Thursday.

Must just record that yesterday morning we were having coffee in the garden when I spotted the above photographed insect. It looked very like a small humming bird as it hovered in front of the lavender flowers and fed. I got a couple of photoes, neither of them good. This morning it turned up again, I got a better look at it; was still unable to get a good photograph, but when I looked it up found that it was a humming-bird hawk-moth. Beautifully marked and it's action when feeding was exactly like that of a humming bird. Apparently, because of the warm weather this year lots of them have flown up from North Africa.
Unless, of course, it was really a humming bird, which because of the warm weather had flown across from North America ????????

Ann's brother Mick came to lunch and stayed until about four p.m. After lunch we sat round the table and put the world to rights. Hope the world appreciates our concern and efforts.

Wednesday.

Last Thursday I told you that I'd left half a dozen bids with grandson Matthew on today's Sotheby's Arms and Armour sale. This morning I 'phoned Matthew to 'up' one of the bids (on a large sporting crossbow) a little. He 'phoned just before 5p.m. to tell me that bidding in general had been high, but that he'd successfully bid for the crossbow, and bought it for quite a lot less than I'd authorized him to bid this morning. He'd been underbidder on three of the other bids, but two of the items had doubled their top estimate. I asked him if he'd had any problems and he said only one. When the hammer had fallen to him for the crossbow, he'd got his bidding paddle in the catalogue, and the man next to him had to tell him to hold the paddle up so the auctioneer could see the number on it. He'd also gone to the accounts office on his own initiative, got the invoice, and was able to tell me the exact sum I now owed Sotheby's. I think he'd done very well, and told him so.

The top photo is of the rose bed outside my potting shed/forge, and shows my two anvils (the smaller one slotted into the larger). I very rarely need them nowadays, but when the need arises nothing else will do. The lower picture shows sweet peas which are now being swarmed over by scarlet runner beans, so that later this year we should be well supplied with beans. I've also put in with them a few Morning Glory/Ipomea - 'heavenly blue', which I try and grow most years (with varying success). We'll see.

Tuesday.

Woken from a brief post prandial zizz (afternoon nap Lori) by a crash of thunder that sounded like the crack of doom, and could hear a howling gale going on with horizontal sheeting rain, lightning, etc. Took the above photo from almost the same point from which I took one yesterday and waffled on about a lovely blue summer sky. Should have kept me trap shut (remained silent, Lori). I didn't take this from quite the same spot as it would have meant getting soaked, so being a custard (short for cowardy custard, L.) I took the photo through the kitchen window. Still, I suppose the garden needed it. And as far as I'm concerned the garden's welcome to it.

Monday 2.

Even a scruffy old toolshed can look pretty good in a garden, in June, under a clear blue sky.

Monday.

For the benefit of Christopher and my old friend (well, early middle aged friend) Forde-Innes (and it's good to hear from you again, Neil), the two photoes  show  a snaphaunce lock (above, as befits its seniority) and,  the one below, a flintlock , both detached from their guns. The below picture shows the outside of the locks, and the above picture their innards. The differences between the two then become so obvious as to require no further explanation; except perhaps I should say that the snaphaunce has a  pan cover separate from the steel, whilst the flintlock has a combined pan cover and steel.
Perhaps though, I should also say that the above picture makes it clear that the true flintlock employs a vertically acting scear, whilst this snaphaunce lock (being early Italian) uses a horizontally acting double scear, rather like, as you've probably already spotted, the wheel lock does.
P.s.  I should, perhaps, have made it clear that I am, of course, using Torsten Lenk's definition of the true (or French) flintlock.
All clear now chaps?

Sunday.

Spent the weekend with brother carl, and sister-in-law Judy in the midlands. Judy is a superb gardener (and cook - and hostess). Above is snapshot of delphinium petals fallen onto hosta leaves.

Above snapshot is of Great Aunt Ann with great niece Lottie - now eight months.

Mother and daughter - niece Jessica and great niece Charlotte (now generally known as Lottie).

