Visitors, Mr Badger, and Friday Night Dinner


 Kat and Craig arrived last night and are staying with us until Saturday morning. Rick, of course, was beside himself with excitement. Whenever we have visitors, he charges around the house at full speed, rummaging through his toy stash to show off his favourite. This time it was Mr Badger — a soft toy with a weighted head that Rick flings with surprising force and enthusiasm. It tends to land in the most unexpected places, making indoor navigation something of a contact sport. Hard hats may be advisable in future.


I had the lunchtime walkies shift today, and we had a bit of sunshine. We suspected the overnight rain might have filled the Beck, but it was bone dry — not a drop more than usual. The village was a little busier than normal, with a few vans around. Rick is not a fan of vans, motorcycles, or surprise cyclists, and tends to make sudden manoeuvres when he spots one. He can pick out the postman’s red van from an uncanny distance. We had to take a tactical detour to avoid a close encounter and ended up exploring the farmer’s wheat field instead.






Back home, we tucked into a lovely lunch — fresh-baked bread, pâté, and a glass of red. Later in the evening, Sarah and her partner Andrew joined us for Friday night dinner — the first time we’d all been together in six weeks, since our cycling trip to Scotland. Sue had gone all out, with a multi-course feast and a glass or two (or three). A great evening all round. And no prizes for guessing who ended up with a little something extra in their bowl...

No cycling for us today — taking a bit of time to recover and let the legs rest.



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