Category: Pic of the week

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Dogging!

Pic of the week

Another wet week with little to report. It really does feel like I’m currently just grinding out the days until half term next week.

Wednesday was yoga day – a bit of a highlight in the week and I’m glad I’ve started doing it again. We arrived early (don’t we always!) and, with no-one else present, Becky to a pic of me “doing the dog – it is evident that my back is far too rounded, but I’m not really sure how I do that!  Here’s a pic of what it should look like:

Weather-wise its been pretty dreadful: cold, wet & windy. No hint of summer at all. Let’s hope things start to warm up soon …

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Wet and tired

Pic of the week 16/5/21

A combination of poor weather (yesterday and today have been particularly wet) and being tired (the long term is starting is starting to bite, yet half term still seems a way away)result in little to report this week.

We seem to be on top of the mouse problem – no sightings nor captures for several days – and everything is looking green and verdant – verging on the overgrown as I can’t get out to do anything – which is nice: the sunflowers planted out last week are looking healthy, and the cosmos seeds have popped up. I would just like some nice warm weather so I can sit outside and enjoy the garden.
Yesterday, Becky & Sophie went to Cornwall for the day, and somehow dodged the rain. Sam wen to the dentist about his wisdom tooth and was pescribed some anti-biotics which seem to be doing the trick.

I spotted evidence of leakage from the shower – I have applied some tape over the sealant, hope that does the trick.

The week ahead looks set to be wet too, lets hope the sunshine is waiting in the wings for half term in two weeks time …

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Swimming, mice and flower beds

Pic of the week 9/5/21

On Monday I swam, for the first time since August. Given the extra long term, we were given Monday off as a “duvet day” and I took the opportunity to book myself in for a swim up at school.

I ended up doing 40 lengths – 2Km – in 47 minutes and 57 seconds. I actually felt quite fit in the pool, I was able to do that distance without too much difficulty, but I was then knackered for the rest of the day. Amazing how much it took out of me. However, come the holidays (both half-term and summer) I really ought to make swimming more of a regular thing.

Mice: we’ve been plagued by mice, fortunately only in the garden, who have enjoyed foraging on the bird food we put out. The fear is is that they start to stray inside, so this week traps have been laid.  We’ve snared three so far, with cheese being the bait of choice.

Today I planted out my sunflower seedlings into the new bed, along with geranium and lobelia plants. Hope they take to life outdoors and grow into big strong plants.

And this week we bought a rowing machine for the whole family to use. I don’t think anyone’s done a full session on it yet (to be fair, I only put it together yesterday).  I just hope it gets used, and gets us all trim and fighting fit.

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Glastonbury 10K

Pic of the week 2/5/21

Today was the Glastonbury 10K road race.

A new route, to avoid the crowds in Glastonbury High Street, and we were set off in waves, I was in wave 11, those with an estimated time of 47 mins.  This time was the time I gave for my entry in 2020, which was cancelled due to Covid, and was a bit optimistic. But the “new” course is very flat – from Strode, along the back lanes towards Baltonsborough for 5K, then turn round and come back – and therefore quite quick.

As ever in these races, I set of with racing snakes at too swift a pace – 1st K in 4 mins 30 secs – the race was tough, but I completed it in 47 min 42 secs, a whole minute faster than I have run a 10K this year.  I finished 222nd out 760 runners, and 19th out of 56 in the M50 category (Males between 50 and 55)

I’m pleased I ran it, am pleased with my time, let’s hope that events like today signal some sort of return to normality.

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Haircuts

Pic of the week 25/4/21

So haircuts are allowed again, and Di came on Friday to cut our hair.  Mine’s not been a problem, with Becky giving it a shave, and trim at the front, every few weeks. But, despite my best efforts, Becky’s hair has just got bigger, and bigger, and bigger.

So on Wednesday she had it coloured, and on Friday it was cut – I think she is pleased with the results.

