Actually saw the sunset last night from my bedroom window! When I woke at 2.30 there was a brilliant full moon shining and stars, No clouds!!

Had on and off rain today, but not enough for Phillip as yet.

After breakfast Cathy and I went to Braintree and Thaxted for a few errands, and then back to the farm for lunch.

We then returned my car to Stansted Airport, after an extremely slow refuelling at the airport BP. We saw a young green woodpecker on our return to the farm.

I spent some time with Jess and Keith and the daily walk with Roxy. This time watched the kestrel fly over, they have babies in the barn. Also a flock of swifts were flying over and around the farm.

Cathy & I, Jess & Keith are heading out tonight to have dinner with Jeremy & Cheryl at an almost local pub. This will be the last blog as I’ll be on the plane this time tomorrow.

 Cathy with her Ffee fur stoleSunset!!!!!

It was raining when I got downstairs this morning, that fine English drizzle type rain. Waited until the traffic would be quieter and headed for Saffron Walden for a few munzees. Drove down the same street 4 times as it has a one-way system. Some amazing old houses there though. From there headed to Thaxted. Sat around for a while and then found a free car-park and left the car there. The rain had stopped so had a nice little walk.

Arrived at Parrishes early and after 3 table changes, I saw Claire at the front door. She said she had a surprise for me, and she sure did. Claire had arranged for her mother, Lynn and her carer to come to lunch as well. We had a lovely lunch and chat, and Claire and I carried on chatting for a couple of hours after Lynn and Karen left.

Back at the farm again in time for the walk with Jess and Roxy, and then drinks and a chat with Cathy and Phillip.

After dinner Philip headed out to start drilling, he is planting mustard as cover for the pheasants, but he’s hoping for more rain.

 Thaxted Thaxted Thaxted Guildhall 1462

Hit the 30 days, will be home again soon!

P.S. to last night, Philip didn’t find any foxes, but it’s rabbits tonight!

After breakfast this morning I headed to Felsted and visited Gerald. He looks good and is happy in his retirement home. From there I headed for Little Leighs and as I was a little early I visited St Johns Church. Lovely lot of hollyhocks growing along the side of it.

Sat up at the memorial garden for a while, had a cry, of course, and then watched a jay foraging around the churchyard, listened to the birds, watched butterflies and damselflies.

From there drove up the road to Ardwyn and had a very nice lunch in the garden with Janice. Sat and chatted and then had a tour of the garden. She is growing red gooseberries (we had a few to eat) and the raspberry bushes have gone mad, they are taking over!!

Back at the farm went for the walk with Jess and Roxy. Jess had been repotting some of her garden!

Cathy & Philip are preparing dinner and I’m blog writing, so catch you later!

Had a dreadful night, it was one of those can’t go to sleep ones. Anyway, had breakfast and then packed up my case. I didn’t want to get on to the roads before 9. Headed north about 9.30 and paid a quick visit to Sand Bay to grab a few munzees. Not quite sure about the sand, all I saw were rocks, but it was probably under the water somewhere lol.

Merged into the motorway and just kept going. I am driving a Golf which has a few bells and whistles. One of them is the cruise control. Once set to the desired speed it monitors the vehicle in front. If that vehicle slows down or another vehicle cuts in front the Golf automatically slows down until once again I’m a couple of car lengths behind. Then if the front vehicle turns off I go back to the speed limit I’ve set. All quite nifty.

I spent most of the trip in the slow lane behind a truck. Not so quick and whizz by as the other lanes. There were lots of roadworks but the traffic flowed reasonably well. I stopped at Membury Services again, but of course, on the other side of the motorway and it wasn’t as busy as the stop southward had been.

Back at the farm I left my case at the back door as Cathy & Phillip were out and popped into see Jess & Keith. Good chat, some raspberries and a walk and then back to the farm again. A chat, dinner and Cathy finished her book, Philip’s out looking for foxes to shoot and I’m blog writing. Sorry no pictures, I didn’t take any today!

