One day this will be Stroud's waterfront

But today it's a boat that carries away the muck brought up by the dredger. A family of ducks was sunning itself, but as my phone doesn't really do zoom shots, you can't see them. Damn.

Bomble woke me at stupid o'clock. I heard the dawn chorus. Eventually I went back to sleep. Then the postie knocked with a delivery of cards. Oops, they're nearly all Christmas cards. Very pretty, but I thought they would be winter themed notelets. My other stock will take another fortnight or so, I expect.

Undeterred, I visited a basket maker. She had expressed an interest in buying some cards. Fortunately, there were some woodland cards that were blank inside, so she took them and we chatted. She is going to attempt some basket making classes in the autumn in her cottage, with reduced numbers, because, as she says, she's been running them since 1979. She must be in her eighties and partially sighted as well as having hearing loss and a knee replacement, but still going strong, though she no longer drives. Her mother, who could remember the Titanic disaster, lived well beyond her centenary.

Down in town, I checked out Church Street market , which still like a car boot sale. The Farmers' market has spilled onto London Road and looks better, but is much more expensive. Rumour is that we may be able to resume indoor market trading in September. I won't be able to sell cards at WEA classes, though, as they are online. Youth clubs may also resume in September.

I bumped into another friend and we stopped for a takeaway tea and chat. She now lives in a Buddhist community in Swansea, and was visiting because it was her elder daughter's. birthday. Said daughter is now 30. Gulp. I met her when she was just 4. My eldest niece, TML's daughter, will be 30 this year too. I think I'll stay 56.

Walked home via the Emmaus charity shop (now open but very much still in need of a spring clean) and the canal. Gorgeous day. I think I'll arrange a socially distanced canalside picnic. There are benches provided, even if they appear to have been partially destroyed by amateur arsonists.