problem is, it does come back another day!

I suppose we have to pay for the fairly dry summer at some point, doesn't mean we have to like it.

Its been an awkward start to the week here in Mad's cell.

Monday was at least dry so I took a short 4 mileish walk, the Swedish store usually provides entertainment for an hour, by the time I'd done some food shopping I'd been out @ 4 hours, getting back as the light was going. Why so late I hear you ask, well the day started much earlier than usual in fact, I'm taking part in a Covid survey which meant taking a throat/nose swab before breakfast so it was ready to be collected from 8am. Then it was a case of waiting for the courier to arrive to collect it which didn't happen until about 1.30pm. I get the result in a couple of days so I'm a little on tenterhooks atm (10 house points if you can tell me what tenterhooks are - I know and have seen some surviving examples but do you? no cheating now.)

So to yesterday, the forecast looked very promising, warm, bright with a light southerly breeze so I decided on a ride down to the Somerset levels. Well the only thing the forecast got right was the wind direction, it was damp, overcast and the wind quite strong so, after clawing my way over the Mendip to Wells I decided to cut a bit short and head for my lunch stop at the East Somerset Railway. I had hoped to get a cuppa but failed on that, instead eating my sarnies hiding from the off and on liquid sunshine after 3 hours of hard work.

The return route ended up as a make it up as you go affair, up and down through the jumble of hills where Cotswold and Mendip meet before joining the cycle track into Bath then back to a cake stop just outside Bristol. In the end I scraped 111km for my 5 hours of riding with 1100m of up for my troubles - not the best days ride but at least the shoulder wasn't causing as much issue. I don't mean to keep on about it but its frustrating not being able to use the arm effectively, a break wouldn't have been as debilitating!

And so to today, a grey drizzly affair to be sure. The news has been full of the impending lockdown of my 'home' city to the highest Covid alert level at the weekend which means the earliest I'll be able to visit family/friends etc will now be December. In that respect I'm glad to be in the South West, possibly the safest region Covidwise but it has a far reaching impact beyond the borders of GOC, there can't now be a celebration of my fathers 90th birthday in a couple of weeks, will I even get to see him and for that matter the younger generations of the family again this year? I know the whole C19 business is affecting everyone but being so far from my family is really getting me down.

On that note, stay safe and read more Gaby!

Yes, there is a new chapter, Over A Barrel, now available for your enjoyment. That girl gets in more fixes than no nails!

Tschuss
Madeline Anafrid