Tail successfully chased

I was cockahoop this morning. Not only did I catch up with Blips for the first time in weeks, but I also received an email from a resident of Orkney in response to my letter in The Orcadian.

Sadly my cock wasn't hooped for long. 

Within what seemed like seconds I once again fell behind with Blips. And upon reading the email I was amused to discover its author is seeking advice about cheesemaking rather more than passing it on.

There has been no time to mull over these turns of events because - as indicated yesterday - I have been flat-tack ahead of forecast rain.

One of the jobs which absolutely had to be done was to cut back the overgrowth hiding the wooden walkway between the truck and the study. Given that nine of the next 10 days include rain, I expect to be moving from one to the other quite a bit. 

The walkway was almost invisible beneath tussock grasses, ferns and weeds which were spilling over from the beds on either side before I started. It is wonderful that it is now cleared and my legs will remain dry once the rain sets in.

I have also cut all the lawn grass because it is likely to be a fortnight before it will be dry enough for the mower again. By then it will be depressingly shaggy, but for now at least it looks neat.

And I have picked 500g of raspberries. Big beautiful sweet raspberries. Rain will make the next ones watery and mushy, so I shall really savour this dish.

The sun is still shining and the rain is still two or three hours away, but I'm done. It is time to think about what veg to add to tonight's omelette and to decide whether to have yoghurt or top-of-the-milk cream with my raspberries. 

Such decisions are the stuff of life.