Scallops

Back from London yesterday to find the house abuzz with activity: music, laughter, mess, cookies in the oven, borscht in the fridge, risotto in the planning.... a welcome change from the quiet and solitude of my usual existence.

One of the nice things about having my sons home is catching up with news of their friends' and contemporaries' parallel or diverging paths. One is serving in Iraq, another is serving in a local supermarket, some are on to their second degree, others on to their second baby, one is fronting a band, another has an art commission and a third is off to teach in India.

Here my second son is being shown the best way to prepare scallops by his old friend and exact contemporary who's now a trawlerman out of Milford Haven. He brought us the scallops straight from last night's catch. Trawling for scallops is detrimental to the seabed and normally I would never have them but how could I refuse? They went on our evening's barbecue along with fresh sardines and very good they were too. Thanks Lloyd!