Back at home, Pam came round to off load health worries, and we sorted out the loose leg/stretcher on the little chair - it was the one I glued the other day - clearly not well enough.  Then after tea (Kedgeree), I oiled the little thing on wheels.  I was researching this online and they were a "thing" - though not sure of their actual purpose yet, but possibly a service trolley, though this appears to have been upholstered at some point in its life!  A little one with a wooden top with a triangulated end was listed for £225 on line!! Mine will seem a real bargain :)  I need to set to and Bri-wax it after breakfast.  

I will get my walk in early and then pack the car, before finally potting on the blardy tomatoes which are looking distinctly peaky in their too small pots.

Friends and neighbours

 The two lads from the end cottage had a request yesterday.  There's no tv there and they wanted to watch the England vs Congo match.  Could we all watch it together?  It's not something I'd have bothered to watch, but it was unepectedly enjoyable.  I used to watch the occasional Man. City match with Keith, and the big Rugby 6 Nations games too.  It certainly made a change from what I usually watch, and nice to have company too!

I spent the morning getting the car loaded to go and set up at the Unit.  I had to pack around the bookcase to stop it from falling over.  Hopefully this venture will work out for me, but I have to give it 3 months before I can come out, and then it's a months' notice.  We'll see.  I am selling some personal possessions: some of Keith's specialist Militaria books, as books are such slow sellers on Ebay and these being specialist, even slower.  Other pieces from the house are going there - a couple of chairs surplus to requirements although I couldn't fit the old "Grandfather chair" - a standard splat back Windsor chair Keith bought a few years back to repair - in the car this time.  My Verwood Pottery "Dorset Owl" costrel is going too.  I have enjoyed it for many years, but now it's someone else's turn to love it.  

The little child's Windsor has had it's final polish with  bit of Bri-Wax but having glued a couple of very slightly loose legs in, imagine my dismay when it was still not right and I have to do another this morning.  There's not even any room to get glue IN as the leg isn't loose enough to move it.  Ah well, I will see if I can get a knife blade in to make a little opening.  Dratted dip tanks.  It's much easier when the leg is completely loose and you can remove it, fill the hole with wood glue and then replace the leg and wipe it all down, fasten it in place until glue set.

 I made good progress with the greenhouse the other day and have most of the Cucumbers and all of the Cantaloupe Melons up in the greenhouse.  I need to pot on tomatoes when I get back later on.  They will stay down in the greenhouse. 

I will certainly need to put diesel in when I see it cheapest (probably Llandovery), as today's trip and then two trips to Llandeilo on Friday and Saturday willmore than use up the 3/4 tank currently in there.  

I am still waiting on my Temu delivery (3 days, as if!) of fabrics before I can do some more blocks on the quilt.  

Tomorrow will be spent sorting and packing for the Fair on Saturday.  No peace for the wicked.