Dinner

We are having a dinner party tonight. It will make a nice change to have just grown-ups. Bev and Steve and Kevin and Gerard are coming round, all local so that will be good.
The photo is of Crook point near Scarborough. Rowan and I went there last year, great for rockpools, not so good for ice cream.

Rock Climbing

Rowan discovered today that she can climb up the doorway into the Gazebo as though it was a mountian chimney - great! Watch this space for tales of broken limbs.

Danielle is delayed on her train back from Glasgow by a suicide on the main line north of Newcastle. No matter how much one thinks of the turmoil of the person concerned it is hard not to feel frustration at the distress that person has caused the unfortunate driver of the train and the people having to clean up, and the disruption to the hundreds of people on the train.

Way Out Wednesday

A day off together. Of all the exciting possibilities we chose the really crazy option - cleaning the house together. It was actually quite fun, we put on a Derwood album - Moondogg, and got on with it. We had been to the gym after dropping off Rowan at school which had been fun.

Danielle made some Squash Gnocchi http://www.riverford.co.uk/en/recipes/recipe.php?recipeid=197&catid=3 which was really good, and looks like a good way of using up all those squash that hang around the kitchen.
The vegetable garden is moving on to autumn. The potatoes have not done too well, but the beetroot and beans have made up for it.
The photo is from the Austria trip, testing the local beer - it passed.

Hip Honey

There was an article about the "new urban female professional beekeepers" in the paper last month, and now there is another honey eulogy in the Independent http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/environment/article314937.ece , yes honey is the new black.

The photo is of Brimham Rocks, another great place in Yorkshire. It is a national trust place which is great for scrambling, and there's a cafe... what more could you want. http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-brimhamrocks/

Cindy

At HDRA

Cindy's Funeral

Yesterday was Cindy's Funeral at the Quaker meeting house. The meeting hall was packed with people from all walks of Cindy's life, with many good contributions to the meeting - but despite everyone's best intentions it was hard for it not to be a terribly sad affair.

Having problems posting photos at the moment.

London

Great to see Carl and Jill and Cecilia [Rowan's age], and great to walk through central London to meet up with Mark. Rob's do was really good, with plenty of catching up to do with some old friends. I saw Charlie for the first time in 10 years. Carl and Jill live off Baker St, so it was easy to walk back after the gig. London is a vibrant place, no doubt about it. This morning they took me to a farmer's market just round the corner where I bought some Rowantree Farm cheese http://www.chilternsaonb.org/site_details.asp?siteID=261 which is hopefully going to be as good as its name. Speaking of cheese, our favorite at the moment is Coverdale [in the Yorkshire Dales north of here] http://www.cheesesdirect.com/coverdale.htm which really is lovely.

To The Smoke

This morning the three of us cycled to SlideShops in perfect autumn sunshine, had a coffee at Thorntons, bought a kettle. I am now en route to London where I will stay with Carl and Jill's, meeting up with Mark before going on to Rob's 50th birthday bash in St Martin's Lane. Should be good.

Leaf Mould

When I have tried to make leaf mould http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/soil_makeleafmould.shtml before it has always taken so long to decompose that we have moved house before it was ready to put on the garden... not a great success. But this time, amazingly, after just one year the piles of leaves have turned into lovely composty stuff [don't worry there's no photo this time].
I saw Edward for a drink yesterday at the Swan http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/11/11291/Swan/York which was that strange thing for me - a good pub in York.
The photo is the last one from HDRA.

Lotherton Hall

Rowan went on a school trip to Lotherton Hall http://www.leeds.gov.uk/lothertonhall/index.html yesterday, which she really enjoyed. Saw lots of birds in the zoo section. The photo is another one from our trip to HDRA.

Rosehip Syrup

I picked some rosehips on the moor on the way back from dropping Rowan off at school. Made some rosehip syrup which tastes great. What with Danielle getting a last 3 jars of honey from the hive, it has been a productive day.

The photo is a new Texture one that I have just produced in a large print for a client. It is of sand and sea on the beach at Aberdovey.

Book Group #3

We had our book group last night discussing Small Island by Andrea Levy http://www.andrealevy.co.uk/ which most people really liked, but some [Ok, me and David] thought we could do without. But the main thing was we had a really great time, so the book group is serving its purpose.

