Lazy weekend

The fine weather has returned with a vengeance. It’s lovely to know it is not autumn yet and summer has plenty more in store for us. This year has been exceptional for having the deer and the foxes not only in the garden at the same time, but interacting. However, the garden is proving useful for other creatures too. We have several rowan trees and their clusters of berries are attracting lots of birds. Similarly the jays are particularly fond of the cooking apples. We have at least two hazel trees too but in all the years we have lived here we have never been able to sample a single nut; the squirrels are always ahead of us and this weekend was no exception with the squirrels doing acrobatics within the tree causing it to shake ferociously.

In other years I would have been outside in this sunny weather but this year I have had to be careful. This is a little sad as I especially enjoy eating outside. Perhaps next year I shall have made sufficient progress for things to be different.

We had a very lazy weekend. Jonathan came down by train from London on Saturday to see us for a few hours. I was thrilled he made the effort and he does seem to enjoy coming here. We had a buffet lunch so that no one had to spend ages in the kitchen cooking. However, I did make a fruit tart. Jonathan is a very good cook but like a lot of men he doesn’t do desserts so I am able to keep a little ahead.

In the late afternoon we went to Hamble Point and saw three liners go down Southampton Water, headed by Queen Mary 2. It is a great sight and good to know lots of people are setting off on an exciting voyage. There really is nothing like a trip by sea. At the moment we can only dream and recall our cruises of two years ago. Summer this year has been a time of recovery but a little in limbo. There is always another PET scan ahead which might reveal something nasty. We have to learn to keep that at the back of our minds without it always dominating the present.