Early blog - Been nowhere - 56F - Cloudy

Picture 1 is a 'collage' of what we still have in the garden. Fairly typical I think for October. Michaelmas daisies around normal, still a few Roses but very weak.

Not been out at all today; nothing we need desperately and I managed one of our favourites for lunch - Egg & Chips. Forgetting to obtain eggs from anywhere else yesterday we bought Lidl's 'Free Range' and they were surprisingly good, in terms of colour, flavour and size and, of course, incredibly cheap. And I don't plan to go and see Bungus this evening because he still easily becomes tired.

And I agree Jill that it is probably 'mosey' and not 'mozy' which is a computer 'back-up' programme. You must be careful though that, while sitting in his 'comment chair', you don't pick up a touch of pedantry ! Also, Y and I share your dislike of sausages with weird bits in. Joan had some with rhubarb in, but she did have the honesty to pronounce them 'awful'. Our, more local , 'Lincoln Sausages' have herbs and spices in though and they are delightful. There were no odd contents in our Wild Boar sausages and I have since learnt that a nearby Nottinghamshire farmer now rears wild-boar, so he was no doubt their source. And 'tracklements' is indeed lovely word - so English! Ralph sounds as if he is, as you say, missing Bungus. They had to build him a ramp so he could get into the house over the patio-step, but it has to be modified to a series of shallow steps because he kept falling off the side (his eyesight has nearly gone, poor old lad). Finally, I couldn't agree with Nigel Slater more - one can get away with many culinary misdeeds so long as youy use plenty of butter. We buy a specially cheap brand which I call 'cooking butter'.

Picture 2 Jill is specially for you - another sepia artichoke-head - because I remember you liked the last ones. I have printed you a postcard size copy of that, but due to the strike I am unable to send it to you.

I had an e-mail from Amazon this morning saying that they had successfully found alternative carriers and that instead of their 1 to 2 days delivery might now be 1 to 3 days. It's big business for somebody and I guess, if it works out, Amazon won't go back to Royal Mail. Hard to know what to think because an under-inflation pay-rise is in fact a pay cut and I can understand the postal workers being steamed up.

I've still not worked out how to create a live-link to a video, a YouTube in particular. It's probably a case for Ray or Madeline. I must e-mail Ray anyway to see how he is.

These lists about 'You know you are getting old when.....' should include an item 'You become preoccupied that your vests are long enough'. Can't remember bothering much about it when I was 35 !

Quote for the Day:-

"How well I know what I mean to do
When the long , dark, autumn-evenings come"

Robert Browning

Nice 'comment' yesterday from Steve, Hannah and family and I will certainly pass on the best wishes to Bungus.

..... Not a bit tired tonight - might go out 'clubbin'. Catch you tomorrow.