(In other news, most of the sunflower seeds that I planted last week have now all popped up, which is exciting.)

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Yoga re-starts

Pic of the week

On Wednesday, Becky and I returned to yoga for the first time in over a year.

It was fantastic – stretching out all those limbs and muscles that had become weak and feeble felt good. I didn’t ache too much the next day, but was “aware” that I had done yoga the night before. And it also felt as if it was return to normality and that was physiologically quite powerful.  Really enjoyed it.

In other news, for the record, today I planted 40 sunflower seeds in individual tray pots in the lobby.  Weather wise, this week has been quite cold, with frosts in the early morning and clear skies during the day. Yesterday and today got quite warm when sat in the sunshine. Has been dry for a few weeks now – which is good – just need the temperature to climb a little quicker.

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Hols End

Pic of the week 11/4/21

And so the hols draw to a close.

Due to covid, we’ve not done a lot (and should be flying off to Seville tomorrow …) and the weather has been changeable (cold this week – Tuesday was the worst day, with sleet and snow, and it was v. cold referee-ing that evening), but everything is greening up, the days lengthening and there is warmth in the sun when it shines.

Sam is back in work today, I return to work tomorrow. I must confess, the last twelve months have left me somewhat discombobulated – the rhythm of the year has been shattered. A long first half of term ahead, followed by a sprint to the end of the academic year – I’m hoping the coming term restores some balance to may day to day, week by week existence.

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New Bed

Pic of the week 4/4/21

This week I have built a new flower bed at the front of the house.

It’s not been easy – the fact that the ground slopes away quite significantly from right to left presented a challenge, but a challenge that I rose to! My big take away from the project was a reminder of having the right tools for the job. I begun with my old jigsaw and rusty old saw, neither of which was up to the magnitude of the task. Although I got a lot done with them, it wasn’t easy. So a trip to Screwfix and a new jigsaw and saw and suddenly it was doable again.

Still have to line it, and fill it with soil, and then plant it up. But it does look good.

And the pictures also give a hint of some of the lovely weather we have had this week. Mid-week, we had a couple of glorious days, during which I sat out back and read. It has stayed dry and sunny, but the temperature has fallen over the last few days, and tomorrow is set to be v cold.

In other news, football restarted this week and both yesterday and today I refereed games – good to be back in black.

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Birthday Boy!

Pic of the week 28/3/21

Its my birthday! 52 today.

I spent much of the day outside cutting wood and measuring up for the new front flower bed (a post to come, perhaps) the day was grey but not too cold. Quite enjoyed myself to begin with, but then my jigsaw gave up the ghost and my handsaw was blunt and so the morning’s enthusiasm had waned by the afternoon.

However, all was well come tea-time. Becky was back from work, the children made tea and then I opened all my pressies – far more than I could have expected. The Mark Corrigan T-shirt was from Sam, Sophie bought me a book about the “Serpent” – watched the TV series of this serial killer in January, looking forward to reading the book, headphones, chocolate, a book and other treats from Becky. And then an evening of crime drama, watching the Unforgotten, followed  by Line of Duty – what more could a 52 year want?

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Benches

Pic of the week 21/3/21

And so the Easter hols have arrived – a week early. (Our Head made the sensible decision to shorten this term by a week, and extend the summer term by a week, to maximise “in school” time)

On Saturday Becky and I went for a long walk, to Ham Wall again, but this time continued into the nature reserve. We sat and enjoyed a coffee (and I, a snickers) and then I sampled every bench we encountered.  (The sculpture “dentists chair” was surprisingly comfortable – I know it doesn’t look that way in the picture.)

It was a lovely start to the holidays – not warm, but not cold, a sense that spring is on its way.

With lockdown still in force (although some restrictions being eased from a week tomorrow) no real plans other than rest, recuperate and exercise; read, watch TV and do a few jobs. (for the record, today I planted 100 snowdrops “in the green” in the corner of the lawn nearest the sitting room.)