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Hello Rusty,

The back is improving somewhat, but oh! ever so slowly !
Still, the pain is nothing in comparison to what it was four weeks
ago! Thanks for enquiring.

Have the team members been officially announced yet?
I need to get the special Tour magazine I buy every year, but
this mean being able to walk into town!

I hope Pinot goes well too, but to my mind, France does not have
an outstanding rider as such.

I still do not get a picture from the Loch.

Good afternoon, Rusty!
I am home again after a somewhat chilly walk.
Mind you, I find this far preferable to the intense heat we were suffering last week!
And we haven't so far had any of your rain!
John's crosswords arrived safely......... shortly after I'd told you otherwise.
Again , I found the 15 x15 reasonable .
Either I am in improving (at last!) or this is a new setter?.
Perhaps more on my wavelength?
There were two words that were new to me.......
"ted" and "Ards".
I had to look up both!
What are you up to?



Hello, Pigale!
I'm sorry to hear that your recovery is so slow, but at least you are gradually "getting there"!
Funnily enough - despite the lack of volume - my reception of the Osprey site is better than it has been for a long time.
I at last have a fully clear picture, with no opacity covering at least half of it!
Mum and chicks are there ...I haven't seen Laddie though for a long time?

Hello Elle,

Yes, I am 'getting there' ! I guess the reason why it is so slow
is because the many back muscles are put to use in more or less
every move we make - hence they never have a complete rest, are
never totally immobilized except perhaps when we sleep.

I also think that I am perhaps so tired of this constant aching that
I am just eager to feel no pain at all - I have become intolerant to
even the slightest ache!


Do you remember when the young ospreys and Lassie left
last year? I think Laddie left after his family, didn't he?

Enjoy your tennis!

Hello, Pigale!
Slow and steady is the way with "backs"!
Yes, the teams are all selected and the "presentation" is later this afternoon.
I keep up to date with "Cycling Weekly" website, which is quite good.
Strange how you do not get a picture from the loch?
I follow some of the salmon fishing websites and one of the Tay beats, at Meikleour, has just posted photos of Laddie taking what appears to be a 3lb sea trout just yards from their boat, on River Tay.
Good to see!

Hello, Elle!
Plenty rain here.
You are welcome to some of it!
There is an open air concert in town tonight.
"Little Mix" are here, and I think the young ones are going to get wet!
Elle, you are improving your crossword skills each and every day you tackle one.
I think Mr Rogan has around 12 setters that he uses but we are not told who is who!
Ards is in Norn Iron.
I was at a wedding there once, and it is also where the Bridgedale socks are made.

Hi, Rusty!
It is grey and dull, but we still have no rain!
We are trying to re-seed parts of our lawn......which at one stage could no longer even be dignified by the name "lawn" - "worn patches of grass" would be more appropriate!
After a lot of perseverance , it is now doing well...... but desperately needs rain!
I found that interesting about Ards.
To you, it means a place in Norn Iron.........
To me , had it been expressed in capitals ARDS, it means Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome!
As I only needed the letter extremities ( a and s) ii did not matter to the solution.
And I did not know that "ted" meant "turn over and spread out grass to dry"!
But speaking of Ireland.......
A friend of mine has just gone (with her dog) to meet up with some Uni pals in....... Donegal!

Hello, Elle!
Hope your friend enjoys Donegal.
Ireland's windiest county!
Great beaches on the Atlantic coast.
Friendly locals.
Great for a relaxing holiday.

PS. Elle!
I have on my TV the French Open Golf Championships.
The umbrellas are up there, too!
Must be rain everywhere!

Hi, Rusty!
I should have said that Donegal will not be new territory to Trish!
She lives here now, but she was born and brought up way down South in Ireland....but I cannot remember where?
I recall that it is somewhere near Waterford, where my son-in-law has family.
This will be a holiday "reunion".....as they all went to Uni in Southern Ireland.
Well, it isn't raining here...nor in Eastbourne!
Jo Konta has just beaten Jelena Ostapenko!
Caroline Wozniacki is playing Simona Halep now........
There is a lot of catching up to do because of the previous rain!

Hi, Rusty!
Belated tennis update!
Both Jo Konta and Heather Watson are through to the Semi-Finals.
They each had to play twice today in order to catch up with the back log of matches!
Jo had a nasty fall on court and had to take about ten minutes injury time for treatment.
Despite this, she still managed to beat the World's Number One, Angelique Kerber.
Has your son been to see you?
You will have enjoyed chatting if so!