Mist and rain. Flying visit from CP. Sunday lunch with dad and Jean. Nepal prep.
Conservatives in chaos. Again.
Woke to a misty morning on Tuesday, fog lingering late especially in the main A465 valley.
In not so good Nepal news, my inbox contained an email from Qatar telling me they’d cancelled my Doha-London flight and that I needed to rebook or request a refund. The reality proved not quite so alarming – they’d already rebooked me onto the flight that leaves an hour later.
Did weeknotes then headed out to walk Riverdale route. Beautiful day.
Did not want to spend the afternoon sitting at my work desk. Dinner Deliveroo down at TJL’s – mushroom risotto and apple & blackberry crumble.
Wednesday and Thursday workdays were enlivened by the final flailing days of Liz Truss’s tenure as Prime Minister, our second dose of political chaos this year. It’s not like we haven’t got some huge social and economic problems to tackle as the Tories desperately try to cling on to power.
God knows who we’ll get next. I pray it’s not that lying philanderer Boris Johnson again.
24 Oct 2022 Update: It’s Rishi’s turn in No. 10.
Thursday’s non-politics highlight was an email from Val letting me know how much cash to bring with me to pay for the trek, and in what currency. Cutting it fine…. And on Saturday my eBay purchased down jacket arrived in the post. Phew. Now all I need to do is pack!
Into town early on Friday to drop Phil off at the station, return library books and for a small shop. Then home to rattle through some admin until CP arrived – main achievement was to sort out various Nepal-related paperwork.
Outside it was rainy; perfect for lighting the first fire in the log stove for the season, catching up and seeing C’s photos from London in the days after the Queen’s death back in September.
Slept really well! Unlike Tues, Weds and Thursday nights. Brain whirr.
We managed a stroll to Kerrys Gate and back on Saturday before CP headed on towards The Valleys. Did a few bits and pieces in the garden – including liberating a blue tit from the greenhouse – started piling up more things onto the Packing Bed and did some LED updates. Fidgety day.
Very heavy rain overnight, and a few rumbles of thunder.
Leisurely start to Sunday. I treated myself to a pot of tea and toast in bed with the LRB. I’ve finished February!
Spent the morning powering through Picos Photos & Notes, mainly getting the blogpost prepped and photos into folders.
Dad and Jean arrived a little after midday. We had a stroll around the garden – lots of mushrooms have emerged, lots of different types – then over to Ewyas Harold for lunch at The Temple Bar Inn.
Back home, I did online check-in and seat selection for my LHR-DOH-KTM flights then spent a good few hours flickring more Picos photos. Watched a couple of episodes of Medici with soup for tea.
Spent most of Monday completing Picos Photos & Notes. Then packed for Nepal!
Today’s greenhouse bird was a robin!!!! I think it and the blue tit might have got in through the bottom vents – I noticed they were wide open. So I’ve closed them.
We’ve lots of thrushes around at the moment. They move in large flocks, sometimes landing on the lawn (looking for insects and worms?) and at other times take up residence in the yew trees. I’m not sure if they’re mistle thrushes or song thrushes.
Lots of different mushrooms / fungi on the lawn, along the hedge and by the willow stump.
TV: Grand Designs, Rev., Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Medici.
Podcasts: History Extra.
Photos: Herefordshire week 147 on Flickr.
Phil: w/e 2022-10-23.