Awake
I woke around six, closed my eyes and found two hours had passed. That was a shock. I went for a shower once Loved One had finished her morning routine in the shower. I stepped on the scales, but they said the same as yesterday, which was annoying.
Walk
We took mum and Dad for a stroll around Keston Ponds. The idea came to me last night as it is a place that I have not been to for a very long time. It helped that Mum and Dad passed the entrance on the way to their many and varied hospital appointments and had thought about going in.
Fishing
We walked around the first pond. It was covered in water lilies that were just about to bloom. Swimming between the lilies were moorhens and ducks. We took the path down to the second pond where the fisherman gathered to attempt to pull carp and pike out of the water. Most of them were not having much luck, pulling up trails of waterweed rather than fish.
Pond
We left Dad on a seat by the second pond so that he could advise the fisherman, and carried on to the third pond. This one was a designated conservation area, no fishing was allowed. We could easily spot a large number of big fat carp lolling about in the open water, unafraid of being hooked by the fisherman in the upper pond.
Butterflies
We met a woman who was doing a butterfly survey as we walked slowly back to the car. She was happy to chat about the butterflies that she had seen and noted down. She gave us a coffee shop recommendation.
Coffee
We stopped at a café on the village green. The place was almost full, but they found us a table upstairs in the cool. We drank our teas and coffees in the cool whilst the people outside sweltered in the heat. We debated eating there but decided not to.
Pub
I took the long way home so that we could visit a pub that I had frequented in my youth. I had a vague plan to stop their for a bite to eat. I had checked online the previous evening and it all looked promising. I was dismayed when we rounded the corner after traversing many narrow lanes and negotiated road space with horses and bicycles that the pub was closed and covered in scaffolding. At least the life size sculpture of the white bear was still outside.
Lunch
Mum and Loved One combined force to make a small salad for lunch. It was a good way of using up the cheese that we had brought with us. After lunch Mum and Dad needed a rest. I was happy to sit on the sofa in the lounge and finish a magazine.
Stroll
Loved One wanted to be on the move again so we went for a short stroll along the road at the bottom of the woods behind my parents’ house to see if we could find the building work that was going on. We could not find it nor anything that looked like building work. We assumed that the noises that could be heard from my parents’ house must be coming from further away.
Drink
We stopped at the local bar for a quick drink and a chat with the owner. My childhood next door neighbour was also there. She seemed pleased to see me. We caught up on the news from the intervening years such as her mother dying in Brisbane and the death of another neighbour before we said our goodbyes.
Dinner
Mum made a roast lamb dinner for us all tonight. We sat on the patio with a drink or two while the oven worked its magic.
Television
Once all the clearing up had been done we settled in front of the television to watch a crime drama that my parents enjoy.