The photo is of some purple peas at the HDRA vegetable kingdom. We didn't taste them but I bet they are good.

Vegetable Kingdom

Just had a great weekend. We drove dowm to my Mum's on Friday. Danielle was attending a Quaker School Governor conference at Sibford Quaker school http://www.sibford.oxon.sch.uk/home.asp
Meantime Rowan and I went to Vegetable Kingdom at the HDRA site at Ryton near Coventry http://www.hdra.org.uk/vegetable_kingdom/index.htm It was fantastic. Beautiful weather, not too busy, great facility. After that we went to the National Herb centre http://www.herbcentre.co.uk/ which was pretty good too. Then it was time to pick up Danielle and go out to Carluccios www.carluccios.com/CarlucciosSite/caffes/Bicester.htm where Mother treated us to a great meal out. Quite a day.

Salt Mine Slides

When we visited the Salt Mines in Austria, a highlight was sliding down the wooden slides that the miner's used to use to get down to the salt levels. The picture of Rowan and I shows her thinking "I am being held by my daddy, I am totally safe" with me thinking "we seem to be going a bit fast, hope it's OK"

Danielle on the other hand was going too fast. She had put her overalls on inside out, so the abrasive strips that keep you slow were missing. Hence her look of angst and her high speed.

No Foul Brood

Danielle had the bee-man visit yesterday. He arrived in his Reliant Robin and gave the verdict on the alleged American Foul Brood - it wasn't. This was very good news, the books say you have to deal with by digging a hole and burning the hive and bees in it - sounds gruesome. What has happened is that the Queen from one hive has gone, so we have had to merge two hives into one super hive - a bee towerblock. Danielle found four more frames of honey as well, so the bees are still working hard.
The photo is of Rowan and Royce at the start of the King of the Mountains climb in Ilkley when we went to see the Tour of Britain

New Work 2

The first day of my new work contract went OK, not brilliant but a reasonable start, which I hope we can build on.
Have just finished having some re-wiring done. Despite a great contractor doing it, it is still a real relief to get the house back, and start tiding up.
The photo is of an elephants skull - when Rowan and I saw it at the Oxford Natural History Museum we were both pretty amazed by it - massive.

New Work

Tomorrow is the first day of a new work contract I have involving training sessions and setting up E-Forums for groups of workers in social services and health. I am excited by it. If it goes well there are possibilities for replication which could be good.

We are hooked up to York Freecycle http://www.yorkrecycling.net/ which is a fantastic thing where you can get rid of stuff to people who want it, and collect stuff you want that others do not. It works really well. Today I picked up some engineering bricks, last week we gave away a futon mattress.

This is another photo of the joyous honey production last week

Ah Honey Honey!

Here is the booty.

A very sad day today. My badminton playing friend Edward's partner Cindy died from lung cancer yesterday. It has been coming for a long while but is still a horrible shock. Edward and their three children are in our thoughts.

Compost

I had a look at the compost today, and it is looking great. It is definitely one of the great wonders of the world that the bits of vegetables, fruit, grass, beard, wee and everything else ends up as lovely rich compost just by lying there. Fantastic - although I admit it is not the most photogenic of subjects.

Went a bike ride with Ted today to the cafe at Bolton Piercy.

Danielle and I watched Sideways http://www.thezreview.co.uk/reviews/s/sideways.htm on pay-per-view and really enjoyed it - a movie that made us laugh and think - great.

American Foul Brood

Danielle fears that one of her hives is suffering from American Foul Brood http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/bees/4887.html - what a fantastic phrase, it should be a band name, or maybe an alternative to The Bush Dynasty. Hopefully she can deal with it and save the hive, the expert from the government is coming to look on Wednesday next week.

Saw a Wensleydale Cheese Tartlet http://www.wensleydale.co.uk/ written on a cafe board yesterday as Wedneslydale Cheese - there is a logic in there somewhere.

The photo is of our neighbour's haul of caterpillars from one day of picking them off the cabbages - makes the rattlesnake seem pretty benign. It also makes me feel better that I am not the only one facing brassica meltdown on account of butterflies.

Back at School

Rowan has been back at school two days now - and likes it. The new teacher is "a bit strict" which sounds great to a parent believe me.

