Plans and the suchlike. Update

Our builders-cum0kitchen fitters have left, and we now have a confirmed date for the start of Operation Fancy Pants Kitchen.

They arrive on 20th Ocotber for the "rip out", and most of the frames should be in place by the 25th. On the 29th, the worktop fitters come to take exact measurements, and the tops should then be fitted in early November.

In the meantime, the old tops could be places on the new units.

Three cats are going to kitty prison, while Scully will remain here so we can monitor her blood sugars.

And next year, I can conirm a double holiday, over three weeks in July into August.

We meet up with Jon and Richard and the rest of the tour in Lyon, before a drive to the first of our bases in the foothills of the Alps. Target species is the Ghost Orchid, which our two guides found in the area this year (2025).

We then have five days to travel down through southern France, cross the Pyrenees to our hotel for the eclipse later in August.

As with last year's trip to Tuscany, we're going to drive there in the Audi, and have three weeks of the high life, rare orchids, good company and the finest wines known to mankind.

On top of that there is the trip to Cyprus in early March for yet more orchid action.

And so this afternoon, we ordered our "American" style double wide fridge/freezer, which the whole of the kitchen and utility room were designed around.