Warm weather

Today is so warm that my Facebook friends comment:

Friend #1 Hello sandals, goodbye boots!

That's a nice positive way to move from winter to summer

Friend #2 has just conducted a phone tutorial wearing a swimsuit and a face pack. Thank god we don't have a video link!
Her friend: I bet many people would disagree!
Another of her friends: roflmao I often think that when I am doing an online grocery shop in my PJs.

(roflmao means "roll on floor laughing my backside off")

Friend #3 please put on a shirt, I do not want to see your wobbley moobs. It's really not that hot.

Says she! It's too hot for me in the sun, where my garden thermometer says it's 30 degrees. I like it in the low to mid twenties.

Friend #4 beautiful day for cycle ride round our new home and BBQ with the fam :)

It's nice to know that the family is together this weekend, and that their part of the country is good weather too.

And this morning in London:

Friend #5: Beautiful day, but a way too crowded lido so I was dreaming of Lake Windermere!

And a fellow OUer:

Friend #6: sun, lounger on balcony and catching up with S189 course book.

Driving octogenarians

I've brought my three octogenarians home for Christmas. They live in Yorkshire and we had to drive through what might have been difficult weather conditions, but they sat there like lambs, cosy and dozy. We stopped for comfort breaks and lunch, and then wobbled back to the car. I checked they had their four walking sticks between them.

Now they're chatting away with another octogenarian, my revered first mother-in-law. All seem happy and I'm looking forward to Christmas with them, starting with the pantomime tomorrow.

Weather

A grey mist flattens the Garronne as we leave Bordeaux on our last day. We've been lucky with the weather: warm and sunny the first days, gradually cooling each day, but dry in St Emilion as we traipsed around dusty vineyards. On Tuesday in Bordeaux, there was a torrential downpour for over an hour, but we were dry in in the museum of Jean Moulin.

Sunny weather

The weather has turned really nice, warm and sunny though not too hot. This is what is was like in India in January, when the brightness hurt my eyes that had been used to winter dark. As spring has come gradually, the days have got longer and brighter.

The garden is at its best this week and next, and then will need loads of tidying up in time for the opening of the Secret Gardens of Aylesbury Old Town in June.

I planted three cistus (what sort of cistus is it?) about 7 years ago and this one has grown huge and splendid. The others are invisible runts.

End of term wet weather

Youngest daughter is away on a school trip to Buxton, but I texted her about the PhD offer. It's nice having encouraging children - here's her reply.

"Wow, go you!" Been raining cats and dogs here, but still fun. Was 1st to get hurt and got pulled in water. Got too much to eat, even with budget. Go celebrate!"

It's succinct but full, isn't it? What does she mean that she got hurt? How? Why? And does "pulled in water" mean that she was shoulder high, drenched and half drowned, or what? If she was the first, then that implies others go hurt too. Oh dear!

The reference to the budget is because the school is giving them a limited amount of money from which they have to plan and purchase and prepare their meals together, so I think there are lots of lessons about resources, and social negotiation going on here.

Today she texted:

"Need to wash/dry sleeping bag. Our tent collapsed this morning while we were still inside. We've made a few new records for the centre challenges."

Oh dear again! Does she mean that the centre doesn't usually have collapsed tents or is there some unnamed challenge that she and others have beaten?