I Was Full Of The Joys Of Spring Until ....

.... things didn't go to plan. :(

I was really looking forward to taking our classic Triumph TR4 on its first outing of the season to get the brake lights sorted. I read on Twitter that Russell Savory at Stow Maries aerodrome had heard the cuckoo. We used to tell our garden plant customers that it signalled the start of the summer bedding season. I was so grateful to be able to be enjoying the morning instead of slaving over plants and customers.

MrQ told me to drive the TR and he would stick close behind me because of the lack of brake lights. As I turned off at a roundabout I heard a hoot and saw him continue round. I thought he had missed the turning and been hooted up by another motorist. I stopped at the next roundabout and waited for him. I left the engine running thinking that he would be along shortly. No sign of him. Classic cars don't like idling. Suddenly clouds of what I thought was smoke started billowing from the engine. I jumped out and didn't open the bonnet as I thought it might be a mouse's nest or something on fire and didn't want the breeze to fan the flames.

To cut a long story short I called the AA. A nice RAC bloke stopped to see if he could help too. It wasn't smoke but steam. A hose had come adrift from the radiator. All of this would have been fine. I love messing about with cars, even if they're playing up, and I like chatting to mechanics.

The reason why MrQ did not materialise was because he had decided to book the car into a different garage and hadn't told me. I was heading for Royston and he Ware. He has been like a great big storm cloud hanging over the day. :(

I took myself down the field when we got home for therapy. I got some exercise chasing my first green-veined white butterfly of the season, managed a reasonable shot of my blackcap and one of my muntjac and saw my first swallow. :)