Friday 11th September 2026

Another day without prickly heat. Which was good.

I woke up after crazy dreams, which featured a girl and her mother on narrow twisty stairs. Her name was Egypt, which I told her was nice, but that didn't help me find my lost bike, or explain how my survey ship had capsised.

So it goes.

I woke up to hear Jools getting in the car and leaving for yoga, so I get up, get dressed and go down to make coffee.

Nothing new in the world, other than it was a little more stupid than previously.

The bins were put out, the feeders topped up, to much joyous chirping from the hedge.

The main task for the day was the list of churches to visit on Saturday, as it was ride and stride, as well as heritage weekend.

I have decided to use the map from John's first volume of Kent churches, so select 15 (fifteen) near to Dartford, along with postcodes, and hope that some would be open.

As an addition, when I have circled all churches on the map, I will consider the project "done", though there may be some more light crawling over the next few years.

Who knows.

Rain fell in amounts to do the garden good, and the Yellow rattle seed arrived, so more scarifying and broadcasting is expected in the near future.

In the cycling, La Vuelta was back in the mountains, so most of the 210KM was shown live, so Poppy and I settled down and tried to stay awake. Poppy slept all the way through, I lightly dozed.

We had dinner, then it was time for the quiz, in which I came third, so have an 8 (eight) point lead at the top of the table, with three weeks and thirty points to play for.

West Ham thrashed Hollywood FC, Wrexham, 6-0 on the tellybox. I laughed like a drain.

As you do.

Thursday 10th September 2026

It is autumn.

Perhaps.

So there are tasks to be carried out, like sorting the lawnmeadow out.

Due to the prickly heat the day before, I didn't go to the gym, and would lay off any kind of manual labour until Saturday.

Only the lawn needed to be done. As rain was due overnight Thursday, so best get it done.

I laid in bed until nearly seven, getting up just when the session down the gym should have ended.

Outside it was cloudy, but the sun would break through.

After Jools had gone out and returned, I took the car to go to the lawnmower place to buy some of the special non-degrading fuel, then after calling at Tesco for lunch, back home to get to work.

I fill the mower, and do the whole lawn on a low setting. I did intend to wait a couple of days to do the scarifying, but looking at the weather, and now I have an electric scarifyer, its easy enough.

So after a ten minute rest, i get the machine out and get to work, then every twenty paces of so, have to empty the collecting box of thatch, but in under an hour the whole lawn is done.

It'll have to be done again before the end of the month, of course, then seeds sown. But that'll be it for another ten months or so.

We sit on the patio and look at our works.

The cycling was the individual time trial. Not that exciting, but the guy on commentary did their best to bring some drama into it.

And that was that.

More garlic chicken, corn and grains for dinner, before there was the "drama" of Man Utd in Europe. May as well watch it while I have that package.

I went to bed with Utd four goals up and cruising.

The annual birthday chat with David and Mark, with Magic Alex behind

From 47:07 www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dEdoGssRRI&t=2575s

Wednesday 9th July 2026

The wisteria that refused to die.

About a decade ago, we bought two wisteria plants, and put them in tubs with the intention of them climbing up and along the front of the shelter on the lower patio.

Planting them in tubs was the mistake, as there was never enough nutrients in the ground, so both plants would flower poorly and shed their leaves soon after flowring.

One died, and the other one was very sorry looking. So, I pulled it out of the tub, leaving half the roots behind. That plant is doing OK, the main part had died, but a side branch flowered well this year and still have leaves.

In the tub, a small plant emerged from the roots, it was removed last year, the leaves came off and it looked like a twig.

But it refused to die, put forth more leaves and grew strongly, and once its leaves drop, it will also be planted in a bed.

Wednesday started off with heavy rain, meaning that when Jools went out, I did nothing other than the usual messing around online, having breakfast and regular infusions of tea.

The rain stopped, the skies cleared and the sun came out. I went to sit with Mulder and Scully under the kitchen window, listen to podcasts and watch the birds now that they have discovered the feeders are back.

It was beyond warm, but nothing like it was in France at times, or here for that matter. But i felt odd, hot, but different.

In the afternoon I went to Canterbury to have both shoulders pummelled, that went well, and at least the left one is easing.

But on the way back my chest began to itch, and then my arms. And once back the itching spread.

I thought a swarm of mosquitos or midges had been feasting on my delicious blood. But it was something else: prickly heat.

I took an allergy pill, and tried to keep cool as the NHS website warned, this was helped by the evening being the coolest since the early spring, and sitting by the open window watching the cycling and then the football meant that the itching eased, and the rash became less ruddy and raised, until by bedtime, it was gone.

I decided to skip phys the next morning in case the exercise set off another attack.

Other than that, a typical Wednesday

Tuesday 8th September 2026

I foolishly said I was going to do three sessions of phys this week: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. So this was the second early morning on consecutive mornings.

But I had been away since four, so lay awake waiting for the alarm to go off.

