Random

I had no real plans for today. There was a blackbird singing at 5am again, but I managed to ignore him and sleep, and when I woke it looked grey and the street outside was wet. I didn't rush my tea, and it was 9 o'clock before I was downstairs and thinking breakfast. About 10am we decided we'd go up to the church after coffee and get the recording done for the online service; a couple of phone conversations with my cousin about the possible thwarting of our lunch plans for next week delayed this slightly, but we were finished in time for a late lunch.

And here is a random question, relevant but random: has anyone out there successfully used a microwave egg poacher? If so, tell ...

The next random but totally lovely moment was the delivery of a box of flowers from #1 son and wife, hoping I'd recovered from the face plant. I always feel quite Homes & Gardens putting flowers in a vase ...

In a conscious effort to retrain myself, I didn't then start planning a walk. Himself wanted to do a bit of curry cooking - something about men, that they won't just rustle dinner up in the hour or so before it's needed - so I thought I'd actually do some work. When I go to Stornoway I shall be delivering a talk which now looks like going ahead as an in person event, so I spent some time putting together what I want to say by way of introduction. 

Five o'clock had just struck when Himself appeared, smelling of curry, and asked if I fancied a quick walk before dinner because it had grown sunny - a fact I'd not noticed because the study faces north-east. We met a friend we only know from walking and haven't seen for months on end; we were chatting to her when we were hailed by another couple of friends and the walk ended as a sort of route march to get us home in time for dinner before Compline online.

In honour of the spirit of the day, my photo is a very random look at our little back garden in the late afternoon. I was having an encouraging word with the meconopsis in the pot nearest the camera on the right - it's not doing much since the leaves appeared - and enjoying the new growth on the roses as well as my thyme plants and the rosemary (not in shot, but very much there.) I'm no gardener, but I really enjoy this time of year and this light. 

Oh - and the real gardener came in the morning and cut the grass...