A long hot day

 Today started with an apricot coloured dawn sky with the waning crescent moon hanging up there....

This morning we helped around here..I weeded the vege garden until I ran out of shade to work in and Pirate helped by painting deck stain on some chairs that my friend's husband had made. He is thinking up jobs for Pirate to do that keep him away from log splitting with an axe. That used to be one of his favourite jobs....but it's seven years since he has done it..and he is 84 this year.....

After lunch we went over to the Cambridge velodrome, run by the Grassroots trust....a local facility paid for by locals as well as government.  I had seen that there was an Espoirs Track Carnival...under 23 racing. However it had been cancelled due to lack of entries. Not surprising, with the devastation in parts of the North Island.

So we enjoyed a drink and a slice in the Bikery Café then wandered up to the seats around the track to watch about six riders having a training session.

It's great that the place is so welcoming and relaxed.

Then out into the boiling hot day and a quick drive home...we now have sussed the back road home, nicer than hopping on the expressway and just as easy!

Everyone sat around and kept cool until later in the afternoon...no sense in overheating!!

Well....some of us did! JRT puppies keep on charging around!! I was lucky to get this shot.....the next second they were gone!!

We had a lovely meal prepared by my friend...it had been her husband's turn last night and mine the night before! Then a relaxing evening with a beautiful sunset.

It is concerning that the cyclone's rain totally missed the South Island.. there had been hopes that it would get some much needed rainfall..although fears that heavy rain on dry land would not be good.  But looking at the forecast tonight it looks like there will be even more hot dry weather down South.

Sunday cyclo-cross outing

 After the storm...nothing blew away thankfully...we woke to a little snow on the ground.

What better than to go and watch a cyclo-cross, supporting a friend who was riding!

We went to Rouken Glen, beside Giffnock in Glasgow. This is the fifth time they have run this event, and the fourth time that they have had snow!!

There were three races and a total of three hundred riders...B race in which our friend (in the blue top) was racing and got 8th, the women's race and the A race.

I liked the alternative podium!

It seems to be the fashion to put jackets on dogs!! Ok if they are unwell or very old I suppose......

I think I would like to return in the summer!! There is a big garden centre there with a decent sized café, and the whole lot is on East Renfrewshire council ground.

If nothing else the garden centre wouldn't be overrun by Christmas tat and fir trees in plastic netting jackets!!.

Since the evening, Pirate's toothache has been seriously bothering him. I think that it is a tooth that has been grumbling for a long time and that has been pulling his health down a tad, as I would expect.  Naturally he doesn't want to lose it...who would....but it sounds like an abscess, so it should come out!  I think that is one anchor for a bridge which complicates matters and he is against getting false teeth.  

I think that they are not the end of the world, they are considerably cheaper than the alternative and won't be pulling his health down...but it is his decision. 

I am just looking forward to seeing the back of the bear with a sore head!!

The price of things

 Another day for drying, and just a few slight showers...we finish off the drying and airing on a rack by a dehumidifier...I don't want a damp house!

The apple juice had its final pressing in  the morning then stood all day to settle as much of the fine particles as possible.

After lunch we had a couple of errands before buying petrol for the car. Another price rise, nearly £1.40 a litre.  That brought back a memory of buying petrol in New Zealand in early 2013... at $1.42...then returning to Scotland where it was £1.42, twice the price.

So fuel at this price is nothing new.

Prices are creeping up quickly though....I bought a pack of four ripe figs, reduced...to what they were full price recently.  It isn't a surprise, with what has happened in recent years.  I have always kept an eye on the reduced items, but now even more so. Our pensions may rise...but I get the feeling that many things are rising faster. We are being very careful how we heat the house now, and what power we use at home, even more than usual.

We delivered a birthday card and bunch of flowers to a friend who has her 86th birthday on Sunday. She arrived back from taking a friend's dog for a long walk...and the dog will be 10 on Sunday!

It was good to have a catch up and meet another dog! Her dog died a little while ago and she has found that she cannot live without a dog in her life! Unfortunately the only dogs needing rehoming at the moment are large dogs and young dogs, so she makes do with Archie..who enjoys her company too!

Back home to watch the Track Cycling World Championships on TV, from Roubaix- quite a change from the mud of Paris Roubaix recently!!

Now I have bottled the apple juice, eight bottles, and am processing it so that it will keep. We are still drinking last year's juice and it is still perfect.

its a dogs life.....

that and arguing as terrier siblings only can.....

terriers!

Siblings!  A blend of Bichon Frise, Patterdale, Jack Russel, Manchester and who knows what else...terriers!

"Helping" the pirate do a little digging in Nephew's garden.

visiting

 Pirate and Nephew....

 Nephew's new workshop....I'm getting inspired! We've bought a spare roll of insulating membrane from him, for my workshop. It is breathable, but also keeps the wet out.  Just what we need.
They have a new pair of pups, so it was walkies time...

Only youngsters yet...siblings,despite the looks.

escape!

 looking one way at sunset last Wednesday

 and the other.....then on our way in the morning at 7 degrees C....

 dogsitting...

 well, 2 dogs, 6 cats, 9 chooks and 5 ducks....

 and meeting The Carpenter's Woodchip for the first time at 2 weeks old...

she is a sweetie...apart from being nocturnal and having a mind of her own!!!! (and is willing to let all know!)

Now we are staying with more family....and go to England to see some of Pirate's family...and back home....
The car has had garage tlc, which will use all our spare money...

something will turn up before we escape to NZ.....hopefully!!

weekend in Abergavenny

Dogwalking, gardening, foraging, relaxing with friends.
A little racing on the velodrome at Newport as we were near.
Collecting furniture and pottery things that have been in store for a year.
Visiting family...the Carpenter and family with an addition due in just over a week..and the Pirate's daughter and family in Bristol, before heading off on the long road home. Nearly 1000 miles done!