pyrotechnical birthday

 Sheet lightning woke me before 3..and carried on for over an hour. No sound..it was over the hills and from comments from friends it was over Straiton and and Dalmellington and across the hills to Cumnock and around to Prestwick.

Before six the rain gently started and with the occasional flash and bumble carried on until after 10. I took advantage of the breeze and aired the house before shutting up and deciding to have a fay out for my birthday!!

When I was 6 to 7 years old dad was working for the Hants and Dorset bus company in Winchester as a bus conductor.

Going with him with my own shoulder bag and snap tin was a grand day out!!

One regular on one route was the Bishop of Winchester..they stopped the bus at a pub for him to go for a pee! I do remember him having intelligent conversations with me..as you should when someone is six years old,!

The first bus arrived at the stop as I did..I didn't know which direction I'd go in..but as it was nearly midday it couldn't be too far..

In Ayr the bus drew in next to the bus to Largs...decision made!! The next 35 miles took 1¾ hours!! and the last five miles were in heavy rain....and the arrival coincided with a cloudburst. thunder and lightning!!

It was tempting just to stay on the bus...but I was hungry!! A quick dash to a café that every previous time had been full....and they had a table for one. 

Good coffee , and an enjoyable lunch rounded off with warm chocolate fudge cake AND ice cream!! 

Then out into bright sunshine and I did the round of all the op shops..I'm looking for two specific books..no luck, but I did find a long spotty dress..hides the belly..but does rather show the cleavage!!

Back on the bus and again a connection within two minutes. After a very early morning I was having trouble staying awake!!

Home to many happy birthdays on fb , texting with one cousin and a phone call with another.

A very good day.

the ferry to Cumbrae..next time

and a museum new to me...again, next time...

9.15pm. more rain?

Hot!!!!

 The heatwave arrived here properly today..30⁰ (and 32 further South in Dumfries and Galloway). Nothing compared to where I was in Limoges...39⁰...and 41 a little further South.

Oddly enough this evening's Duolingo session was about la canicule...heatwave...and grêle..hail...

windows and curtains. and blinds all shut and a good book...and computer..indoors all day.

Not the front window as I was expecting a delivery today which arrived just after 5.30 pm. The driver was a courteous young Sikh..I offered him a cool drink of water, which was welcomed. The bottle of drink in his van would have been hot! He wouldn't have seen people at every drop..but it sounded as if this was the first drink he had been offered. 

Something we should make a point of doing this weather.

Tonight I'm on the sofabed downstairs where it is cooler. I'm very glad I managed to buy it !!

northwest to the sunset..and to the southeast a fairly fast moving cloud..at 9.35pm.

there isn't much cooling breeze at ground level

Slightly cooler...or rather slightly less hot!

 This morning was fresh...it may have even rained a little overnight. Looking at the forecast today was to be the coolest of the week. thanks to a light breeze from the northwest. 

The usual two bus journey..and straight back again as by 11 it was beginning to get hotter. Ayr is a couple of degrees warmer than home! It must have reached mid 20s there.

A relaxing hibernating afternoon, with the bread maker gently churning in the kitchen.

I've changed the recipe from 50:50 white and wholemeal, now using 50:25:25....white. wholemeal wheat and wholemeal rye flour.

So far that is making a tasty and nice textured loaf.

Gardening after supper...a little more fruit picking then beginning the job of restraining the thug of a laurel bush ( tree??!!) which is hanging over the fence, compost bin and kilnshed.  Work was brought to a halt by the midgies!! 

Then sitting in the front garden while I aired the house and watched the sunset

starlings lining up on the ridge before roosting under next door's roof tiles

my meado wew!

Hot

 Back to the medical centre first thing...the results turned up...one receptionist didn't think they were to go in with the rest of the paperwork. Fortunately this morning the regular one knew they were...

By 9am it was getting decidedly hot.

Today has been mostly indoors, shutting the hot side and opening whatever window would let in any cooler air.   I think we got up to 26⁰ degrees at least.

A little more tidying and weeding was done at teatime...in the shade! Then picking Alpine strawberries, and the red and white currants that were ripe enough. If I leave them to ripen properly the blackbirds eat (and spoil) the lot.

A few broad beans were a nice addition to supper..and as I prepared  supper I had front and back doors open to catch the breeze that had lifted..and the house cooled nicely.

More work in the garden after supper...until the midgies came out! Next door's laurel bush is becoming a tree. I need to get it back behind the fence line. Soon the phone company will want him to cut it back as it it growing towards the phone lines.

Sky at 10pm tonight. 

looking out of the back of the house the moon is a half circle . I didn't photograph that.

Quiet sky

 

Not shouty colours tonight!

I got the results...but not detailed as we used to get them so that I could learn and understand.

All "normal"...but I need to understand them.

While others sweltered this morning we had a weather front pass over so it was much cooler with light showers.

Between showers I started weeding and tidying at the bottom of the garden and behind the studio..high time that was done!

I did the washing anyway...and got a line full out mid afternoon..by 5 the clouds cleared for a couple of hours and the washing was almost dry by 7!!

solstice

 A quiet weekend for solstice..garden pottering as it got warmer..just over 20⁰…20⁰ less than friends north of Limoges. The heat dome of air from Africa...canicule in French..is stretching from Iberia up to Germany and across to Italy..and probably other places too.

I'm busy shutting windows and curtains on the hot side and opening them on the cool side, working on getting a gentle through draught.  To think only a few days ago it was cold wet and windy.

I planted the squash plants out. Hopefully they will get a good start with this week's warm weather.

Today I saw neighbours further down and stopped for a blether about gardening...and about houses being empty. Three in the vicinity ...hope they wont be empty for too long.

Last night's sunset was red and spectacular..as was the sunrise at 3am. I just happened to wake and hear the birds just starting. 

of course blogger reversed these ! so they zre from 10.30...

and this spectacular one at 20pm

.I just happened to wake and hear the birds just starting. Tonight it was more yellow.

I think the Solstice was officially here at 9.35 am. so Solstice Blessings all xx

Bzzzzzz

 More pollenators....

and an ad for flavoured water...

French conversation went well.

We had to read out what we'd written.

Our teacher had read mine when I arrived, and made a note on her paper of my mistake. She did that as we took turns to read our work aloud , then we discussed each in turn.

Funnily enough without thinking I corrected it as I read it out!!  Getting there slowly.

I'd had a choice before going to town...do I wear the warm jacket....or the jacket that is more waterproof?

It was colder here than in town but....I should have gone for waterproof!

I may have made a friend on the bus home...she does watercolours but mainly textile collages...I'm ten years younger than her gran. But age is irrelevant when you talk art.