Visitors since coming out of hospital

My wife tells me we have had over seventy different visitors come to see us since I came out of hospital back in January.  Many have returned time and time again. Not being able to travel so easily at present, it is lovely to see people in our home. Most ring first to make sure it is convenient. Although people say I look well, inside I am still giddy and feel sick a lot of my waking time.

Some visitors are noticeable by their absence. Some admit they hate illness and are afraid to come. Some of the non-visitors are more surprising as outwardly they claim to be good Christian people. Sham!  As I have said before in this blog, illness certainly shows who are your kind and loyal friends and who are the friends one can do without.

It is not that some people don't call that hurts: it is the sham of some people who claim to be "upright citizens" when really they just don't want to know or to get involved.

It is the sham that hurts.

Storms tracking east of us?

At present the nasty storms coming up from France and Belgium are over Ipswich and Clacton. The storm path seems to be moving north, suggesting we might miss the worst. It certainly feels as if we are in for a storm, but who knows? We are certainly in for a hot uncomfortable night in bed.

See http://www.lightningmaps.org/realtime?lang=en  .

The storms over NE France and Begium currently are very intense. I really hope these miss us later.

Storms over Kent

See http://www.lightningmaps.org/realtime?lang=en  .

Although it certainly feels stormy here at present - very close and humid - the main storms seem to be some 60-70 miles west of here. Down in East Kent, where our younger son lives,  there are active storms now, with several lightning strikes occurring. His main risk is flooding from rising ground water, although river levels are currently very low, so they should be OK.

School room at museum

Last Thursday our grandson Edward (5) visited our local museum. He he is as the schoolmaster at the reconstructed village school room.

Water fight

On Wednesday, we had 2 grandchildren and their dads here. It was very hot, so the grandchildren had a water fight with the hose on fine spray. Both cried when they went their separate ways.

Red legged partridges

Since before we moved in to our bungalow last August there has been a pair of red-legged partridges strutting around the Close as if they owned it. They frequently come into our garden. Well, today they have been joined by a third one. It looks fully grown, so not sure if it is male "chancing his luck" with the female. Anyway, we now seem to have three wandering around the Close. They all seem perfectly happy! As with all photos, just before taking it they all scattered down  the road, but they are definitely red-legged partridge I can assure you.

3 red-legged partridges in the Close (sorry for the poor shot)

Moving - mixed emotions

Today my wife's brother and his wife are moving home from Ilkley in Yorkshire to Goostrey in Cheshire where they will be very close to one of their sons and family. This will be a strange day of mixed emotions.

http://www.goostrey.info/images/dynamic/140.jpg

They were very content in Ilkley so moving will be quite an upheaval.  They are the sort of couple who will soon make new friends, especially in the local church. I give it a week (or less) before their new home feels like their real home. Having one of their sons and his family nearby (2km) will be a real bonus. We hope to stay with them before too long.