Hello mi little ones,
Many thanks for the update on the Winslow Mums (if you're out there reading still), and Many Happy returns of the 40th to Pavla!! I know it's traditionally a time to feel slightly maudlin, but as we know, the older one gets the ruder one can be to all and sundry, and I think this is worth its weight in gold. As per the poet's suggestion, I think the older I get the more I shall endeavour to wear purple and be absolutely outrageous. With a good Boden catalogue you might even get to do it in style. Hurrah!!

Over here today it's been not only quiet but simply deadening... SUCH low pressure I've had intense trouble keeping awake at all for the last 48 hours. In fact, frequently loosing the battle at the most inappropriate times - the sort of sleepiness that sees you dropping off into a deep slumber while sitting by the Littles while she does a self-propelled bit of her work, having a vivid and involved dream or epic proportions and jerking back up awake to find that only 3.5 minutes have elapsed since you were last conscious. Repeatedly. Really quite severe. We've had power cuts (well, one long one with many flickers intermittently) and we've had downpours, and now it's rumbling around again. Wow the other day (can't remember if it was yesterday or the day before) the thunder was SO loud and so low that I have to say it was slightly unnerving. Never in my life felt frightened by thunder before but actually was quite glad to get off the balcony from gathering in the washing. The whole place was shaking - I exaggerate not. More like cannons at close quarters than anything meteorological.

Went off to the fish market first and got some Ocean Jackets (type of fish I'd been eyeing for the next visit) and some ray flaps (new and interesting thing we'll try tomorrow). Then the supermarket to stock up mainly on liquids of various sorts, and finally back home - by this time about 9:30 and the Mr decided to stay at home and work, so we betook ourselves downstairs and he went up - for a short while. Beach at just gone 10, made large crocodile of sand, christened him Dr Crunch in honour of the crocodile that the Littles tried to snog (the real one), went swimming and splashing, rebuilt the crocodile after some tykes had knocked him down, more swimming, then home for lunch and work. Came back a good while later to see Dr Crunch destroyed again and the tide quite out, so we mended him again and my oh my he was quite magnificent. Over 2 meters long and quite a delight. But by 5:30 is was lowering and spotting with rain, so we left. The crocodile was so lovely I actually bothered to come straight back out and try to take a pic of it, but despite the beach being almost completely empty someone had nevertheless managed to trample entirely and completely over him, so no pic. We'll just have to make another one again, and make sure to have a camera on the beach this time. Dr Crunch shall rise again -we are by now experts in making crocodillians!

Meanwhile, the Mr cooked the Ocean Jackets for us (on the barbie of course), with a dill rub, and MY they turned out delicious, would DEFINITELY get those again. Firm white flesh, large bones (quite a curious skeleton actually with lots of strange knobbles on bits of bone that really shouldn't normally be have any on a fish - or anything else for that matter but it seems to be the norm in Ocean Jackets), and although it was a complete fluke as we had no idea they turned out to match absolutely perfectly with the dill. Mmmmm. Littles was almost as tired as I felt but nevertheless had her dose of Harry Potter before marching off to bed - Ian has been reading us a bit each night and they're up to the first flying lesson today. Become quite an institution.

Anyway, lots of love to you all, I think I'm off to roll over and expire drooling on the pillow/floor/sofa/stairs/whatever I hit first, Nancy xxxxxxxxxxx