Sunday February 3rd...

I chose the film to entertain us last night The Woman in Black and John said it was likely to have given him nightmares.  This seems odd because he can watch any amount of blood and guts and gore but give him a good old horror and that is a different story - I, on the other hand, love a good old spooky movie!!!  I wasn't too sure about seeing Daniel Radcliffe in anything other than a Harry Potter film but although he still looks about 12 - maybe 15 at a push he did a good job in this film and I thoroughly enjoyed it so would recommend it.

I don't think either of us experienced nightmares - I didn't think I did although John said I was talking in my sleep - normally it is the other way round!  What I do know is that we didn't wake till late and then flung open the shutters, got the coffee, shifted the cats and read the papers for a couple of hours because we can because, as John says, that is what being retired is all about!!  The cats still love one another although they rarely sleep together any more but they do like to snuggle up on the bed.  Min-Mins is now bigger than Chivers (in the body) although her little pinhead still makes her look smaller.  He had been giving her poorly ear a good old clean - he must like the taste of the gunk we have to put in - and in return she gave the whole of his head a right old soaking.  We got up leaving them on the bed and they were still there when we came back later in the afternoon!

I had persuaded John to go down to the coast to do some beach combing to see if there was any suitable driftwood for the wood burner.  It was a fine and bright day so he was happy to go along once he had been fortified by a good old sausage sandwich which was to keep us going until our evening meal.  I had suggested taking a flask and some cake or sandwiches but we got up too late really to need that on top of the sausage butties.  We took the road down towards Lara via Smiyies picnic area and decided that we would just off road when we found a likely looking bit of coastline.  This is the route we should have taken when we went on the first beach clean with Running John and Susan - of course we know that NOW!!

The beach we decided to try was to the right of the beach we cleaned on our first beach clean.  It is pretty rugged and we could see some flotsam and jetsam and general beach detritus so it was looking hopeful and the wet and windy weather over Christmas was bound to have brought some stuff onto the beach.  The only trouble is that unless the wood is obviously a plank of something or part of a pallet we cannot be exactly sure how it will burn and John is always mindful of the crap that could build up in the chimney.

All sorts gets washed up on the beaches - we know that bottle tops, cigarette lighters, cylumes and single flipflops are quite normal but the doll's head I found reminded John too much of the film last night!!!  I quite liked it in a strange sort of way and decided to take it back home to sit atop a bamboo cane to protect someone from getting their eye poked out - see what I did there?????

John was unimpressed that having had the car cleaned inside and out only the other week we were traversing across very very bumpy and dirty road conditions and filling the boot with damp and sandy wood.  I know that he would prefer that we had a truck for these jobs and maybe he is right - I just don't fancy a truck for ordinary car journeys or parking for that matter!

We spent an hour scouring and managed to fill the boot with a range of bits and pieces that would all at some point be put in the wood burner - it might last a day or it might last a couple but at least it got us out of the house and into the fresh air!

It is a beautiful drive around the Akamas and coming back we encountered a number of streams making their way down to the sea.  There is still plenty of water coming off of the hills and mountains and in places the road is pretty washed away - really only suitable for four wheel drive vehicles except we met a small blue Fiat hire car trying to do the same trip - as John says they must have felt every bump and we doubt they will have read their insurance to check whether or not they should actually have been taking that car on that run!

As we made our way towards Latchi we decided we would stop at Faros and have a drink sat out by the Marina.  Although it was well past lunchtime it was still pretty full with people enjoying the sunshine and the view of the boats.  

As the warmth of the sun began to fade we made our way back home to find a big black cloud sitting over Droushia - this meant we had to find room for the wood so that it wouldn't get even more wet than it might already have been.  

John did admit that it had been a good way to spend a couple of hours on a Sunday and that the next time we do it we will take that flask and those sandwiches and make more of a day of it.

Dad is coming back tomorrow so I am on 'end of the week' soup making from the sad old veggies that are left sitting in the box!!!  I have got out my trusty Covent Garden Soup Company books and selected a carrot and bean soup for lunch tomorrow.

This reminded me that yesterday it was Gemma Woolmington's birthday and it reminded me because this was a Christmas present from her a couple of Christmases ago - actually John had reminded me yesterday as it had come up on Facebook and I did send her an email.  On the subject of Facebook John also learned that our lovely friends Tommy and Sally Allan and their children Freddy and Molly and dog Buddy are embarking on a new life down in Weymouth.  We wish them all the best - Yeovil will never be the same again without them there and by the way Mrs A - my yellow sticker was on your dining furniture months ago!