9th July 2017

Dear All,

Kate had a check up on Wednesday and was given an all clear until her next mammogram. She also had a blood test and an X-Ray on her hip which has been playing up. She celebrated on Thursday after our walk by being violently sick and feeling awful so had to be rushed home where she recovered quite quickly after a shower and a sleep.

The Thursday walk started at Howletts End, near Thaxted. The crops in the area were excellent: uniform and fairly weed free. We took in Brocks second hand agricultural machinery show ground, at Cutlers Green, which is now massif.

Wheat near Howletts End

Brock’s Machinery Showground

Kate pre collapse

Apart from that we haven’t been far this week. Kate has been painting windows and fence panels, I have demolished part of our old coal bunker to accommodate the three dustbins. This produced 10 bags of brick rubble which we took to the tip yesterday.

Bin Bunker

I have also been tunnelling a track through the 6 feet high brambles behind the chapel to allow a painter to access the windows. While I was doing this the lady next door came to chat and said “I am surprised you haven’t done something with this area as it belongs to the chapel” which is a major surprise to us as our deeds state that it belongs to them. I have also started strimming the overgrown graves at the Cemetery – this is not one of my favourite jobs as strimmers seem to be especially temperamental!

We chalked up a rare victory for the Chapel cricket team this week. I managed to bowl 2 overs for 6 runs but when batting faced a whole over of a slow bowler lobbing balls out of the sun and didn’t see any of them.

We were invited to a BBQ at Matthew and Rachel’s yesterday together with their toddler Grace who Kate sometimes looks after.

The garden and allotment both seem to be going fairly well after last week’s rain and courgettes have entered “would you like some?” stage. Tomatoes and cucumbers are underway in the greenhouses where we also have melons, sweet potatoes, peppers, aubergines, ginger and peanuts.

Bottom Greenhouse

Peanut

Melon

Love

Mike & Kate