Mr RoS & I have both had alarms go off on our mobile phones.
Ridiculously, the emergency message on both was shut off as we opened the phones so we didn't get to read them.
I have since learned that they were wildfire warnings - not that were was one in the vicinity, but instructions on fire safety, and what not to do in the current drought conditions that might start a fire.
That would have been useful to know, had it been there long enough to take in!
Some people near me had an alarm call but I didn’t. I am currently staying on a University campus and this evening we had a barbecue. It was all very safe, supervised by the catering staff, on land which is concreted, but I still considered it unwise.
I got the alarm message, I thought it was the fridge going wrong.
Hot here, though not as hot as yesterday and rain is promised, though it hasn't arrived yet. I did nothing very much today other than pop into town to look at the exhibition in the old cells in our Town Hall. Every year they have a different exhibition highlighting stories from local history. This year it was about a thirteen year old transported to Australia and the local philanthopist who founded our first public library.
We got the alarm message in Welsh, which was alarming as I knew enough to get the gist of the warning but not whether there was any immediate danger, and then couldn’t find the message to get a proper translation once I’d clicked on it. An English message followed about ten minutes later.
We got back from spending 2 weeks in Japan late on Thursday. We seldom go abroad on holiday and this was the dream family holiday, planned and booked for 2020 to celebrate my sons finishing their respective exams and then cancelled due to the pandemic. It’s taken this long to co-ordinate our diaries again, and the Youngest’s girlfriend joined us. We stayed 5 days in Tokyo, 6 days in Kyoto, and 3 days in Tokyo again, using hotels for Tokyo and staying in a traditional Japanese house with sliding doors, tatami matting and futon mattresses in Kyoto. We walked about 6 miles most days visiting temples, palaces, monkeys, anime shops, etc, and I can still feel it in my arthritic bones. It was also hot there, in the mid 30s most days. Navigating the trains, subway and buses was straightforward as everything is signposted in English. Mr Heavenly has been to Japan on business trips so had some local knowledge too.
Finding food for the two vegetarians was a nightmare, the land that invented tofu only eats it for breakfast and pork ramen is the staple food everywhere and often the only thing available in cheap restaurants. In Kyoto we were lucky to find a nearby ramen chain that used an app to add or remove items from the variations of pork ramen (including the pork!) and did miso soup as a stock option. I now feel in dire need of some chicken and vegetables, and we did resort to a ‘British pub’ on one occasion for fish and chips/pizza, as well as a Hard Rock Cafe another evening in Tokyo. But the breakfasts were great, in our first Tokyo hotel (Apa, a budget chain) we had both a full English buffet and a fantastic Japanese breakfast (miso soup, salmon and/or pork and chicken, rice, tofu and sticky soya beans), in the second (a business hotel we got cheap on a late deal) we had a buffet of English breakfast and a random variation of other items (mini tofu burgers, vegetable omelette, flavoured rice, chicken and basil, sourdough, matcha muffins).
I stayed awake on the 14 hour flight home and consequently have little jet lag and managed yesterday to log into work to catch up on emails and then do some study, as the website is open early for my classical studies module which starts in September. Today is going to be a lazy day though.
According to BBC R4 "Today", the universities will be almost falling over themselves to offer places. To use their phrase, "It's a buyers' market" for potential students.
I was surprised to read on BBC home that someone had got into Cambridge with B’s.
Back in my day (the '80s) it wasn't unusual for organ scholars, so I assume also athletes etc., to have offers of very low grades.
Organ scholars seem to have been in short supply for some time. I applied for mine after completing A-levels, so my grades were less important than performance in the scholarship/entrance exam. This was in November/December 1968 for entry in October 1969. In that year across all the colleges at Oxford there were 11 organ scholarships available, which between them attracted a grand total of 12 candidates, one of whom did not turn up for the practical exam. I was the only candidate for the organ scholarship at my first choice college.
I have a job to remember the exact years I spent (or misspent) at Grammer Skool - IIRC, 1962-1969...
Where have the intervening years gone ? Fifty-seven summers have passed since I awaited my A-Level results (they weren't good enough to get me into University, alas, though I had been provisionally granted a place at Exeter to study English Language and Literature).
Another warm and muggy day in Arkland the Bone-Dry, but less scorchio at only 77F. There is (They say) a 10% chance of Rain, but I won't believe it until I see it.
Italian stuff for Lunch - LASAGNE accompanied by Birra Peroni.