Needless to say, it was dark, but being first up I go downstairs, put the kettle on, test and jab Scully, and then feed them all.

Coffee made for me, tea for Jools, and check on the computer what was going in the world.

Time slips by, and soon I have to put my trainers on and be out of the house.

Sigh.

I drive to Whitfield, and after parking I am nearly run over by a reversing car, whose driver failed to check in his mirrors. I thought he was going to give me a piece of his mind, and would respond my surprise at him having any spare.

But he drove off.

I walked to the entrance and then up to the gym. I have a pod to listen to, on which I am featured speaking about The Beatles. But the usual stuff before me.

I do 300 calories, and decide that was enough, so go downstairs to cool down, easier as outside the rain was falling, and due to get heavier through the morning.

There would be no mowing the lawn this day, the rain came down harder, turning the lawnmeadow green. Or greener.

Jools leaves, so I have the morning in which to have breakfast, a show, another brew. Which I manage.

After lunch we go to Jen's for our first game of cards in months.

We have a brew while we play. I have little luck all afternoon. But Jools wins the run kitty in Queenie, scooping several pounds in pennies, meaning our tin wasn't big enough to hold all our winnings.

Ha!

A race back home to turn on the TV so I can watch La Vuelta. Once that was done, I go to the kitchen, rustle up a quick lunch.

We had a bottle of English fizz to go with lunch, which I ad bought on Sunday. And very nice and refreshing it was too.

And then to the sofa for the race.

Once that ended, I had half an hour before the evening's football, where I watched West Ham play at Bolton. It ended in an entertaining 3-2 away win.

Travel update

And more importantly, an update following our telling our financial advisor of our travel plans for next year, and what we spent last year.

Well.

For the last 24 hours, we have been looking at reciepts and hotels bills, flight tickets and the such.

And the truth is, we have some difficult choices to make.

We had allowed a set amount for us to spent on "travel". It appears that we have spent, or will have to spend by the end of March, triple our budget.

Some future spending we can cut, some we cannot.

Being time rich, and apparently money rich, meant never saying no to any possible travel plans.

Its just as well we found out now, so changes can be made.

On top of that, we have had the kitchen and utility rooms made over 100%, and the bathroom done too. Both sets of work overspent by some 20%

There is a chance one or both of us will return to work in order to fund our future spending plans, something we're both looking into.

Today (Thursday) has been spent totalling spending, and some of it is as expected, but a little overspent here, and some overspent over there, can make quite the sum of money.

A reality check for sure.

News as we get it.

Monday 7th September 2026

With the visit to the fort on Sunday, we both skipped the gym, but I rashly said I would go both Monday and Tuesday to make up.

Thus came ten past five on Monday morning. It was still dark, and only the hint of dawn to the south east.

We both do the stuff needed, and have the first drink of the day, so that we were out of the house at ten to six, and at the sports centre just before six.

This was another of the sessions when I dropped the level to 12, so that I could do fifty minutes, and not be out of breath at all, though the humid morning meant we were soon hot and sweaty regardless.

But it was an enjoyable session, so that we were done at just before seven.

I then had a podiatrist appointment at half eight, so rather than go home, we went straight to Deal for an hour's walk round in the clear morning light.

The sun had risen opposite the coast, so that as we walked from the larked car to the promenade, it was right in front of us.

It was glorious, racking up more and more steps, but in a warm morning, it was just marvelous.

I wandered past the fishing boats, then to the pier, and as I went through the entrance, the sun was in my eyes, so I took what I thought was a good shot.

I sat to listen to the end of the podcast, below me, people were swimming in the shallows by the stony beach. Barely a breath of wind stiffed the flags at the end of the pier.

Just like summer.

Time to walk to the surgery, so I head to the High Street, then along back towards the castle, before turning down through the houses.

12,000 steps already done, and feeling pretty good.

After a ten minute wait, I was shown in, and my feet inspected and buffed. The ulcers on my legs are gone, and the redness is fading day by day. It really is a miracle. Or not, as its all down to the hours spent in the gym, and the walking through the spring and summer.

Jools was waiting outside, and we decided to go out for breakfast. But, with schools going back, most places now close on Mondays, and when we did find a place just open, neither of us fancied a fry up, so made do with cheese toasties and a cold drink.

We sat and relaxed as the drinks were brought and the food was cooked.

Once we had eaten, we go to buy a couple of things at a chemists, then back to the car and drove home.

So much done, and it wasn't yet ten. So, I had a shower and changed, then it was make a fresh brew and sit on the patio with Scully.

Of course, no cycling as it was a rest day, and with European football starting, no Monday Night Premier League games either.

Jools knits in the shelter at the bottom of the garden, in the shade from the warmest part of the day, whilst I write, edit shots and the such.

I do watch the highlights of Sunday's stage of the tour from Spain, Wout is a machine, and my favourite rider, and has been for a few years now. So strong and combative.

The evening came early, with darkness falling soon after, and after a glass or two of sloe gin, I headed up to bed, half an hour behind Jools.