Snakes and Fetes

Look what we found waiting for us in our hall when we came back from a walk yesterday! A grass snake I think - not an adder I'm sure!

Today we went to Old Dalby Day - lots of stalls of tat and old cars, morris dancers, etc. The kids had the most fun playing on the swings and roundabout!

Borough Hill

Tramping round Borough Hill in the wind and the odd spot of rain this afternoon with Noel, Alex, Oliver and Amelia.

Foxton Locks

Freddie and Katie are staying with us for a few days. Mike is joining us on Sunday for the Bank Holiday. Yesterday we went off to Foxton Locks and we all had fund helping the boaters work the locks as they made their way up the staircase.

We are off to Borough Hill this afternoon with the Blakes. Hopefully I can add a few more photos later,.

Kids visit to Bristol

Last week Luke, Joe, Freddie and Katie enjoyed their annual visit to Grannykim and Grandad without parents. Lots of fund was had by all, particular at Noah's Ark by the look of it! Next year surfing in Cornwall might be on the cards, apparently - the parents may decide they really need to come too though!

Chickens

We bought 6 happy looking girls last night. Two White Wyandottes and four Black Rocks. They took a bit of tempting out of their house today, probably because it hasn't stopped raining, but they finally emerged and seemed quite content checking out their run.

Joe's are the white ones and he has named them Daisy and Maggie; Luke has two of the Black Rocks called Cherry and (get this) Chicken! Elaine has the all black Black Rock called Mabel and mine is a bit on the podgy side and she's called Big Bertha, or Gertie or Rosie - I haven't decided yet!

The Garden's Gone Mad!

This is just one of 9 or 10 giant courgettes waiting for us when we got back. I have made numerous batches of ratatouille and have just finished off making a huge pot of courgette soup.

We also had carrots, peas and spuds from the garden with our Sunday lunch, finished off with apple and blackcurrant crumble - also from the garden!

Where's Esther Ransen when you need her?:

Skiathos

We had a wonderful two weeks in Skiathos - the first week it was just us, and the Effingpots joined us for the second week. We had our own villas - dead posh!

While we were there we took a trip on a yacht across to Skopelos (on Luke's birthday) including an excursion to the beach on the rock from the film, Mamma Mia (Agios Ioannis) and we stopped off for swimming at a deserted island on the way back. All good fun.

Lots of leisurely days lazing in the sun, eating too much and drinking too much Mythos and Retsina! Roll on next year.