I once spent a very boozy weekend in Oxford at my friend T's parent's house. As well as T, there was another friend that had come to Oxford to audition as an organ scholar and a random American woman the organ scholar had picked up on the train over.
This morning we headed north to the Welbeck estate to look at an exhibition. visit an excellent farm shop and go for a a stroll round Cresswell Crags. We also managed a really nice lunch as well. For once the weather was pleasant but not hot.
Japan sounds great @Heavenlyannie, I'm glad you all had a good time.
My day has been less exciting: swimming and shopping in the morning, a trip to hospital to take my wife for a colonoscopy (which went well) this afternoon. And it is pretty hot again: they say 26 but it feels more.
That sounds like the holiday of a lifetime, @Heavenlyannie , with special memories made.
We are back from a couple of days with Nenlet1, son-in-law and the GrandNenling, which has been really lovely. Mr Nen took one of his kites to fly in a nearby field, especially for her entertainment, but unfortunately that didn't go well as she got very upset about the kite flying in the sky and wanted it to come down now.
We've come back to a very hot house and have opened doors and windows on the cool side of the house to try and get some airflow through.
Next week is a very busy one for us which I'm rather dreading but keep reminding myself that the week doesn't start until Monday and meanwhile there is stir fry and WINE for tea.
Glad to be home and sitting in a comfy chair for the first time since Tuesday morning.
Our final concert went well. Temperatures were more reasonable but still too hot for my liking. I took my time walking to the station and used lifts where available. We all had a substantial breakfast, then afternoon tea was served at 2.45. I need to find something to eat now.
Tomorrow I am out for a pub lunch with my son, then I am invited to join my daughter and family at our lovely Chinese restaurant to celebrate grandson’s A level results. Back to normal on Monday, so I’ll need to go to the shop.
This morning we decided to enrol Captain Pyjamas in the beach club for a half day. He went and played tèque (a game a bit like rounders) with the other kids and we got some peace and quiet. We went for breakfast, and to the market. In very exciting news, the evenings in our current locale are so chilly that I purchased a jumper (a stripy Breton one) and I am now sitting on the terrace wearing it. Still no rain though.
I listen to a bit of the Proms tonight. It was celebrating the 40th anniversary of Paul Simon’s Gracelands album
Apparently, it was quite revolutionary in that it used black musicians. I haven’t realised that apartheid was still in force at the time.
I listen to a bit of the Proms tonight. It was celebrating the 40th anniversary of Paul Simon’s Gracelands album
Apparently, it was quite revolutionary in that it used black musicians. I haven’t realised that apartheid was still in force at the time.
Only 40 years? I thought it would have been nearer 50!
I've had a lovely few days, with mixed weather, in Orkney, and am now in a rather iffy (but cheap) hotel in Thurso, having just had supper (quite decent chicken Alfredo). Unfortunately there's a bloke playing the guitar and singing rather badly ...
The receptionist said my room was on the ground floor, but didn't mention that getting there involved going up one flight of stairs, through a labyrinth of corridors and then down two more flights. Ground floor, my arse!
Heading to bed soon; long day of travelling tomorrow.
Safe travels tomorrow @piglet. How did singing in the cathedral go today?
We went to a Rambler friend's open garden this afternoon. They live a couple of miles out of town on top of that rare thing round here, a hill. A very large garden and a great chance to catch up with various other Ramblers over tea and cake. Over £1700 was raised for charity too.
This evening I mad a risotto with our own butternut squash. I don't think we'll bother with them again. They take up a lot of room and we've only had two squashes to far. The runner beans on the other hand have been great.
Crikey, you must have very well-heeled Ramblers down your way.
In other news I love a good risotto, and Mrs Sioni does them very well.
I hope @Piglet has a safe journey with sun and rain at the opportune moments.
We planted two butternut squashes in a 4ft square raised bed. One produced only gentlemen flowers, and the other only produced lady flowers, until six had been fertilised since when it too has only produced gentlemen flowers.
The six squashes are getting enormous, which is not what I was hoping for, as there are only two of us. I would have preferred twice as many at half the size.
I think that butternut squash is one of the blander squashes in general - I think that squash with green or blue skins usually have more flavour, which makes sense since a darker skin will absorb more warmth which means better developed flavour. I think generally Cucurbita maxima varieties work better for growing in the UK than Cucurbita moschata varietals like butternut. Small squashes like acorn or buttercup squash are so much better imo, and you can easily grow them vertically. Pattypan squash also works well.
Good to see you @Piglet and hope the travelling today goes smoothly.
