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Hello, Elle!
You and me both, staying in out of the heat!
I was speaking to a Bulgarian lady in ASDA, and they have rain in Bulgaria...lucky them!
She "Skypes" to her family across there most evenings.
it is a very short stage in Le Tour today, so it is not on TV until mid-afternoon.
Sagan will be fine, but G usually has one bad day in the Tour.
Hope it is not today!
No word from London, but that is the norm with them.
So, I leave them alone.
The young ones are very much more communicative!

Hi, Rusty!
Speaking of rain........
I have just been idly looking at our local forecast...... and see that we are 'promised' several hours of "thundery showers and a gentle breeze" on Friday!
However.....I am not getting excited and raising my hopes.....
I have no doubt that this wonderful prospect will have faded away by then!
Right, I am now about to go and have another purge on my wardrobe....
Yet another poly bag has come through the door for a cancer charity...
I shall see what I can find........
The collection is tomorrow......

Hi, Rusty!
I must need my head examining!
What I started about one o'clock, I have just finally called "Time" on, now!
I have been up and down ladders , in and out of cupboards, sorting out drawers!.......
I haven' t thrown all that much away...but boy, am I organised now!
But this was not a task to do in the heat.......
Why ever did I?
Definitely the time for an icecream..........
How is the cycling going?

Hello, Elle!

All that clearing out etc is good for the soul.
I am sure you have earned an ice cream!
Cycling was very good today, except for the start.
They tried a "grid" start and it was a complete non-event!
The racing was very good.
A short climbing stage won by Nairo Quintana of Movistar.
Geraint Thomas rode very well defending his yellow jersey.
Froome was dropped on the last climb.
But Sagan crashed descending.
I did not see it but believe that after medical treatment he got back on his bike and finished inside the time limit.
It was very surprising to hear of his crash as he is a great bike handler and a brilliant descender.
I hope he can start tomorrow!

Hi, Rusty!
Well, we now have two bags of clothes for the charity collection.....and a tidy wardrobe!
And going up and down the step ladder will have kept me fit!
(I cannot reach the top hanging space, and upper shelves, in my wardrobe, without the steps!)
I didn't even finish the crossword though!
I got stuck on 12 and 13 across...and somehow never went back to it!
But none-the-less, I have put in a hard day's work!
What a pity about Pete Sagan's crash...
I hope he is fit to carry on racing tomorrow.
How much longer before Le Tour finally finishes?
A beautiful evening...but still incredibly hot!
Maximum 33C today!

Good evening, Elle!
That is good that a charity shop is going to benefit.
They are great places if you are short of forks or teaspoons, too.
Now, 12, and 13, are both words that I did not know.
In 12, the herbal tea is "tisan(e)" surrounded by a Sea which is actually a lake.
In 13, About is "c" for "circa", the queen perhaps is "cat", "a certain" is "one", country is "nation", "about" is "on".
Now you should manage with those tips, methinks?
Sagan's jersey and shorts were badly ripped and he had "road rash" on his elbows, knees, and hips.
I believe he was going to hospital for a check up.
Le Tour finishes on Sunday afternoon in Paris.
My son and wife are taking bad with the London heat!
They are going to see "The Dreamgirls" tonight.

Elle, this is the parse for 13,
"c" is about,
"a certain country" is "one nation"
"queen" is "cat", inside "one nation".
Think that makes sort of sense?

Hi, Rusty!
Firstly, it is good that you have heard from your son and family!
I am not surprised that they are finding the extreme heat down here very difficult!
It is becoming almost unbearable!
I think I have heard of "The Dreamgirls"?
I think it is a film based on Diana Ross' "Supremes"?
Or are they going to see a stage version of this?
There may well be one, for all I know?
Whichever, I hope they enjoy it!
Poor Peter Sagan!
How did the crash happen?
The road rash will be painful..... I hope it will not become infected.....but he will have been treated for such, I am sure.
Thank you for the parsings!
Yes, I think I can understand them....
Re 12a: I already had "artisanal" = handmade (def)
with "tisan(e") for "herbal tea".......
but couldn't get the "salt water" part...
I had never heard of the Aral Sea!

This is the second time, I have written this out!
I'd just more or less finished typing when the entire lot disappeared!!

Hello, Elle!
I do not know if "The Dreamgirls" is a film or a play, or what is it about.
Just got told the title.
It seems Sagan was descending and his brakes were not as efficient as he thought they were and down he went into a forest.
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/tour-de-france/peter-sagans-tour-de-france-in-doubt-after-heavy-crash-on-descent-on-stage-17-388092
They will decide in the morning if he starts or not.
I hope he starts.
I had never heard the word "artisanal" before.

Hi, Rusty!
Oh dear, I am having quite a problem with my computer.........
Pages keep blanking out....... and when I type something, sometimes it just all disappears....
I cannot access "Google" at present, either.
I tried just now to check out "The Dreamgirls"..... but Google is only coming up as a blank page.......
I wonder if all these problems could somehow be caused by the heat?
I managed to read your link about Peter Sagan....
It doesn't sound too good, does it?
But maybe (like my computer?) he will feel better tomorrow, hopefully!
It will be a terrible shame if he has to cede his green jersey to the next contender, who seems to be way behind him in points.
Now let us hope that this reaches you, and doesn't blank out on me again!