June and July 14

Writing this in December as the last few months have left little time for Blogging - many moments of joy and sometimes despair when Bloggy thoughts lurked around corners but couldn't get out.   I have kept lots of wee notes though and like to capture highs and lows from the diary.

June - at last we got our car back (only 6 months at the garage) and after one or two further tweaks it has been first class.    Enough said about that.    
At the end of the month Carol Robinson arrived for her annual holiday.   We had a great week catching up and sampling as many wines as possible (!!).    It was lovely and warm so Carol made good use of the pool.....   
One afternoon I nipped out to get my hair trimmed and when I arrived back heard these shrieks from the swimming pool and could see Carol standing in the pool (she is tall lass) screaming blue murder and Jeff balancing on the pool steps flapping his arms - shouting to me 'get back in the car'.    Totally confused I got out of the car (of course) and heard a commotion behind me.    There was two huge cows charging round the side of the old barn heading in my direction and another one zooming round the garden near the pool.    Did I mention Carol is terrified of cows?  

Escapee cows....

Mind you Jeff and I were not so keen either that day. There were three farmers racing after the cows with sticks.    I ran down to the chicken coop thinking to calm them down but they were having none of it.   Chicks were leaping about squawking feathers flying, me trying to ssssssh them and Carol now hysterical (still in the pool).   One of the cows jumped right through the wooden fence (probably frightened of Carol) Then they all disappeared into the field (cows and farmers).    It was eerily quiet for a while and then out came the truck with dare I say, sheepish looking cows on the back.   Doubt we will ever see that lot again. It took a few glasses of red to coax Carol out of the pool!    

In July (think this might need an all nighter to update for Christmas 'round robin' - sigh) we had our niece Carolyn and Laurence with our two great nieces Erika and Hazel to visit.

Hazel and Erika collecting our daily eggs

They were absolutely joyful and so funny and very well behaved.       We were very sad and the house seemed strangely empty when they left......

     

Anouk on  Hermine

Not for long though, as the next day Anouk a french student arrived to experience Brit-life.    We had a lovely pleasant week going to the circus, horse riding, walking, boating, baking, swimming, hairdressing and yes lots of talking!     We hope Anouk will visit us again soon. 

With Anouk safely off home we got ready to go to a big summer party with GT (local walking group) before zooming off that afternoon to Amsterdam to pick up the ferry to Newcastle, to go to Bradford, then up to Haddington for the event of the year - Jonathan and Kate's wedding on 2nd August!     Phew.      It was of course a wonderful fairy tale event with magical moments through the days leading up to the big day and after.