Focaccia Fail

It’s just about edible, but not a patch on the wonderful focaccia Josh made on my birthday. It didn’t rise enough, too little rosemary and salt.

Earlier I took Juno for a nice big circle around our neighbourhood: along Wytham Street to the entrance to Hinksey Park where we took a sharp left over the bridge over Hinksey Lake then up over the railway bridge onto the footpath known as the Devil’s Backbone. From here we turned along the Electric Mile also known as Electric Avenue - a footpath following a string of pylons. From there I crossed a small bridge over a stream that takes you through a field to Pembroke college’s sports field and a community organic garden. Here we took the footbridge back over the train tracks to ‘the Rec’ which was a disused field frequented by drug dealers and the site of a murder when we first moved here, soon after it was reclaimed by the community as a football pitch where I spent many a Sunday morning during my 13 years as a touchline mum.

We took a path off the Rec towards the nature reserve where the old gasworks used to be - Juno loves this stretch of paths and open grassy spaces interspersed with thick copses full of birds and squirrels and we met lots of other local dog walkers.

Here we finished our walk and looped back stopping to chat to small groups who wanted to admire Juno and pet her - much to her delight - and got many complements on what a happy pup she is. She loves the attention and plays up to her admirers.

On a sadder note we bumped into my friend Patricia on her way home from the Farmer’s Market and heard the latest news on her mother who a few weeks ago was diagnosed with terminal cancer and after 80 years as an independent woman and well known ballet teacher, is now in a care home for her final few weeks and Patricia can see her for 30 minutes a week while she is well enough to be wheeled outside.,