Hello chaps(esses)

Another warm, sunny day. 6th in a row. A breakfast of salmon & scrambled eggs.
The Tanners know how to do things properly.

We were up late last night, watching the Eng-v-S.Afr game, & didn’t retire until after 3am.

It was a pool match & a win is a win, but it didn’t make for pretty viewing did it ?
It’s no mean feat not to concede a try to S.Africa, & the forwards were magnificent, as ever. I would just rather we got more points from running rugby & not the ever-reliable boot of JW.

After watching the flowing, wing-dominated game that is prevalant down here, our side looked a bit stodgy. Winning’s great, but winning with panache would be even better.

Needless to say, being English, I can criticise, but if you are reading this & you are not then disregard my comments.

It’s a bit like criticising your parents, acceptable if you do it, bad manners if your partner says anything.

There was a happy event at Cedar Lodge yesterday. I was on the phone to Stuart (lovely to hear all the LH updates) watching Eric & Michelle moving their sheep from one paddock to another. My attention was taken by a ewe arguing with Eric & stamping her foot at being asked to move on. As she moved, the reason for her defiance became clear. Two new-born lambs were following at her heels.

That doesn’t sound unusual, I know, until I tell you the last lamb was born over a month ago & so these icklies are very late. The ewe responsible, Lilla, has a happy reprieve as she is ‘about 12’ & Eric had been muttering about ‘mutton for the pot’ as she had not lambed.

Yesterday the kids had their friends the Scotts over, & they spent a raucous afternoon playing in the pool. It was very amusing & reassuring, in this computer-obsessed age, to hear them playing the same games I played as a kid. Whenever they were asked to declare what something was made from they said ‘purple velvet’ or ‘sapphires’ & in their role-playing they were dolphins or mermaids or sea-horses.

Michelle spent the day toiling in the sun, finishing off the bed I cleared when I first arrived with some very arduous digging. Eric continued to work on the pool, sawing wood & filling in the gaps around the bottom of the fencing. The pool looks like being a year-round favourite & as the Scott kids left they were telling Mum that ‘their pool needed cleaning out’.

I was definitely the least productive member of the household (Bin included) & made the traditional Saturday night pizza to assuage my guilt. Bill kept me company on the home-stretch of pizza baking, chatting away 15 to the dozen, as usual …

‘No really, how are YOU ?’
‘HOW are you ?’
‘How ARE you ?’ J …

He still looks on for a visit to the Shire some time next week. He will love it here.

I fed the pigs yesterday & took some pics. They are very endearing, cantering across to the fence to get the scraps & snuffling around enthusiastically to eat the best bits. I got a bit carried away & took some 30 snaps. Some of the best are reproduced here for your enjoyment.

Pig pics please Q, no particular order. ta.

A tx conversation this morning got me thinking. What’s the best book you ever read ?
It’s a hard one & I thought long before deciding on ‘A walk in the woods’ by Bill Bryson.
In this, he & a grossly overweight, morose friend set out to walk the Appalachian Way in the US . It has all the bits I find essential in a good book ; humour, nature, good descriptive writing & laugh out loud passages.

The other prerequisite for a good book is being able to read it again & again. I have a good memory for dialogue & so remember books well, despite this, I must have read most of Bryson’s books 3 or 4 times.

If you can use the ‘comments’ system cos you are ‘live’ please do so. If you receive this by e-mail, please reply by e-mail & let me know. I would be very interested to hear your choices.
This invitation extends to everyone who reads Q4A, don’t be shy.

Today’s e-mails were a particularly welcome bunch. Amongst them was a long, entertaining & very newsy letter from the Davidsons. They are the neighbours at Leith Hill who frequently take care of Barley. They write with the fantastic news that they are holidaying here shortly & seriously considering emigrating here. It was lovely to hear about the kids. Grace taking her driving test already – how can that be ? Very best of luck Grace.

Michelle’s folks have also written to say they got the fotos from the Blog on Friday but no text. It’s usually the other way around. I will forward you the text after writing this. I understand you two are slaves to the little white ball ? It’s a huge source of irritation that I have only played 1 game since arriving here (badly) As soon as the back is sorted, I plan to go explore the course at Matamata which I hear you used extensively during your trip here ?

Right, enough for now, outdoors beckons & I have to download the pig foties,

Love to all,

Especially Mum.

Give Connor a pat from me & take Seamus away & give him a cheap, nasty toy. He’s a puppy & won’t know J

‘Mummeh – can we have a puppeh ?’

Cx