suzeanna

It's very important that Wispa approves, Owl. I told Philip that when I leave the planet, I hope he finds someone else but what if he meets someone who seems ideal but they don't like dogs? He said then they wouldn't be ideal, would they? Yes Eve, I can actually play Farm Heroes on a big screen!

Oh dear Jazz..hope the immodium works but doesn't give you the opposite problem. Owl, that is unexpected news, but long may you enjoy your new connection! That's the trouble with changing from a big car to a smaller one, blackmagic. You'll have to really be ruthless about anything you don't 100% need. Philip had a bad start to his working morning, his web book wouldn't boot and an hour and a half of phone calls to second line techies later it still is refusing to play nice so he's had to go to the office so they can hopefully sort it out. It may take up to six hours apparently...I told him in that case don't just sit there come back home and go back for it.

Morning! Philip is back working today, so the computer will be out of bounds for me until gone 5, grabbing a moment to do my shopping before he starts work. Hope all have an uneventful day!

Yantan, you and Ruby are having a bad time of it, hope at least you have some sun to lift your spirits. It's been sunny here today and meant to be ok tomorrow, Philip says typical! He's back to work on Monday. Still working from home though. Wondering what the oncologist will say when I see him on Friday..there's another new lump just under my ear now and one by the side of my windpipe. Hope it's more radiotherapy and not chemo, I really really don't want chemo. Griff, any more trouble from the neighbours from hell?

The scenery up there as you probably know Owl is marvellous whatever the weather, unless of course it's that really heavy mist, then you can't see a thing. Quite a few of the "ooh, there's no white line, where's the middle of the road" types about today up there. Bit unsettling when you meet them coming round a bend. Griff, you're a city girl..or at least a townie! I've always lived more in the country than the town, all our dogs have been used to cows, sheep, horses etc. Candy's seen sheep in fields but not right in front of her. When we lived the other side of Chesterfield there was a farm at the end of our lane, and there are fields with cows just up from when we are now. People rhapsodise about the countryside, but it's not so lovely when the farmers are muck spreading..the smell lingers for ever. I keep reading about cows dying because idiots are dumping rubbish in fields, and the cows eat it. Doesn't seem to occur to them that a cow is a sort of giant labrador and will have a try at anything that might be remotely edible. One farmer lost four cows and several calves because someone had thrown yew clippings into his field. Deadly stuff. Jazz, the trouble with Tesco vouchers at the moment..or anything to do with clothes..you can't try them on in the shops. I'll definitely go for a cheque unless he comes up with something else.

Yantan, I meant to say thanks for the suggestion about the beer but I managed to speak to Mark last night and apparently he hardly drinks any more! His wife and his sister make up for it though...so I think I'll have to be boring and send him a cheque, then he can get what he wants. I know he enjoys go kart racing and their local track is shut at the moment, but hopefully it'll reopen soon and he'll be able to go there if he wants.

We started out in sun, but of course as we got higher it got cloudier then rained, so although we could see the views well, it wasn't clear enough for photos. Couldn't believe how many people were out though, every parking area was jammed and there were loads of cyclists and walkers. It did fair up again, which was lucky as we had to stop to sort Candy out..she's normally fine in the car but maybe as it was a twisty road she threw up. We always have a cover on the back seat so it was easy enough to deal with and after a walk around she was fine. She did look a bit bemused by the sheep in the middle of the road (we were going across a moorland part with cattle grids at each end), she's met horses before but never a sheep! Hope that's it for the burglars Owl, and they don't have more cars to use. I remember when there was a spate of burglaries when we lived in New Whittington, they even nicked someone's' big ride on mower, lord knows how they managed that one.

Hope you recorded it on your phone Griff, handy evidence for the police if needed. Eve, some of your weather seems to have wandered down here, sun is shining for the first time in ages! If it stays bright we're ...hold your breath...going for a drive to the Peaks. If any cop stops us I'll wilt down in my seat and do my best "poor cancer patient wanting to see the moors" act!

