We got there!

I was intending to go off down to the fish shop this morning on my mobility scooter. However, we’re back to rain again today, a fine drizzle that soaks everything. My scooter does not like being out in the rain any more than I do. We’re going out later today – we’ve not enough milk for our tea if nothing else – so I’ll have to buy some fish then.

We’re going to have a fry up of mixed fish. I’ve already taken some fresh sardines out of the freezer, so I can get them scaled & gutted when I’ve finished here. The rest I’ll buy later

Yesterday, however, the sun did shine so we had our trip over to Beetham Garden Centre. We’re now waiting one large pot & 3 bags of compost to be delivered. Needless to say we were distracted some flowers to plant too. The one remaining pot, which last year was home to some pinks that didn’t survive the winter, will now play home for some heliotrope.

Into the new big pot I’m intending to transfer the pink & white fuchsia that we bought earlier this year. It’s already outgrown the pot I put it in. Instead in that pot I will put some heuchera with fabulous reddy green leaf.

One thing is certain, the birds are loving the dampness of this morning. They’re very busy rootling around the beds, criss-crossing the lawns. The worms & grubs must have come up to the surface for the moisture. The thrushes & sparrows are having a good hunt.

Our day was completed with an excellent meal at Ricky’s, our favourite Cantonese restaurant. Ricky himself was doing the cooking, his wife Susan, the waiting. Both were distracted by the visit of their daughter & her husband, all the way over from Vietnam - a truly international family. However, the distraction did not spoil the quality of the Chicken & Sweetcorn Soup and the Hot & Sour Soup, nor the Chicken Kung Po and Prawn Foo Yung – all excellent.

Susan was mightily impressed by our chopstick skills – something we’ve been practising ever since we were told by Japanese restaurant in Sidney that we should pay proper respect for oriental food & use the correct implements. In my case it was just re-learning skills I had from childhood. The Fox has had to learn from scratch.