Late Summer Sunshine

"The hose is there; if there are two days without rain, please water the beans and raspberries." This was the welcome I had at my cousin's home, and the hose has been in operation twice in the week.  I think the only rain came one morning - and that didn't last long.

My 'holiday' of house-sitting and cat-feeding has been quite enjoyable.  Many would say unexciting, and I suppose that's true, too.  But I've enjoyed it.  Two days were spent 'commuting' to Sheffield, where - despite the reversed resignation of the sitting MP - a by-election campaign has continued, albeit at a low key.  Of the four journeys, there and back, none has been uneventful.

The first morning I followed SatNav until it seemed that it had missed the expected turning off the M1.  By then I was in the city's suburbs and my electronic 'friend' had no hesitation in leading me into the centre, where roadworks and traffic took their toll and the journey that should have taken me about an hour took nearly two.  I returned that afternoon via Chesterfield, but having got there, too the wrong turning off the A61 and found myself onto the motorway too early, with the resulting delay in my return.

On Wednesday, I decided that it wasn't the right weather to watch cricket, so went back to Sheffield, this time going the 'right way' but had to take a very tight left turn when almost at my destination and stalled; I was very grateful to the driver behind me, who pulled up sharply while still on the corner.  The journey home was delayed only by the Chesterfield rush-hour traffic.

Main Street, Egginton, Derbyshire

Between these trips, I made a family history 'pilgrimage', first to the record office in Matlock, where the staff couldn't have been more helpful, directing me to the computers instead of re-directing me to Stafford for a query relating to records not in their area.  My other quest, to locate my uncle on the electoral rolls of the years immediately after World War I, was only partially successful.
After visiting a local pub for lunch, I took a detour and went for a look around the village of Egginton, where my uncle and aunt lived until 1923 or 4, and where her family came from.

Trent Bridge, Nottingham

Thursday was a cricket day and, for only the second time ever, I visited a first-class match and watched the third and last day of Nottinghamshire v. Kent.  When I arrived, Notts, batting in the fourth innings of the match and chasing a target of 440, were 29 for 2;  When I decided that the time had come to make for home, they were on 195 for 9 and I find that I missed only 17 runs after that point.  Apart from the not unusual event of the umpires needing twice to find a replacement ball, the other excitement was one that those around me declared they had never seen before.  The batsman struck the ball in the usual way; it went only a short distance, so there would be no run; more importantly, he was left with just the handle of the bat in his hand, the blade having spun down the wicket to say 'hello' to his colleague at the bowler's end!

Today has in some ways reminded me of seaside holidays of my childhood.  Instead of playing on the beach, we children would find ourselves dragged up and down the high street, as the parents visited known shops to make purchases to take home ... often, we later realised, for Christmas presents!  So, my last full day of the week began with shopping, and then back at the computer completing some regular tasks ... like this blog!

Now, along with my furry friend, I have to declare it to be teatime!