Saturday rest-day - John's birthday - N wind at 10mph

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I'm hovering between 'synchronicity' and 'serendipity' in connection with the bullfinch picture.

It's some months since we had a visit and then, the day after missing Peter and Joan's, here we are. A bullfinch. Whether or not when appearing at Peter's he had been told "Get you over to Brinsley straight away!" and, being a God-fearing bullfinch .......

Nice record-shot though. Not a NEMPF winner due to the surrounding crud and, the background isn't sufficiently blurred. But I like to have some idea of the surroundings - good or bad.

My eldest son John is 50 today. WoWee - getting old or what? And he has only days to go before retirement. He is putting his birthday money towards a canoe - and there just happens to be a canoe-selling day today at Home Pierrepont. It's called a Paddlefest From the link it looks like a fun day. But crikey ! I just wish it was warmer for them. A 10mph N wind and it feels vicious here - I shudder to think what it's like at West Bridgford. A paddlefest ! Did I start something with the Sausage-fest ?

Picture 2 is Y's 'posh' book from Cromford.

A quick peek reveals she's reached page 68 and is just starting about Sophocles and Antigone. Although thoroughly enjoying some serious reading again, as she says, "Not a Saturday afternoon book."

For lunch I grilled fresh salmon fillets again with some steamed veg. and new potatoes. The variety was Exquisa and what Boulestin described as 'of the waxy type'. It isn't a bad idea to cook more than you need because, from the fridge, a quick tasty meal can be rustled up toute suite. For pudding Y did sliced banana and greek yoghurt. Sharp and delicious.

Before we leave pictures, here is our minuscule parsley patch which I have successfully over-wintered. Not enough to make parsley sauce for ten I suppose, but handy for the odd garnish. Such a pretty fresh colour I always think. And one can understand the old Derbyshire euphemisim "Having a poke around in the Parsley-Patch".


My responses to your previous comments

Jill ..... There has been a splurge of £3.50 carveries in this area. But I guess in London you would expect to pay more. They vary quite dramatically. The best is probably Chatsworth - but not at £3.50. The Farm Shop is first rate and not exorbitantly expensive. At least it wasn't when answerable to the Dowager Duchess. We haven't been since the new Duke took over.

I hope your steamed cod-loins were a success. Cod usually is. It's the right time of year for inshore catches. The M&S sandwich fillers sound good, probably too good for me, trying to make 'obesity-clinic' gestures.

Bob ..... You are right to ask 'does anyone under 50 eat broken biscuits?' I used to enjoy buying a bag-full of assorted broken biscuits at the Grocers. 6p a 1lb seems to ring a bell. And that's a lot of biscuits.

Rather like shoe-cleaning with polish and brushes. I don't think anyone under 50 has even heard of it being done !

Glad you managed to change your 'desktop'. The random slide-show you describe is called a 'screen saver'. It should vanish as soon as you touch the keyboard or move the mouse. It's a hang-over from CRT days when an unchanged image would 'burn' itself onto the screen. It doesn't happen anymore but people have grown to enjoy the random slide-show or whatever other screen-saver they decide upon.

Fish pies always seem to be fattening. I've got a favourite recipe too. Not Delia surprisingly enough. Blackberry & Apple pie is a bit out-of-season isn't it? Consider your carbon footprint my boy. Apples certainly OK, and I suppose the blackberries could be from the freezer.

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Quotation time .......

"Weather forecast for tonight: dark. Continued dark overnight, with widely scattered light by morning"

George Carlin

Here is today's cartoon from The Multiple Sclerosis Squiffy Website



"Sleep tight - but Daylight Saving means - remember to put your clocks ON one hour with effect from 1am"


The old adage is 'Spring forward, Fall back"

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