We’re starting our third year in Herefordshire. Crikey.
A quiet week. Back to work.
Tuesday morning was a mix of admin on the computer and the Cockyard Circular backwards. Blue skies, green fields, sparkling water running off the roads. Lovely.
I was back at work this week and it was unexpectedly busy, which was sort of OK but also a pain. I need to build up my work stamina again, and get my head back into the detail. VWW resumed on Wednesday and Family Zoom to round off the work week on Thursday.
We went to Abergavenny on Friday morning, primarily for a check up at the dentists. The first time in years and years for me. Not very exciting, but a good thing to have got done. Now I just have to claim the eye watering cost back from BUPA. We gave up trying to find an NHS dentist and are making use of the dental insurance I can get through work. It feels wrong.
Returned home to a late Christmas present of Lemon Grass seeds which was a delightful surprise. Thank you CH 🙂 Afternoon on the computer and catching up on email. Phil resumed Friday Night Pizza for dinner.
Those of you who know how strongly my love of mince pies and my love of bargains coincide at this time of year will be relieved to learn that I managed to buy FOUR boxes of reduced mince pies from Sainsbury’s on Saturday – 25p per box.
Saturday morning had started late and I’d nipped in to Sainsbury’s en route to “Winchester” to do some DIY with dad, making a firmer base for the car boot. Jean had an electric BMW for the day to test drive, which provided an excellent excuse for an afternoon’s jaunt to The Hop Pocket – my first experience of a “Shopping Village”.  Home to eBay and Freegle some stuff.
Tremorithic backwards on Sunday morning. Feeling unexpectedly low. Late lunch, then a bit of sorting out in the garage and sawing of oversize logs until CW phoned for a catch up. Once dark I headed inside for reading and eBaying (clarinet or horse brasses anyone?) before dinner and Succession, the latter having necessitated the revival of our NowTV subscription. We rewatched the last episode of season 2 before embarking on season 3.
I am hoping the past month or so of sleeping in is coming to a natural end as on Monday morning I was rising and shining around 7.30am. The days of a 6am start and a 4 mile walk before breakfast (aka my London routine) are long gone.
In spite of the low, low clouds and occasional spots of rain I had a busy morning doing jobs in the garden and garage, with the army camp providing gunfire soundtrack. My personal highlight was getting rid of a dead mouse, all on my own. Then progressed on to weedkillering around the house, digging over the compost heap, emptying the compost bin dalek and laying mesh underneath it in an attempt to deter the rats (joint job with Phil) and making a start on sorting out the garage.
Late lunch, cleaned some of the metal tools unearthed from the garage shelves and then settled down with a book finishing off Robin Hobb’s Renegade’s Magic. More Succession in the evening. Very annoying to discover we’d only got 1 day left to watch the whole series. Not impressed, Now TV.
The bulb shoots around the bird feeders are increasing in number and height. More snowdwops are out but there’s no sign of the aconites. Our inherited hellebores are blooming by the front door and there are lots of buds on the camellias old and new.
In less good news, the rat trap claimed a robin.
Telly: This Farming Life, The Tourist, Doctor Who (NYE Special), Toast of Tinseltown, Succession (season 3).
Podcasts: Lingthusiasm, The History of Japan, The History of England Guest Episodes and History Extra.
Photos: Herefordshire week 106 on Flickr.
Phil: w/e 2022-01-09.