Last Friday to Cafe church, then on to Lavenham where we had excellent lunch with friends John and Margaret, retired dealers. I have always said that antique dealers never really retire; they just get steadily more in keeping with their stock. John proved the truth of this by (despite having retired some years ago) selling me two swords and a flintlock pistol (to be pedantic- it was a snaphaunce lock pistol).
After usual excellent lunch provided by Margaret motored over to the midlands. Rotten journey. A14 blocked solid in Cambridge area, as was every other road we tried within miles of Cambridge. Finally fought our way through St. Neots, Kimbolton, and back to reasonably clear A14. Arrived at Carl and Judy's just after eight p.m. Had lovely weekend with them, and motored home this afternoon, Ann driving. Good journey. Stopped in nice, shady, lane just outside Milton for a quick zizz (both of us). Then I took over the driving for the rest of the way home.
Thank you Margaret and John for a superb lunch; and thank you Carl and Judy for a lovely weekend.
And, of course, I wish all my readers a very Good Night.

Thursday.

Now to try and catch up a bit. On Saturday last motored over to a school reunion. Above photo shows group of doddering old greybeards bellowing away at the school song ('Fory Years On' - although it was fifty some odd years on in fact), photo taken by Ann, who obviously felt that soft focus might be kinder. Stayed over with old school friend (and childhood neighbour) of Ann's.

On Monday morning Ann dropped me off at Manningtree Railway Station, where I caught a train to Liverpool Street.  Ann stayed at home because we were having a new gas boiler delivered and installed. I was in London (staying over at youngest daughter Lizzie's) to view two auctions at Christie's. At the second viewing (of Christie's Arms and Armour) I ran across Thomas Delmar (Sotheby's Arms and Armour) who kindly offered me a private preview of his next week's auction (thus saving me another two days in London next week). On Tuesday morning therefore viewed Sotheby's Arms sale with grandson Matthew. On asking Tom for a  bidding form he suggested that it was probably time Matthew started bidding for me!!!  Matt (who will be eighteen in August) shied away from this idea, but when he realised that there were only half a dozen lots that interested me, thought that perhaps he might be able to cope with these. So yesterday afternoon at Christie's Arms sale (to give him a bit of practice) I handed my (clearly marked) catalogue, and bidding number over to Matthew, and told him to get on with it, which, rather to the surprise of both of us, he did. We were in the front row (so I could hear the auctioneer), and he (the auctioneer) helped. He took Matt's bids, glancing at me for confirmation of the first few, then we all three found it was going well and relaxed. Matt bid for seven lots, didn't get any of them (although he was under bidder on two of them); But it has given him (and me) confidence for next Wednesday when he'll be bidding on his own- again with a clearly marked catalogue. Anyway I know Thomas will be keeping a helpful eye on him. Filled my three days in London to the full. Yesterday, before the sale, which was an afternoon one, gave Matthew and granddaughter Beth lunch at the Victoria and Albert Museum, where there is a good (and not too expensive) canteen. Caught the seven thirty train from Liverpool Street. Ann met me at Manningtree, and we were home by nine.

Spending today catching up (and catching me breath, if I'm honest).

Friday.

Been a busy day. Went to Cafe Church this morning, where our friend the Rev. Joyce W......... had just been presented with a fan by Jackie and Martin who were back from a cruise. Above snapshot shows Joyce fluttering her new fan.
Just got in from a quiz we took part in this evening as two of a team of six - didn't do very well - still it was good fun. Goodnight all.

Friday.

Bunch of larkspur and cornflowers I bought Ann earlier in the week - catching yesterday evening's light  in the drawing room.

Got up early this morning - ostensibly to make us a cup of tea, but as Ann was sound asleep when I came down it seemed a pity to wake her. Been pottering about my workshop/study for a while- looking through old blogs. It's now nearly quarter to eight, so I think it's now a respectable time to be presented with an early morning cuppa, so will go upstairs and make one (or rather two). I wish any readers a very Good Day.

