Tuesday 27th October 2015

Monday

Being on holiday, it would be expected to lay in bed until if not after eight, then until it is light. But of course, the lights having gone back the day before, daylight was now abroad before half six. The cats were hungry, we needed coffee, so why not get up?

After watching the previous day's MOTD, what with all the upsets and stories. That done, we have the last of the bacon and time to get the serious stuff out of the way: the garden.

Monty told us on Friday that we should be preparing the garden for winter, and so we pulled on our old boots, raggedy jumpers, and went outside to spread mulch on the flower beds, do some last minute weeding and plant yet more bulbs. And by lunchtime, we were done. That is pretty much the major job of the week done. six more days to fill! But I will full them, oh yes.

In the afternoon we went to visit the old folks up at Whitfield, and what a dispiriting experience it was. Dad sat in the conservatory smoking and watching TV, and Jen was all a blur doing jobs around the house. Her Mum was in her onsie watching the racing on the huge TV in the living room. Talking to Jools; Dad is a bit like talking to my Mother, nothing seems to engage: we tried to explain what we did on Sunday, up in London. Art seemed not to interest him, and as for revisiting history, he could see no point in it at all. And yet I have seen him spending hours watching war documentaries on TV. Oh well.

It was a relief to leave, frankly.

We stop off at Kearsney Abbey on the way home for a walk, and to see the wonderful autumnal colours of the trees in the stunning late afternoon sunshine. I take a few shots, but really just being there to take it all in like a fine wine was wonderful.

Back home I get down to cooking: roast lamb and the trimmings, whilst I have the radio on burbling away. Yes, a Sunday roast on a Monday: that's how we roll. Night falls outside just after four, and the fat old yellow moon rises over the valley the other side, all full and bright.

We ate at six, tidied up. And that was that, the day done, and we with nothing to do. Other than our hobbies and passions. Our time in the house enlivened by cats bringing in parts of mice, of living mice. Not sure what was worse, but the live mice were recaptured and released outside.

We go to bed at half nine, as I have a big day on Tuesday. So with the moon shining above, we climb the wooden hill.