So, here we are.....and here's the question. Who wants to do the Mongol Rally with Daniel? Answer, No one...well, none of us anyway. I mean...who wants to drive 10,000 miles in a one litre car....and that's without having to spend a long time with said son.....and of course there's the cost....probably funded, as usual, by the bank of mum and dad....but I digress...it's very unlikely to happen (where does he get these ideas from?).
It's unlikely to happen because Daniel has some travel plans for the next few months....Thailand in two weeks time....then Munich for New Year (just a "boys trip" apparently) ....we won't ask....and then he's also decided that he needs to visit New Zealand some time between returning from Germany and stating the summer season with Seafaris.....the mind boggles...but I guess we're only jealous really....back to today's "efforts"...
We, as a family, enjoy varied and interesting lifestyles....usually recounted every evening over the dinner table. Today, in no particular order, we have done the following.....swum in the sea, played the organ at Chapel, attended the open day at the lifeboat station, slept, done a keep fit class, attended a sea survival course, cut down a large area of gorse, walked the dog, lit a very large bonfire, hoovered, cut back the raspberries, gooseberries and black currants....and finally cooked "seven hour lamb". ..there must be other things, but I can't think of the, at the moment.
I mention the lamb because it caused some discussion earlier today. The clue is in the name...Seven hour lamb....but in our case, as we prepared it for the Aga, we realised that we didn't have seven hours left before supper....so, it was a five and half hour lamb....and we missed out all sorts of other bits in the recipe...but it was gorgeous anyway...finished off with left over lemon tart and AA's chocolate thingy from last night.....unsurprisingly, there's nothing left now. More puddings required for tomorrow. The recipe for the lamb mentioned leftover wine....what's that? It's a bit like leftover chocolate....it doesn't exist...well, not in this house anyway.
Jack was the one doing the sea survival course....Dan and I already have the qualification...so there was much interest in how he had got on in the pool, capsizing the life raft...and swimming around fully clothed. "Did they squirt a water hose at you while you were trying the right the upturned raft?",was one question. Jill, who wasn't paying attention, immediately chirped up...."who was squirting water? ...what have you been doing now?"...Daniel?
Tonight's big job has been getting the boys to shut their bedroom windows...in the end Jill has done it herself. We all sleep with windows open up here in healthy St Martin, and the three boys especially so. They all have rooms facing south, which is normally a "safe" direction....but the forecast is for a big blow, with rain, from the south overnight.....and that will mean that, if they're not careful, they may all need their sea survival know how if their windows are not closed. Nothing like a force eight gale and rain coming through your completely wide open window to dampen your ardour in the middle of the night.
There was also a very unusual event this afternoon...I managed to teach Thomas something...unbelievable I know, and so unusual...as a typical young man, he knows party much everything about everything....and at such a young age as well...anyway, he and I were attempting to pull out gorse bushes on the slopes around the meadow this afternoon...me driving the tractor, and he attempting to tie the tow rope to the said bushes....and what I managed to teach him was a new knot that he hadn't heard of before...a timber hitch....just what we needed....a knot that my own Dad taught me back in the 80s, early 80s....I remember it like yesterday....I was felling a row of trees in a field behind Langley Avenue.....amazingly some things never forget.
I'm going to call a halt now...the time is ticking on ...and I need cup of coffee before I settle down to watch Chelsea beat Arsenal on MOTD 2.... It's a relief to have at least one sporting win after yesterday's disappointments of Jersey losing the rugby, football and netball.
Tomorrow is looking busy...kicking off with a construction meeting at 730 in town....looking at the forecast, it might be me that needs the survival training in the morning...and that's just getting from the car park to the meeting....it's really going to blow...and we're all pleased to have our various boats "put away" for winter.
Stay safe people...more tomorrow.
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