AND THE RAINS CAME

The bright sunshine to which I awoke this morning lasted only long enough to allow me to lay my plans for the day as I sipped my morning coffee in bed. I had watched with interest Danny Alexander (the archetypal chinless wonder and chief secretary to the treasury) being well grilled about some of the issues I raised in my blog yesterday.

During breakfast the sky clouded over and by the time the kitchen was cleared and a little cleaning done it had begun to rain. This gentle rain,very welcome for my burgeoning strawberries gave way quickly to a hail storm with stones large enough to smash the strawberries t bits,this was not at all welcome.

During the next hour or two it rained on and off ,short but heavy bursts and then at four in the afternoon a great wind rose up and the rain came down in torrents. The lime trees in the lane lashed about as the wind hit their branches. Now in full leaf the trees are like a ship in full sail and prone to damage in high winds. From the church yard and rending tearing sound indicated that a branch had been blown down,thankfully the trees in the lane remained unscathed.

The heavy rain fall was too much for our antiquated drainage system and soon the lane was awash,flowing like a small river straight in to the Thames at the corner of the lane. The pathway to our house flooded and still the rain continued to fall.

Our two cats remained indoors all day Twiggy asleep on the sofa and Moth under my bed in a recently discovered hiding place. My son spent the whole day writing finishing his second novel shortly before dinner ,celebrated in his traditional fashion downing a large tot of rum while Pa and I drank his health in a more sedate glass of home made cherry brandy

. Pa rearranged his shelves and bedside table to make space for his Fathers Day gifts,of which more tomorrow.

Towards evening a watery sun made an apologetic appearance before disappearing again behind a massive black cloud. Today I began work on some illustrations for a book about cats. These days I find it difficult to hold a pencil but I adore cats and am willing to give it a try.

I am still undecided about cutting my hair, half of me wants the daily wash in the shower,shake your head and go style while the other half remembers how awful I look with short hair. Besides, the only thing which keeps my hair in order is it's weight, when cut it has a life of it's own and is the very devil to control.

Still wonder if such long hair as mine looks right on a woman of sixty, on the other hand think of the money I'd spend on hairdressers since my own hair is the only head if hair I cannot cut.

I think my mind is made up ,hair to stay!