Water, water, everywhere .....

Aunty J is still without water and so is popping over to GC's for showers etc. Electric is back tho'. According to Dad, the water at home may go off tomorrow. Something to do with the reservoirs having run dry. Contingency plans being made (largely around sterilising the slurry tanker and utilising nearby rivers....) but hopefully it won't come to that. Apparently the cows are all shut up still (since it was wet earlier on in the month).

In other news:
Joe's had some preliminary driving lessons and has managed to steer the Land Rover in a straight line in first gear. Martha is beginning to toddle (having bypassed the crawling stage it seems) and is beginning to create havoc.
Dad's farmers' collective have bought a couple of seats near the centre line in the new stand at Kingsholm. Nice!

Frocester Hill / Coaley peak

Panorama from Frocester Hill, filmed during a brief moment of sunshine on Sunday 1 July before church.

The Country .... in my Kitchen

No, not mice, PTL, but herbs and vegetables.
When I was on leave recently I made my usual trip to the Swedish people and came back with a small greenhouse (I do mean small - c. 40cm x 15cm x 15cm).
When I went home last weekend I brought back compost and flowerpots.
I now have (with varying degrees of ambition...):
- chilli seeds planted
- carrot seeds planted in a large flowerpot
- herb pot planted with five different types of seed (already sprouting).
Quite excited.

Joe-isms

He's so funny.
I called home at about 8pm and could hear Joe in the background so asked to speak to him so that I could tell him to go to bed.
"Hello"
"Hello Joe. Why aren't you in bed?"
"Where are you Debbuh?"
"In my flat in London"
"But your bed is here Debbuh!"
"I've got one here as well Joe"
"But why aren't you sleeping in your bed here?"
Apparently Connie is his dog and she is white and brown. Photos to be posted when received.

Whisky is dead ;-(

Apparently she went missing on Thursday and Catherine found her this morning in the muckpit. Not sure whether she died and was scraped up with the muck, or whether she got clipped by the tractor. Oh dear.
Pets now as follows:
Archie (son of Whisky - short for Archers - for non-family blog readers ... Whisky was the daughter of Haig from Hawkins' farm in the village over I think)
Mac (I think that we just got him in a BOGOF offer negotiated by Hannah from a farm in Wales. Bailey got run over last year on the main road).
Connie (short for Cognac - daughter of Mac).
The above three are all collies.
Freddie the rabbit.
Various chickens.
Some feral cats which (great) Uncle Alan gave us - apparently no-one has seen these for a while, so they might be dead. Either that or living with the foxes in the barn in the Barn Paddock.

Back to Deepest Darkest....

"Debuh...."
"Yes, Joe?"
"Can I have some choc-ut 'cos I've been a good boy?"
".....Yes Joe...."
We seem to have established a new routine whereby Joe equates the going to the carwash with going to the cinema and needs some chocolate to enhance the experience. So, one trip to the garage, just to buy some batteries (for his new digital camera..), some chocolate, and a car wash.
Funny boy.
Have also discovered that God lives in the sky. It would appear that this means that he can't hear what Joe says if Joe is indoors... Joe a little put out/bewildered when I suggested that God had very big ears so He could definitely hear Joe if Joe wanted to talk to Him. Not entirely sure what picture of God I am painting here...
We've also discovered that the mirror to go on the wall in the front room is bent in the middle, so less a stunning centrepiece than fairground attraction.
Martha is podgy and smiley (and still vomiting). Funny girl.
Glos have beaten Northampton 7-5 away ... hmmmm. Not exactly a decisive victory, although we are seven points clear of the team in fourth place, and the gap between us, Bristol and Leicester has narrowed (although Brizz have a game in hand).
Monergism has been revamped - much clearer to navigate now which is quite exciting - found it quite difficult to navigate previously.