This morning in the Wilds of Wiltshire the sky is an extraordinary colour... a sort of pale grey... and the sun has disappeared. Clearly the end of Life As We Know It.
At Casa Nen there's a lot going on today - scaffolding going up on part of the house for more solar panels to be added to the roof, and a long overdue delivery from a Large Swedish Emporium which is hopefully going to enhance our tidiness and sorted-ness. It includes a bookcase (files in my study for the sorting and arranging of), a large shelving unit (boxfuls of Stuff in the spare room for the sorting and arranging of) and a second shoe rack (many pairs of shoes on the kitchen floor for the tidying of).
I have not watered the garden this morning, in anticipation of some promised Rain (whatever that is), it remains to be seen whether I'm being overly optimistic.
I had a lovely lunch yesterday with my son, then in the evening I went with my daughter, grandson and family to a Chinese All You Can Eat meal, so I am well and truly stuffed. My son also left me a h/m lasagne which will last me two days. Even so, I need to shop for fruit, salads and veg this morning.
I slept badly, first going over all the excitement of the last few days, then contemplating all the jobs I need to do now I am home. Tomorrow the carpet fitter is coming, then I will need to put everything back into my study, though some items may need to wait until I can get some help. Then a choir committee meeting on Teams which I will have to download onto my ipad as my laptop is unlikely to co-operate. That’ll be next on the list to sort out.
Off to the shops now.
We're supposed to get some decent rain finally on Tuesday night - maybe a drizzle today but it's still quite sunny here. Saw a heron in the stream by the building which is a first for me, I've seen them elsewhere on the river but not in this part.
Just before going to bed last night I definitely felt some raindrops when putting stuff in the bin in the front garden so I immediately put all the cushions and other things in the back garden that would not enjoy a soaking under cover. My efforts proved unnecessary.
The forecast I am looking at is for small chances of precipitation over the next few days and a more certain likelihood on Thursday. I am not holding my breath.
It obviously rained a bit last night as my neighbour's flat roof had a hint of a puddle on it. However it wasn't enough to leave puddles elsewhere.
I woke up too late to get to Pilates so I accompanied my husband to the gym which is in the same building and then walked home the longer, but more scenic, way picking up tomatoes and heel grips as you do along the way.
The rest of the day I don't intend to do much.
Hope you are safely on the way home @piglet and that your new storage is just what you want @nenya. I need to order the paint for my study so husband can paint it and I can put up the storage I bought which is currently resting in the garage.
We're supposed to get some decent rain finally on Tuesday night - maybe a drizzle today but it's still quite sunny here. Saw a heron in the stream by the building which is a first for me, I've seen them elsewhere on the river but not in this part.
You can thank me for that. I left the country in search of somewhere where it's rainy season. But no sign of any yet.
It seems I am a case of "everywhere you go, always take the [hot and humid] weather with you."
Arkland the Arid enjoyed a couple of hours of gentle, but realistic, Rain early this morning (130am-330am). My Car now looks a little less like something used for off-road driving in the Sahara...
Warm again, though, and muggy - 75F - with more Rain likely on Thursday and Friday. Just like the 'normal' August.
High of 26c at 4pm which coincided with my toddle down to LIDL (our corner shop). Probably not the best time, but we are very lazy. Still, we now have essentials and some ideas for dinners for the next few days. We really haven’t been into food much recently and have stretched salads to include things that are genuinely tasty.
We still haven’t done a proper shop since getting back from Japan (the regular weekly delivery arrives on Thursday) and we are mostly living on store cupboard/freezer/Things that still lurk at the bottom of the fridge. Today we are having a garlicky cassoulet of pigeon breasts, cannellini beans and courgette. And a gin and tonic.
A mild grey day here, turning damp - and forecast to be a lot damper overnight. I toddled out to the pharmacy for meds for Mr F, then on to Lidl fora few random groceries - salami, cherries, sunflowers, that sort of thing.
Currently making a large amount of chicken casserole. It was to be roasted last night, but Mr F no weel, and only up for soup and jelly. There seems to be an awful lot of it when jointed, so half stewing as I write, half of which will go into the freezer. The legs will go to another dish, yet to be decided, which we'll need to have midweek. There will then be a pause on chicken dishes for a while.
An unusually minimalist post from you @Nenya (no, I'm not accusing you of being verbose or prolix!).