Thursday.

My two anvils outside the forge/potting shed (But Ann will keep trying to grow things up the anvils).

A corner of the garden (again! - although things grow and alter so quickly at this time of year that it's usually a new picture).

Still life I think - corner of the dining table - not the photo I meant to publish, but can't be bothered to cancel this one and start again, so I'll let it stand.

Spent this afternoon clearing out and tidying up my workshop because yesterday I'd cleared my backlog and completed ALL the work waiting for me. I found this thought rather depressing so I started looking round and - guess what ?- yes, I found I'd got plenty of work left to do. So I've started on it, and feel the better for still having something to do.

Wednesday.

Peculiar looking blob, isn't it?

Early service this morning, then spent most of the rest of the day in the workshop, finishing one fairly major job, and starting two or three minor ones. Ann has been working in the garden this afternoon, planting out some chard seedlings into the rose bed. Bit of an experiment. I'll let you know if it works out. We're both fond of chard. It's the best (certainly the most colourful) of the brassicas. It's a bit of a 'cut and come again' vegetable and the only spare space in our tiny garden is the space between the rose bushes. We'll see.

The above blob by the way, is a summer pudding that Ann made yesterday, and has, with a little cream, done us two days for pudding.

Been a long day, so - Good Night All.

Tuesday.

Sorry about the delay in bloggery lately. Not that I'm getting lazy. Rather the reverse in fact; seem to have been too busy to blog of late.
Anyway, just to prove that all is well with us, here are two snapshots taken today whilst having lunch in the garden. Meself ( Still I'm afraid in me workshop scruff) having just come upstairs from workshop to partake.

Wednesday.

I know I've shown lots of photoes of this scene (our Church and the Deanery Tower) but this is what it looks like at seven a.m. on a fine summer morning. Early service this morning. Ann lead the service and I read both lessons. Breakfast. Then walked home, stopping at barber's shop for a haircut. Then into Ipswich to view an auction.

On way home took above photo of poppies in field, through car window, which accounts for odd reflections. Should say that Ann was driving. When I was a boy most farmers in Norfolk would have called this  'a dirty field'. Pretty though. This was somewhere near Hintlesham.

Detoured through lanes and took above snapshot of early (much restored ) cottage. Looks as if it's been jacked up at some stage and the ground floor rebuilt. This could, I would think, have been done at any stage of its long existence. Home, sandwich lunch, then Ann motored into Sudbury to do a 'big shop' and I went up to change into me workshop scruff, inadvertantly assumed a horizontal posture, and kipped (slept, Lori) for a while. Eventually surfaced and spent most of rest of day pottering in workshop. About ready to resume kipping now though, so - Goodnight All.

Monday.

Snapshot of a neighbour's roses riotting joyously over his garden fence. As well they might. It rained heavily last night, continued raining most of this morning. Stopped about 1 p.m. and by tea time the garden furniture was dry enough for us to take tea outside. Garden looks so refreshed and smells good and clean. Our part time jobbing gardener Ken, who is a traditionalist, came in on Saturday (Derby Day) to cut our box hedges. So garden looks and smells pretty good.
Bit early, but going up soon, So :- Goodnight All.

Thursday.

In fact, when I went back to check, there were TWO badly parked chuffer engines in said farm yard. As I've often had occasion to remark : The things you see when you're out without your gun!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday 1.

Badly parked chuffer engine spotted this afternoon in passing Suffolk farm yard.

Wednesday.

Been a good, busy, reasonably successful, day at the Long Melford Antique Fair. This evening took the above snapshot- through the kitchen window - of Pa and Ma Goldfinch (bottom right) on the bird feeder, getting in supplies for their family, whilst a member of their family on the crossbar (top centre) flutters its wings and demands sustenance.
Sooner or later must think about getting a better camera with a 'close-up' facility (probably the wrong term but you'll know what I mean).
Been a long day (up at six - loaded car- and away by seven) and I think we're both ready for bed, so - Good night all.