Home alone

Three quarters of the White family are currently in Lytham on an overnight seaside trip.   Latest reports suggest that it's not raining there.  

Here in Guiseley - where this quarter of the family unit remains - the rain is about to restart and my plan to paint the garden shed is in tatters.  Excellent!

This "unfortunate" turn of events has forced me to watch the cricket, snooker, Moto GP and Formula One thus far.  

Later I shall feel compelled to tune into the rugby league, rugby union, baseball and football (plus more snooker if the player who's not called Ronnie O'Sullivan makes a fight of it).

Since my last ramble on here, we hired a motorboat on Lake Windermere and didn't capsize.

We embarked on our first "Rishi Dishy," taking advantage of the Government's uncharacteristically generous "eat out to get fat, then go for a bike ride" scheme.

We went for afternoon tea to fulfil a commitment Vanessa made to Charlotte at the start of lockdown.  (Plus she had a voucher).

I had two huge boxes of beer delivered.

Followed by another one.

And most excitingly of all, Charlotte had another promise kept when Vanessa finally allowed her to get her ears pierced. 

The rest of the clan are due back in Guiseley tomorrow afternoon, by which point I hope to have most of a day's work competed.

And then on Wednesday, we're due to back out on the road as a reunited four-piece band to cower in a tent in the middle of a field until Friday,  Heavy rain and thunderstorms are inevitably forecast.  With added lightning.  Can't wait.  

Spacers

There they go, the intrepid high wire artists about to spend the following three hours fumbling around on the edge of space -  or high ropes assault course to you and me.  They'll eventually return to Planet Earth via a zip wire.

And me?  Not a chance.  I'm watching the FA Cup Final.  Yes, my team Arsenal are playing.  But that's not the real reason.  Heights are not for me.  And neither is publicly soiling myself in front of a wife and two children who already don't respect me.

Earlier today we went on yet another walk, this time to Orrest Head where the views of Lake Windermere were spectacular. 

Charlotte was a little bit bored by this stage and chose to use binoculars to watch Vanessa and Jamie marvel at the scene rather than get too close herself.

At least she was able to see more than if she'd been sitting on this bench placed behind a big tree.

The weather has been OK today, which is always more than acceptable to us.

But yesterday it was, well, 30-odd degrees with full sun.  We could barely believe it.

We visited William Wordsworth's house.

The kids went for a paddle.

And later they had for their first swim in a proper pool since the start of lockdown. 

Luckily Vanessa and I found an ideal place to watch them in action (on the other side of the glass).

The weather was so exciting that Jamie and I put on our party shirts to celebrate, whilst Charlotte had a chocolate sundae.

I'd better be off now as I've got football to watch and beer to drink.   I really hope the rest of the family don't have nightmares tonight because I'm bound to be tired.