A few more words in the English / US dictionary:
Plimsoles - Sneakers
Garden - Yard
Sport - Sports
Crisps - Chips
Pans - Pots
Frying Pan - Pan

Rattlesnakes and Crab Apple Jelly

20 years ago I cycled to Egbaston from Droitwich [where I was living] to watch the fourth day of the Ashes test match against Australia. I just turned up, paid on the turnstyle and watched the game. It was fantastic, with Botham scoring a 6, then being caught on the boundary by a highly baited Jeff Thomson, lots of everything. That was the last game of cricket I have been to, I just lost interest. But today, I must admit I have been keeping an eye on the score on the web - hard to imagine just turning up and getting admission though...

Derwood, my friend in the Californian desert who I visited in April sent me a photo of a rattlesnake he and his dog encountered in their yard, and managed to get rid of. Rattlesnakes are the colour of money, and just as deadly.

Meanwhile Danielle is making Crab Apple Jelly with the fruit from our tree - http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/20mile/capljel.htm.

Wood

There I was in Austria taking a picture of a wooden building wall, like you do, when someone pointed out this moth perfectly camouflaged against the wood. It was big too, 5cm long.

Today was Rowan's last day before school. Danielle in Reading for a conference http://www.acf.org.uk/conference/default.htm last night, but has just returned.

Sweetness and Light

We bought Danielle a prize for producing the honey yesterday. It is a book "Sweetness and Light" about bees and honey http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1400054052/102-5275200-6491332?v=glance . Pretty good so far. Any book on honey that manages to make reference to 2Pac in the first chapter is left field enough for me. The phrase "sweetness and light" is quoted from Jonathan Swift [1667 - 1745] "We have chosen to fill our hives with honey and wax, thus furnishing mankind with the two noblest things, which are sweetness and light"

The photo is of Royce on a bike in the bike museum we visited in Austria - not his helmet.

Northern Lights

The photo is of one of the lakes in Austria.

Cycled into town with Rowan and got the usual "back to school" stuff - shoes, plimsols etc. Saw a lot of people in town we knew, doing the same thing. This afternoon Bev, a friend from up the hill in Acomb came round with Tom and Ella who joined Rowan splashing around in the paddling pool. Got an audiobook version of Northern Lights by Philip Pullman http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0590660543/qid=1125940908/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/202-4616294-0236616 out from the libarary which Rowan is now listening too. We have just finished reading it [me and Danielle reading it to Rowan] so it is quite good for getting to grips with the story by listening to it again.

Photo Assignment

The photo is of us at the wedding yesterday [before the champagne]

Dropped Royce at the station then the usual mix of swimming, meeting etc. Took some more photos today as part of my latest commission - going really well.

Getting Wed

The photo is of the great moment yesterday evening when the whole family helped extract the honey, and here it is gushing [we dream..] out of the extractor. Tastes great, we will put it in jars tomorrow.

Today was John and Heather's wedding. We cycled to the Register Office in Bootham and enjoyed the ceremony [one voice cracking with emotion and it wasn't Heather's] then had a great reception back at their garden down the road from our house. Good food, champagne and company. After that I needed a cup of tea, but Danielle , Royce and Rowan are off into town for one last family trip [Royce leaves tomorrow]

Bees Make Honey

Honey day today. Danielle is planning to reap the harvest of all the beekeeping of the last year. This morning we got three jars from Queen Latifa's hive - with the promise of more to come this evening. I am the backroom extractor person whilst Danielle does all the dramatic stuff. It tastes fantastic.

Rowan was playing at her friend Ned's house today, while I had a game of badminton with Edward. We finished off with a game of doubles with his two son's John and Toby.

The photo is of the cycle group in Austria

Trophy Daughter

When we asked Rowan what she would like for a prize for cycling the whole way in Austria she quickly answered "a trophy". She had been to the trophy shop in York with Danielle [who was getting a cup for her work rounders competition] and had her eye on one. So we got a great cycling trophy engraved to mark the Austria ride - and all for less than the cost of 2 coffees at Starbucks. Everyone pleased.

Today Royce, Rowan and I took the train to Ilkley to watch the Tour of Britain cycle race climb the Cow and Calf hill. http://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/the_race_stages/stage3.htm Very exciting as they struggled past us up the hill.

Today is our wedding aniversary [9 years, big event planned next year for the 10th] and so we are off out to eat whilst Royce babysits Rowan [or the other way round]