Last full day here and I’ve been rather lazy! Had a walk along the esplanade before breakfast and then met up with Ann. Ann used to run online egg-decorating lessons which Zack participated in so it’s going back a long time. We only kept in touch very rarely, but the hotel has a Facebook site which linked to me when I connected to their wifi. Ann saw this and we arranged to meet up this morning. She has two lovely little dogs and a Bambi campervan which we sat in and chatted for a while.

Afterwards I headed back to the car to find I had been given in infringement notice. The warden obviously hadn’t checked their electronic system as I definitely had paid for parking. After filling in their online form I headed out to the munzee emerald garden and grabbed some at the other end of the beach front which has a road and parking spots along it.

Parked the car again and then went for a wander down the esplanade the other way. Stopped for a quick lunch and then a wander back to the hotel. The tide is fascinating, as it moves so fast, there being 2 low and 2 high tides each day.

Checked my emails as I hadn’t for quite a few days, organised lunch with Janice and then just watched the tide out of the window.

Downstairs for dinner soon and then probably not doing much again lol.

After brekky I headed south down the M5 to Taunton and Vivary Park for the first event of two.

Lovely park, but my GPS took me to the wrong side of the houses running alongside it. So after driving around in a few circles I actually managed to find the correct car park and as it is Sunday it was free parking!! (Unlike the one near the hotel which is costing me a small fortune, LOL). Then a cut lunch and water-bag walk to the toilets at the opposite end to where we were meeting, of course! The middle of the park was fenced off as they were having a music in the park type thing over 3 nights. They kept doing sound checks and had the bass going at one stage, horrible!!!! Tom Jones is tonight’s music!

Had fun watching Alex feeding the rather tame squirrels. Anyway, did all we had to do there and then headed to the final venue, The Master Thatcher, a pub Sally had booked the function room for us all to sit and chat and relax a bit before getting the outside munzees. They had a great looking carvery so had that for lunch, the parsnips were very nice.

Sally has had a theme running through the events, the first icon was an apple cut in half, the 2^nd a cider press, the 3^rd a barrel and the 4^th a glass of cider. So several indulged in the real thing. After saying goodbye to those still around, I headed to Bridgwater for some historical icon munzees, managed to get myself lost in some very small lanes, but finally sorted out the GPS and got back to the hotel. I did fill up with fuel and grabbed a sandwich for dinner, as not really hungry after that lunch, lol.

I was going to go out for a walk on the esplanade this morning as breakfast wasn’t until 8, but the owner was outside watering his garden so talked to him instead and watched the wildlife in the park across the road. There was a solitary squirrel and 10 magpies, which he said he’d never counted so many at one time. The tide was once again out and lots of mud flats showing, it’s just about high tide now at 7 pm. He said that it’s the second longest low tide in the world.

From there I drove about 25 minutes to Apex Park in Highbridge, where the first event was. Met some old friends and lots of new people too. The area was lovely with a lake in the middle, with a great walk around it. There was also a wildflower meadow which was blooming well. Lots of ducks and herring gulls of various ages so lots of different plumage on show.

I got a lift up the road to the next event, at a pub, lol. Had lunch and sat and chatted. Then I walked back to my car at Apex Park. The GPS said 17 minutes walking, but it took me nearer 75 as I detoured a little bit here and there. Also lots of people and their dogs to talk to. lol

Waited 20 minutes back in the car park so I didn’t have to pay for that bit of an hour and now back in my room. Thinking about going downstairs for dinner.

 One magpie Breakfast view Apex Park

Something disturbed the chickens early this morning, they were all cackling and making a fuss, and then instantly they were quiet. It was amazing, how instant it was, not even a little squawk could be heard.

I packed up my case, and left lots behind that I really wasn’t going to need for the next 4 days.

Helped Cathy doctor a poor little chicken, one of her favourites, with nasty scale mites on her legs, and then loaded up the car and headed for Somerset.