Yes; sorry. I was in a Mood - a combination of having to close windows to shut out the noise of the scaffolding being installed, rendering Casa Nen far hotter than it needed to be; the house now looking like a building site; a message I'd received that annoyed me; a phone call I had that annoyed me even more, and it being too hot to go for the planned walk.
However, pasta tea is now consumed - accompanied by WINE - and Mr Nen has put up the bookshelves in my study which look AMAZING. This means that I can now get my files out of cardboard boxes and onto shelves and not have cardboard boxes on the floor of my study any more .
Tonight's menu at the Heavenly House sounds amazing, especially as the Shopp Ing has not yet arrived. In that situation here it would be beans on toast for a couple of evenings.
Sorry to hear about Mr F, @Firenze . I hope he feels up to something a bit more substantial to eat soon.
Comments
Ridiculously, the emergency message on both was shut off as we opened the phones so we didn't get to read them.
I have since learned that they were wildfire warnings - not that were was one in the vicinity, but instructions on fire safety, and what not to do in the current drought conditions that might start a fire.
That would have been useful to know, had it been there long enough to take in!
No warnings here AFAIK, though there have been a couple of fires in this area recently. Nothing as big as those elsewhere, fortunately.
Hot here, though not as hot as yesterday and rain is promised, though it hasn't arrived yet. I did nothing very much today other than pop into town to look at the exhibition in the old cells in our Town Hall. Every year they have a different exhibition highlighting stories from local history. This year it was about a thirteen year old transported to Australia and the local philanthopist who founded our first public library.
Finding food for the two vegetarians was a nightmare, the land that invented tofu only eats it for breakfast and pork ramen is the staple food everywhere and often the only thing available in cheap restaurants. In Kyoto we were lucky to find a nearby ramen chain that used an app to add or remove items from the variations of pork ramen (including the pork!) and did miso soup as a stock option. I now feel in dire need of some chicken and vegetables, and we did resort to a ‘British pub’ on one occasion for fish and chips/pizza, as well as a Hard Rock Cafe another evening in Tokyo. But the breakfasts were great, in our first Tokyo hotel (Apa, a budget chain) we had both a full English buffet and a fantastic Japanese breakfast (miso soup, salmon and/or pork and chicken, rice, tofu and sticky soya beans), in the second (a business hotel we got cheap on a late deal) we had a buffet of English breakfast and a random variation of other items (mini tofu burgers, vegetable omelette, flavoured rice, chicken and basil, sourdough, matcha muffins).
I stayed awake on the 14 hour flight home and consequently have little jet lag and managed yesterday to log into work to catch up on emails and then do some study, as the website is open early for my classical studies module which starts in September. Today is going to be a lazy day though.
Organ scholars seem to have been in short supply for some time. I applied for mine after completing A-levels, so my grades were less important than performance in the scholarship/entrance exam. This was in November/December 1968 for entry in October 1969. In that year across all the colleges at Oxford there were 11 organ scholarships available, which between them attracted a grand total of 12 candidates, one of whom did not turn up for the practical exam. I was the only candidate for the organ scholarship at my first choice college.
Where have the intervening years gone ? Fifty-seven summers have passed since I awaited my A-Level results (they weren't good enough to get me into University, alas, though I had been provisionally granted a place at Exeter to study English Language and Literature).
Another warm and muggy day in Arkland the Bone-Dry, but less scorchio at only 77F. There is (They say) a 10% chance of Rain, but I won't believe it until I see it.
Italian stuff for Lunch - LASAGNE accompanied by Birra Peroni.
This morning we headed north to the Welbeck estate to look at an exhibition. visit an excellent farm shop and go for a a stroll round Cresswell Crags. We also managed a really nice lunch as well. For once the weather was pleasant but not hot.
Japan sounds great @Heavenlyannie, I'm glad you all had a good time.
We are back from a couple of days with Nenlet1, son-in-law and the GrandNenling, which has been really lovely. Mr Nen took one of his kites to fly in a nearby field, especially for her entertainment, but unfortunately that didn't go well as she got very upset about the kite flying in the sky and wanted it to come down now.
We've come back to a very hot house and have opened doors and windows on the cool side of the house to try and get some airflow through.
Next week is a very busy one for us which I'm rather dreading but keep reminding myself that the week doesn't start until Monday and meanwhile there is stir fry and WINE for tea.
Our final concert went well. Temperatures were more reasonable but still too hot for my liking. I took my time walking to the station and used lifts where available. We all had a substantial breakfast, then afternoon tea was served at 2.45. I need to find something to eat now.
