The list of things needing repairs is growing like snow rolling down a hill purportedly does. The bike has a broken wheel + a twisted chain; a drain is blocked, roof leaks on the shed, a sofa needs patching, and other things I can’t be bothered to think about right now.
At least I could ride the bike home, but not risking that wheel again. It’s not even that old, only a few thousand miles and it broke through the rim at a eyeleted spoke hole; they’re not supposed to do that.
….bum!

Where have I put my latest P60? I really need to find this startlingly plain document amongst the other plain sheets that I get sent every month.
If anyone knows where it is; please tell me in a comment.

Bessie appears to be searching in this photo, but clearly she has misunderstood the nature of the problem.
Hewlet Packard printers are very economical to use. They use almost no ink, and any paper that it prints out can be recycled. All you do is take the plain white paper that it normally churns out and put it back in the lower tray because, though it does consume ink, none of it gets onto the paper.The only drawback is with this printer, like the Epson I had before, is that it is incapable of doing what printers are supposed to do. But I mustn’t loose sight of the fact that there is no running cost beyond the electricity that it consumes, and the rage that it generates.

Switch-on: I put the heating on yesterday. It’s only on for a few hours each day so far. A bit later than last year, but autumn was colder then. The ride home today was rather horrible- the black wet road didn’t show up the light pools very well. Dry road is clear enough even with spots of water on my specs. Wet roads are not so, car headlights do light up the kerb-stones though so little chance of hitting the verge and taking a spill.

A scary prospect? No, indeed I am invincible!

How dull misty wet, it’s dripping from every free standing object. I want to be westwards.

Perhaps Rosie is appreciating her sheep-effect rug more than that canine-jumper. Tasteful huh?

Prepare for the Alpine adventure. Stuff organised. I failed to buy travel insurance from my bank today. In I walked and found someone to deal with, who sent me to an empty room with a phone to get a quote. The phone number I was given patched me through to one of those press-#-robots. the reason I walked there in the first place was to avoid those infuriatingly tedious machines. I wanted to speak to a human being, I’m not lonely and seeking the company- but humans are easier to deal with. So I hung up and bought the package elsewhere. Lloyds; are you reading this?

Deep: deep down to-the-bone tiredness. I know I have talked of this before, but the feeling stirs memories of previous end-of-term feelings. My whole being seems to know there is only a few weeks to go.
With all that, writing up a risk-assessment is the worst thing to do – at the best of times it saps all of your verve. We all have to do these, but consider the numbers, the hours spent and multiply by the payrate. It’s a privilege to live in a country with such overflowing wealth.
A recession; there can’t be?

Crane fly- what are you doing here two months early?

Wild Orchids: Looks whiter in the photo than on the ground. A good find Mum.

Last few days have been plagued by punctures, on the bike this time. What do you know… you have none for nearly a year then several in one week. It’s so
r a n d o m ! Note the use of the teenagers’ "random".
If it wasn’t, the puncture rate may be more evenly spread over time. Reminds be of the doodlebug paradox (which isn’t one).

Beech in full bloom and humming. Ideal is this weather to hear the throngs working at these flowers. The still air only carries the soft buzzing of thousands of insects, mainly bees. An evening to listen to the quietness in its minuteness.