Hard work (but not by me)

Today’s guest picture comes from Venetia, my Somerset correspondent.  She noticed, while reading a county guide, that there was a 13th century Tootle Bridge not far from her home.  In a spirit of fun, she visited it and waited for some time until she could take a picture of a cyclist crossing the bridge to get a Tootle pedal picture.  In spite of her patient wait, I preferred her picture of a vertical canoeist shooting the bridge in what can only be described as a Tootle paddle picture.

We had an unexpected visit today from our older son Tony and his partner Marianne, who finding that they both had a day off together, thought it would be a good idea to come and visit us.  It was a good idea and it was a pleasure to see them…and Sally, one of their three dogs who came with them.

Tony is a painter and decorator to trade and he very kindly brought along a bag quick drying filler and a smoothing tool and during the day did some very useful work in the front room, leaving what had been a rather battered wall in his own words, “As smooth as a baby’s bottom.”

It may not look much in this shot but I can assure that it is indeed very, very smooth.

I didn’t have much luck in co-ordinating the few moments that I had to look out of the window with any significant bird action so a perching robin will have to stand in  for all our avian visitors today.

I spent quite a bit of time hoping that Sally would sit still long enough to get her picture taken but it was a lost cause.  I did enjoy this close up which shows the little LED lights in our kitchen ceiling reflected in her eye.

We took her for a walk round Gaskell’s before lunch.  It wasn’t very warm or sunny at this point of the day…

…but everyone seemed very cheerful.

We had a look, more in hope than expectation, to see if there were any slow worms under the felt tiles at Pool Corner.

We were surprised.

Daffodils are beginning to emerge all round the town.

I offered to point out to the other three many interesting lichens as we went round but on every occasion something more interesting appeared to catch their eye.

The party stopped to admire the new bridge on the walk…

…and Tony, who is a busy man, dealt with a work enquiry on his phone.

When we got to the Stubholm, little lambs were to be seen gambolling on the turf.

In the park, cherry blossom is also beginning to appear.

There were daffodils at the end of our walk as well as at the start.

I had made a vegetable soup and we had that for lunch with rolls and some tasty cheeses.

In the afternoon, a carpet fitter came and rolled back the carpet in the upper room.  There are some skirting boards for Mrs Tootlepedal to finish but otherwise this room in now ready for occupation again.

After lunch, we had another opportunity to add Sally to the photographic hall of fame.  Having failed to catch her in a quiet moment, we went for an action shot.

She is pretty handy with a soft football.

While we were out in the garden, I noticed that the dandelion has been joined by some primroses on the edge of the drive…

And the light, which was much better by this time, was just right to bring out the orange trumpets on the Jetfire daffodils.

Tony and Marianne introduced me to the delights of WhatsApp and Tony used it to send me this picture of Marianne and Sally which he took and which Marianne had edited on her phone.

After Tony and Marianne left for home, Mrs Tootlepedal settled down to painting the skirting boards upstairs and I settled down.

I should have gone to Carlisle to play with the recorder group in the evening but it had been cancelled so I did some more settling down.  The weather looks promising for a good cycle ride tomorrow so I don’t feel too bad about having had a relatively idle day today.

I did manage a rather gloomy flying bird of the day.