Tomorrow I am out for a pub lunch with my son, then I am invited to join my daughter and family at our lovely Chinese restaurant to celebrate grandson’s A level results. Back to normal on Monday, so I’ll need to go to the shop.
Apparently, it was quite revolutionary in that it used black musicians. I haven’t realised that apartheid was still in force at the time.
Only 40 years? I thought it would have been nearer 50!
I've had a lovely few days, with mixed weather, in Orkney, and am now in a rather iffy (but cheap) hotel in Thurso, having just had supper (quite decent chicken Alfredo). Unfortunately there's a bloke playing the guitar and singing rather badly ...
The receptionist said my room was on the ground floor, but didn't mention that getting there involved going up one flight of stairs, through a labyrinth of corridors and then down two more flights. Ground floor, my arse!
Heading to bed soon; long day of travelling tomorrow.
We went to a Rambler friend's open garden this afternoon. They live a couple of miles out of town on top of that rare thing round here, a hill. A very large garden and a great chance to catch up with various other Ramblers over tea and cake. Over £1700 was raised for charity too.
This evening I mad a risotto with our own butternut squash. I don't think we'll bother with them again. They take up a lot of room and we've only had two squashes to far. The runner beans on the other hand have been great.
In other news I love a good risotto, and Mrs Sioni does them very well.
I hope @Piglet has a safe journey with sun and rain at the opportune moments.
The six squashes are getting enormous, which is not what I was hoping for, as there are only two of us. I would have preferred twice as many at half the size.
This morning in the Wilds of Wiltshire the sky is an extraordinary colour... a sort of pale grey... and the sun has disappeared. Clearly the end of Life As We Know It.
At Casa Nen there's a lot going on today - scaffolding going up on part of the house for more solar panels to be added to the roof, and a long overdue delivery from a Large Swedish Emporium which is hopefully going to enhance our tidiness and sorted-ness. It includes a bookcase (files in my study for the sorting and arranging of), a large shelving unit (boxfuls of Stuff in the spare room for the sorting and arranging of) and a second shoe rack (many pairs of shoes on the kitchen floor for the tidying of).
I have not watered the garden this morning, in anticipation of some promised Rain (whatever that is), it remains to be seen whether I'm being overly optimistic.
I slept badly, first going over all the excitement of the last few days, then contemplating all the jobs I need to do now I am home. Tomorrow the carpet fitter is coming, then I will need to put everything back into my study, though some items may need to wait until I can get some help. Then a choir committee meeting on Teams which I will have to download onto my ipad as my laptop is unlikely to co-operate. That’ll be next on the list to sort out.
Off to the shops now.
The forecast I am looking at is for small chances of precipitation over the next few days and a more certain likelihood on Thursday. I am not holding my breath.
I woke up too late to get to Pilates so I accompanied my husband to the gym which is in the same building and then walked home the longer, but more scenic, way picking up tomatoes and heel grips as you do along the way.
The rest of the day I don't intend to do much.
Hope you are safely on the way home @piglet and that your new storage is just what you want @nenya. I need to order the paint for my study so husband can paint it and I can put up the storage I bought which is currently resting in the garage.
You can thank me for that. I left the country in search of somewhere where it's rainy season. But no sign of any yet.
It seems I am a case of "everywhere you go, always take the [hot and humid] weather with you."
Warm again, though, and muggy - 75F - with more Rain likely on Thursday and Friday. Just like the 'normal' August.
CHICKEN n'POTATO CROQUETTES for Lunch.
Shoe rack and shelves delivered.
No rain. Sun now shining. Should have watered the garden.
I probably need to go for a walk.
Easy pasta for tea.
Enjoy your walk, and subsequent pasta...
Currently making a large amount of chicken casserole. It was to be roasted last night, but Mr F no weel, and only up for soup and jelly. There seems to be an awful lot of it when jointed, so half stewing as I write, half of which will go into the freezer. The legs will go to another dish, yet to be decided, which we'll need to have midweek. There will then be a pause on chicken dishes for a while.
However, pasta tea is now consumed - accompanied by WINE - and Mr Nen has put up the bookshelves in my study which look AMAZING. This means that I can now get my files out of cardboard boxes and onto shelves and not have cardboard boxes on the floor of my study any more
Tonight's menu at the Heavenly House sounds amazing, especially as the Shopp Ing has not yet arrived. In that situation here it would be beans on toast for a couple of evenings.
Sorry to hear about Mr F, @Firenze . I hope he feels up to something a bit more substantial to eat soon.