Monday 19th July 2021

Freedom Day (in Boris Johnson's head only).

We had a great weekend. I mean did lots of good things, used all the time pretty well. Laughed long and loud.

And back to the weekend, and thinking about the fact that Jen, Sylv and John are retired, and have whole years to fill. Would we be able to? I think so.

Work would be fine if I got satisfaction from it, or thought I make a difference. I'm not sure I do any more, if I'm honest. It makes summoning the entusiasm each morning, Monday's especially, very difficult.

Jools didn't set the alarm, as she tries to wean herself off caring about work so much now her boss is due back. So, we have coffee together and then she packs her bag ready for the day, and then leaves. I make a second coffee, listen to an old podcast, and gird my loins yet again for a day staring at computer screens.

The cats are fed and with temperatures due to rise quickly, they find somewhere dark and cool to spend the day in, meaning I am on my own, except when Cleo trots in all joy and tail erect, meowing for something. I gove her food, she looks at it. Want a cuddle? I reach for her and she runs out of reach.

I set to work, trying to find a place to start in closing audit findings, hard at the best of times, but when the people you said you'd help then fail to answer any mails.

Sigh.

I have breakfast whilst working, then at eleven I make lunch; lefotver breaded chicken rolls with mayo and sweet chilli relish. Yummy.

Outside it was hot, dang hot. Too hot to go out for a walk, there was no breeze, and anyway, by foot was about twice its normal size, I doubt if I could have got a shoe on anyway.

I look at the back garden: most of the wild flowers have gone to seed and mostly there is the old enemy; wild carrot. That, and Musk Mallow, which looks wonderful, and from the single plant last year we have a huge group in the same place, now climbing up the hedge, and two others in other parts of the meadow. Too nice to mow. But I could do patches, making sure the Pyramidal is left so it can set seed too.

So, at three, when it was hottest, I fill up the mower for the first time in about 22 months and pull the cord to start it. It catches third time and roars into life. And there is smoke.

So, with the mower on the highest setting, I mow the right hand side of the path, the top part of the meadow nearest the house, and an are of drass near the feeder which was so long and lush it had all fallen down and was going rotten.

In about half an hour I had most of it down, some stalks were laying over, but they would be done another time. I sweep the paths and leave the clippings to dry. I will rake them twice befor ethe weekend to allow the seeds to fall to the ground, then scarify lots.

I could have had a beer at that point, but gout and all that. I have squash, check work mails once more and pack away for the day.

I make fritters for dinner. I mean its so easy, so tasty, and quite healthy too. I add another spoon of curry powder to pep them up a bit, add a potato as the two courgettes were on the small side, and an extra onion.

And done.

I fry them so that the last batch were browning when Jools came back, her boss not interested in what she had done over the last two weeks.

We tidy up. Make coffee and sit in the cool of the living room, all doors and windows open, a slight breeze cooled us down.

The evening wore on, Jools watered the plants, while I wrote.

A quiet end to a quiet day.