Not just any old carrots...

But M&S ones. Posh carrots for the horse in the field next door to the cottages we were staying in. We needed to get some orange juice yesterday, so I popped into a Simply Food at a service station on the way back from Wickford, and remembered Mr A wanted carrots. So these were 'chef's carrots', whatever that means. Half of them yesterday evening, and the other half this morning. I think Mr A had made a friend after that.

We were up early because of the light, and I think we were all packed up before norfolkdoc and W had even woken up. We amused ourselves not just with horse feeding, but also with walking down to the bench overlooking the River Crouch. And sitting outside the cottage taking the sun.

By the time we set off it was getting pretty warm, and our potter from Flatford Mill to Dedham and back was increasingly a sweaty affair. I think the people in rowing boats on the River Stour had the right idea.

Anyway, back chez norfolkdoc and W, we've had a quiet afternoon and evening. I wandered down the garden, which is looking splendid and helped norfolkdoc harvest some peas, beans and blueberries for a salad to go with our supper of pizzas. And while I cannot speak for anyone else in this party of four, I'm certainly looking forward to another early night. I'm still feeling exhausted. Nervous stress, I suspect. All now slowly dissipating....