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Good morning, Elle!
Dull and spittering rain this morning...and a chill in the air.
No short sleeves today!
There was a book shop in town and at least 50% of its stock was remaindered.
That's where I learned the meaning of the word.
Great place for AA Road Atlases etc.
Put "remaindered" in your wee black book, Elle!
I have came to a halt in the puzzle.
One to get!
It is a tricky one today.
Learned a bit from it, and two new words for me!

Good morning, Rusty!
Yes, we have had a smattering of rain , too.......but now the sun is shining again.
It is a little cooler and fresher, but still very much "short sleeves" weather.
We still have all the fans on!
You have done well to do so much of your crossword so early.
My puzzle will have to wait until later......
I am going out very shortly to meet my friend.
I shall be back around teatime!

Hi, Rusty!
I have had a nice day out!
It was good to meet up with my friend, and catch up first hand on all her news.
And I am just home in good time.......we have a rain shower!
It is much needed.......but I would rather not be caught out in it!
Have you had a good day?
What have you been up to?

Good evening, Elle!
It turned into a fine day here.
Glad you had a good day!
I have had a quiet day.
Not done very much at all.

Good evening, Rusty!
I have found today's crossword a bit of a mixed bag?
I was unable to provide answers for six clues - 18a; 21a; 28a; 8d; 19d; 22d - and I had one doubtful parsing.......
But on the other hand, I really liked 25a: Quince; 26a: MaCavity; 29a: starry; 6d: comme il faut; and 20d:Octavia.
So I was pleased with those.
You sound to have done well with your own puzzle....did you finally get the clue that was eluding you this morning?
It is definitely cooler here since the rain!

Hello, Elle!
It is cooler here now!
No, I could not solve 25a but I see you have!
Where does Peter fit in?
Why "starry"?
18, Twice is "bis", desert is "rat", bog is "lav", area is "A".
Bratislava is a city.
21, I have "stop" on an organ pipe, "alight" as in getting off at a bus "stop".
28, General Tom "Thumb s up"
8d, "Ngaio" is a tree. "No" around "gai(n)"
19d, "Toponym", "My, no pot" reversed.
22d, I have "truth", smart can be "hurt", with "t" inside it reversed.
I think that's it?

Hi, Rusty!
Ah, thank you very much!
Yes, I can see how you have arrived at those answers ...but I would have never got there at all, without your very kind help!
(I should have invoked the proverbial cows again......)
There is a New Zealand crime writer called Ngaio Marsh.
"Toponym" is a new word to me.
Now...25a: Chips Peter had with spoon at wedding (6)
This is how I have parsed it.....
"quince" - double definition
Peter Quince is a carpenter / "chips" in "A MidSummer Night's Dream" (secondary plot within)
"Quince" is also what "The Owl and the Pussycat" ate with a runcible spoon at their wedding, in the poem by Edward Lear.
29a: Thus Vincent’s night visit, entertaining bishop (6)
"starry" = "thus Vincent's night" (def)
stay - visit
RR - Right Reverend (bishop)
"Starry Night" is one of Vincent Van Gogh's paintings.
I hope these make sense to you?

Hello, Elle!
I investigated Ngaio Marsh's unusual first name a few years ago.
So, that clue was straightforward for me.
Peter Quince is new to me.
I confess I have not read any Shakespeare plays.
Nor do I know about Van Gogh's paintings.
I have heard of Edward Lear, though!
But, there was good variety in the puzzle, and it's Wednesday, when they put in the hardest one of the week.
The nights are drawing in!

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, it was a well varied puzzle...and I much enjoyed the selection of clues that I could do.
We covered a lot of Shakespeare at school, and I liked it very much.
We would go round the form, taking turns to read out a part.
It made the plays come alive!
Yes, it became dark very early tonight....not yet ten o'clock, and it has been dark for quite a while.....
Not many days ago, it would still be very light at this time.
But what depresses me are the darker mornings...all of a sudden, it is almost still dark when I get up about 6 am......
It is definitely feeling cooler now....but I am thankful for that!

Good day, Elle!
It's cloudy and overcast up here!
No Shakespeare at my school!
I have not been out today.
Had to stay home for a caller.
So, I did my puzzle online.
All finished!