Tuesday.

On Sunday morning last got up quite early, because I had a clock to deliver and set up in our area - the dial clock I illustrated on Saturday. After that returned home and loaded car, because I had a second clock (a Suffolk made long case) to deliver to son Jonathan and partner Jude, near Cambridge,where, after setting up said clock, we had lunch with them. Jude had made a very traditional Sunday lunch; she knows our tastes. She gave us roast beef and yorkshire pudding with all the trimmings (roast and boiled potatoes, etc.), followed by a fresh fruit summer salad, then coffee. At around three o'clock back in the car and drove across to the midlands where we spent a couple of days with my brother (who blogs as Crowbard) and his wife Judy. We'd packed a balancing game for their granddaughter. It's an old one that our children (and eventually our grandchildren) liked. The above photo shows niece Jessica, Crowbard, and great niece Lottie, playing the game. Lottie loved it, and was very good at it - it requires a very steady hand.

As there was a summer storm coming up, Jess and Lottie drove home at about six. Just before they hit the road, Crowbard and I serenaded them by singing 'Good Night Lottie' to the tune of 'Goodnight Ladies' and set  to improvised words. This appeared to please young Lottie (who is three) greatly!
Afterwards, and about halfway through supper's first course ( a roast leg of lamb) the storm suddenly brightened, and I thought that, given the weather conditions, there might well be a rainbow. I excused meself to Judy, and stepped outside. There was a complete and DOUBLE rainbow (shown above) - the best I'd seen in years. In the middle of a perfect meal (Jude is a great cook!!!) it made an already pretty good   evening into a magic one!

The following morning we went to see an old friend who lives quite near Crowbard and Jude. He is an antique dealer I've known for forty (or possibly fifty) years. He sometimes has antique guns in, and this time he offered me a Brown Bess musket in very good condition. The only drawback was the price (exorbitant is the word that springs to mind !) so although tempted, I eventually left the gun and bought four pieces of pewter. This morning we went to a new, and nearby, antique centre, but found nothing buyable, so went on to a nearby garden shop that Ann and Jude always like. Had a light lunch there, then back to Carl and Jude's. Packed the car, and drove home, arriving here just after five p.m.   Been a lovely break.  Being called upstairs to supper, so :-

                                     Goodnight All.