Our local card factory shop has reopened, so got a card for my son's birthday in a few weeks time, It's a problem knowing what to get him as a present though...he belongs to a book club and music too I think, so that's out. I can fall back on a good old Amazon gift card but I'd like something a bit more personal. Got to be posted, whatever it is, so booze is out.

Eve, both you and Owl have had the mental strain of seeing close relatives or partners suffering with their illnesses, so no doubt although some of us have the physical problems, you haven't escaped the emotional ones! Another glorious day with the sun beating down. Ok, I'm lying. It's raining again.

Poor Ruby, it'll be worth it in the long run though, same I hope for you, Griff. Remember back in May I was referred to a vascular consultant because of my dilated aorta? Never heard a thing? The onc's secretary (another Kelly, good name!) chased it up for me and told me that they had come back saying it should have been cardiology, not vascular. So she sent it to cardiology at Chesterfield Royal. Not a sausage. She's chased it again and found the Royal have sent it on to Northern General in Sheffield! Apparently the MDT team (multi department team?) will be discussing my case on the 4th August, so I might hear something after that..not holding my breath though. Griff, how's your mum? Is her leg any better?

Tesco still in Covid mode here Jazz! I had a phone appt with my oncologist on 2nd September, but as there is a new lump thing on my chest just under the hollow of my throat which seems to be happily growing I phoned the onc's secretary this morning to ask if they could give me an earlier appt. She phoned just now to say yes, face to face on Friday 17th! I don't know if he'll say more radiotherapy, it seemed to have done the trick with the original lumps or if there won't be a chance of that as this one is nearer to the heart. Hope Ruby doesn't have too bad a time today and for the next couple of weeks.

Does it take one particular type of antibiotics to see off your infection, Yantan, or does it always need two? I remember many years ago I had a really bad strep throat and that took two different types to see it off. Poor Ruby, but at least she's getting something done. On BBC Breakfast this morning they had a prerecorded interview with a young mum with bowel cancer, her chemo had been stopped because of the risk to her if she got Covid. She was saying it was crazy, she wanted the treatment, she didn't want to die. Ten days after the interview, she died. I don't see the logic behind their thinking. Enjoy your soup and roll!

Good morning Owl. Hope you aren't planning to fight any more antisocial wildlife today? Another gloomy day, with the rain and wind yesterday evening it was more like October than July. One good thing is it might keep the morons off the streets, especially as a lot of pubs are only allowing drinking in the beer gardens.

Had to laugh at the comment by the Scotsman, Owl. Scots are known for their heavy drinking, especially Glaswegians! I imagine a good few "English" people have Italian somewhere in their ancestry, thanks to the Roman invasion of these islands, not to mention the Viking hordes. Philip lived up in Scotland for some time in his late teens early twenties and he said he was astonished at how much was put back and not just by the youngsters either. Certainly blowing hard here but warm with it, so not too bad. We managed to haul out about a mile of bindweed, lots of nettles and brambles and there's still loads to do. I need money, so I can employ a gardener!

Are you meaning generalised vitriol, Eve or has some been directed at Richard, being English? I have a Scottish friend..lives in Perthshire somewhere (I'm awful with geography!) and her husband is English, but she hasn't mentioned any trouble. My daughter in law is half Scottish, her brother lives in Stranraer and is very strongly SNP, you'd never dream he had a drop of English blood despite his mum coming from Sheffield. The wind is picking up out there, the trees over the road are really bending!

Griff, I mentioned a bird box to my daughter, she's going to look for one but put it up in the garden rather than right behind the back door. Their place has a funny set up, the house and the garden are nowhere near each other! Eve, I see Nicola is talking about the English having to be quarantined if we dare to put a foot into Scotland, we obviously are wicked and germ laden! I took the Chariot of Fear out today to walk with Philip and Candy, said oh, it doesn't go very fast does it? Philip got that long suffering look that men get at times, strolled back and altered a control knob I hadn't noticed from the tortoise symbol to the hare. After which I nearly ran over Candy! Nastiness all round Owl, they sound as bad a rival football supporters. Don't let it get to you, for heaven's sake. It's no wonder Leicester have a spike in infection, I was reading about the clothing manufacturing there...all close together, no PPE of any sort and worse of all, they are only paid £4 an hour, which is against the law. Some there who preferred to stay anonymous said even when people had symptoms they were told to come in and shut up or they'd lose their jobs. Of course, all the employees are non white and not only work but live close together, perfect storm.