Had a few slow sessions on the motorways but basically it was quite good. I did stop at lunchtime at the Membury Services. My stars what a busy place and quite a range of shops and even a hotel, but definitely priced for travellers!!

The GPS said 3 hours 44 minutes and taking off the time for lunch I did it in just over 4 hours.

Have parked in a public carpark as the street parking is all taken up. I didn’t have any change, so tried the pay by phone option. Followed the instructions, didn’t work, tried the phone number and had a message saying due to inclement weather they were closed, lol (The weather here is lovely). Then found one of the parking inspectors and she suggested I tried the App, so I downloaded that and finally managed to get that working, so paid for parking until 7.09 as it was either 4 hours or 24 hours! Checked into the hotel. I have a great room overlooking the pier and beach.

Went for a little walk, then back to the room, then I got a message from Theo and so walked around to where he and Doris were for a chat. I think I must have met up with Theo in 4 different countries now.

Had to pay for another 3 hours of parking as it’s free from 10 pm to 8 am. as breakfast is at 8 I’ll have to buy another hour, lol. Just as well I did tonight’s, I was 6 minutes late, and the inspector was checking my licence plate against his list just as I paid it!! Back at the hotel I had some dinner and am now sitting here, typing, looking out of the window and watching the wood pigeons finding their roosts in the big conifer out front.

Whilst I was walking along the esplanade I got a message from Ann. She used to hold online egg decorating lessons which Zack would participate in. She is going to meet me here on Monday, which will be lovely, finally meeting her after all these years, she and Zack used to have some great conversations after the lessons.

 Room with a view Same view, low tide

Slept better but did have a laugh at the sole rooster crowing at 3.15, he did go back to sleep lol. After breakfast I located Jeremy & Cheryl’s on my GPS and headed to Great Leighs. Actually managed to find our old house as all the roads are different. Had a quick drink with J & C and then Jeremy and I headed for Southend-on-Sea. Did a little munzeeing on the way, nice to have a driver again. Once we found a parking spot we headed for the pier, which is the longest in the world at 1.3 miles. We caught the train almost to the end and walked the rest of the way to the old bell right at the end.

Then the train back and a stop in Westcliff-on-Sea for fish and chips, very nice. Drove home and popped into Jess & Keith’s for a chat. Cathy is now home, she felt air-sick the whole 13 hours, poor girl, and still not sure how she’s feeling.

Off to Somerset tomorrow, I’ve been told that the 3+ hours the GPS states it will take is very inaccurate, LOL.

P.S. to last night. Had a lovely dinner with Jess & Keith, lots to talk about. Got back here sometime after 8 and bed!

Had a fairly restless night, and woke early, then all the roosters started crowing which was great. I did try to count them. Had breakfast and bundled up some washing to take over to Jess and spent the rest of the day with her and Keith. It was a lovely day indeed.

Actually hung the washing on a clothesline with real pegs, lol, not something I’ve done in a long time.

Jess took Roxy for her walk up into the fields and I tagged along. It was lovely out, even though everyone is complaining it’s hot (it’s not really, lol) it was rather overcast, but occasional sun & blue patches. All want some rain as they haven’t had any for weeks. Philip has a conservation strip along that track and it is wonderful. Lots of wildflowers, butterflies and bees. Also a spider with a fantastic web whilst she sat in a little funnel waiting for the bugs.

After lunch we all went around to the side garden to watch the little birds. Jess scattered some food and we sat and waited. Apart from sparrows, there was a robin, who didn’t stay long and chaffinches. At the bird feeder a couple of different tits and a goldfinch as well, it was great.

In the afternoon Jess did the rounds of the chickens again, having done a morning one. Collected a few more eggs, scattered some food around. The colours and patterns of the bantams are delightful.

Then a yummy dinner and I headed back to the house so I could write this. Had a nice chat with Philip and petted the dogs Brandy, Tawny & Penny, though Fi is still dubious about me, lol.