Happy Birthday Bobby xxxx

We had a latish night watching TV last night so this morning just intended to have a bit of a lie-in but Charlie was missing in action last night - presumed to be missing in action around at 11b with the Kailou's as he had been the previous evening and several others prior to that but when I got up for a quick comfort break this morning he was nowhere to be seen which is really very unusual and this always leaves me with an uncomfortable feeling that something has happened to him.  On Thursday night he came to meet us when we were returning from the village - normally this isn't a problem because that road is generally very quiet but as traffic is being diverted from the village centre it can sometimes resemble the M1 and no match for a chubby little disable fat cat plodding along the road.  Actually only Mins and Boo were in so I quietly called for the other two and Chivers responded but not Charlie.  I was in the process of getting dressed to head out up the road when he suddenly appeared in the kitchen - not sure where from although I later learned that he had been round our neighbours early giving Luke a cuddle.  Little bugger - he is going to be well confused tonight because the Kailou's are returning to the UK after there holiday.

We had to do a rescue this morning - the smallest gecko I have seen in a long time had found itself stranded on the pool cover and was in danger of either baking in the sun or drowning as it tried to find a way out.  John managed to get it into his shrimping net and then the bugger jumped out and the second time John caught it, it shed its tail which I hate and then it went from being two centimeters long to being just one centimeter long - I do hope it survives poor thing.

Today is the Bobster's birthday - hard to believe he is 66 (sorry for spilling the beans Bobby) as he is still like the Duracell bunny at times!

He and Di had planned to have a quiet day and it is going to snow tomorrow for sure because he actually went into their pool (photograph courtesy of Di) - mind you who wouldn't want to on such a beautiful day and with the pool looking so inviting?

I am liking the inflatable - must ask Di where she got it from - we currently only have a couple of noodles as all our lounging blow-ups have gone to the big lounging blow-up graveyard in the sky.

Anyway Bobster we hope you had a lovely day and when you do go and that when you do go and redeem your ale vouchers at the Gin Bar whoever serves you will understand the concept otherwise John will just have to go with you to ensure there is no embarrassment - which is a shit job but he is fully prepared to do it!!

I must apologise to Mum for this dreadful photograph of her - her fault because she doesn't like having her photo taken so gives me just a millisecond to take a snap.  Also her fault because she likes to read the blog but doesn't want to be in it which is a tad difficult as we spend quite a bit of time together!

For our Sunday Lunch today John said I was exempt from cooking - YEEHAH!!!! so we decided to head on down to Latchi and go to Yialos where there was a lovely breeze and we could sit outside but under the shade of the 'shade' trees and there is a varied menu so everyone can find something nice to eat although John and I had thought about having fish and then realised that they don't do fish unless it is as a special.  Mum chose the biggest meal on the menu - a xylophone sized portion of spare ribs!!!  Still, as she said, it will feed her for about three days as she took the uneaten bit home.

On the subject of beers Mum brought John four of these from Lidl - they are on the strong side so he has been keeping them for a special occasion.  Today was that day as we settled down to watch the cricket - the third Ashes Test from Headingley.  Now I am not normally a huge cricket fan but the World Cup did slightly convert me and I was filled with optimism about this Ashes Series because we need to wrestle that teeny tiny cup back from the Aussies.

The first test England managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory to go one down and then the second test was drawn.  The first day of the third test was lost to rain and then Australia went in to bat and made quite a measley score of 179 which was easily reachable by the England team who clearly did not read the brief and who were skittled out for a whole 67 runs which was absolutely abysmal.  In their second innings the men from down under piled on the misery with a score of 246 leaving England with an absolute mountain to climb - in fact it was about the biggest chase down England have had to face in a test match.  Early on the batsmen looked to have got their act together and with two days to stick it out looked like they just might make it and then there was a middle order collapse and then the target looked unreachable except for the legend that is Ben Stokes who almost single-handedly managed to slog out the deficit and the Australians can only blame themselves when right near the end someone dropped a catch and someone else fluffed a dead cert run out.  It was THE MOST EXCITING thing I have ever watched and I am a confirmed Cricket Convert.  Bring on the next test - the Ashes series is not dead and hopefully lessons will be learned by the English team and they will end up victorious.  Apart from that I have no strong views on the matter.

Finally a big goodbye to the Kailou's, thanks for the contents of the fridge!!!  Charlie is now on a diet although he did finish up the ham before you had even left the estate!!!  COME BACK SOON!!!