Good to hear Wispa is back to normal, Owl. Hot, Jazz? Cold wind and raining here! All my fault for getting a scooter you shouldn't use in the rain, no doubt. My daughter is most disappointed, a sparrow had built a nest in the ivy opposite her kitchen door and there was one chick. It's died. I pointed out that it was a ruddy silly place to have a nest anyway, only about two foot off the floor and right by the path to the bins and probably a young mum who didn't really know how to care for her one and only offspring. I've told her to cut the ivy right back and dispose of the nest so it won't be tempted to try again. Better luck next time!

I'm baffled. I've joined the ranks of the folk losing things that should be obvious! I've got two bright pink plant pot holders, the sort with a hanger that you can put on a fence. The fence is really overgrown with shrubs now, I took one off last summer and put it by the planters on the floor, the other was still on the fence. I promised them to my daughter...took the one on the fence off, looked for the other and it's totally vanished! It's not huge but it's not tiny either, how can it not be visible? Had to move the scooter so I could get the garden and recycling bins out and did a neat turn on the driveway without hitting anything. I've decided to call it the Chariot of Fear..not sure if I mean mine or other people's! Hippie Motors do some good stickers, I'm going to personalise it. Philip suggested jacking it up at the back so it would bunny hop but I think that's a step too far.

Hope it is a better month and heralds a better half of the year! Can't believe the number of hypocrites round here! About a dozen people standing over the road waiting for Dick's hearse to arrive and at least two thirds of them I've heard bad mouthing him. I suppose they could be there just to make certain he's really gone!

Hope the doc is wrong about your brother, Yantan or at least if he's right it's only a mild case. I know drakes can drown ducks whilst trying to mate with them, never seen swans doing it though. Neighbour's funeral tomorrow, his son has invited us to go round but we won't be. I've lent them some chairs so that's my contribution. I've got a good excuse, I shouldn't be mixing closely with a lot of people I don't know. Hope the rain holds off for them, they've put up a big gazebo thing in the garden.

Morning! I seem to have got into the annoying habit of waking at around 3.30 and staying awake until gone 5. The more horror stories I read online about the idiots in the country the less I really want to get out and about again! Tracy (Snow) had shared a video taken at Limehouse (is that London?) of a group of morons walking along by the marina. One woman kicked a swan that had come up to the water's edge looking for food, and a chap who presumably worked there went up to have a word. A young guy on an electric scooter then rushed up behind him and pushed him into the water and they all walked off laughing! Poor guy might not have been able to swim, but I doubt they cared.

Glad you found them Karen! Philip thought he'd lost a set of keys the other day, but he'd dropped them in the bag where Candy's leads and poo bags live. Yantan, it's a little bitty scooter, not one of the big macho machines..I'd look a bit odd in leathers! I would have loved the one that has motor bike chop handlebars but out of our price range! I mainly want it to put in the boot of the car so I can actually go places again and not walk for five minutes without standing on one leg like a weird stork. I'm surprised your work colleague rode his in the rain, one thing the guy who brought mine over said was DON'T take it out in the rain, they don't like it. No problem, neither do I! I looked it up online and they say none of the smaller scooters should be used in rain or snow, you'll wreck the electrics. Hope your chest infection soon responds to the antibiotics.

Second hand, Jazz. Can't afford a new one.

Philip says he's just worried about the compensation bill for the people I run over! This is the advert: This is a Pride GoGo Elite Traveller 4mph car boot scooter. In very good condition. Comes with basket, hooter & swivel chair. 2x12amp batteries that hold a full charge. Fully PAT tested charger. Scooter breaks down to fit into boot of car (see photo). Buy with confidence, scooter fully serviced and has a 30 day Return To Base Guarantee. Viewing is more than welcome, There were plenty of photos, it looks very clean and it shows how it breaks down for putting in the car.