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Hi, Rusty!
Carrot and bacon soup sounds very appetising!
We have some homemade sprout soup - I love sprouts!
Yes, I have been very busy (that nap worked wonders!) and now have only the Christmas tree and decorations to take down sometime before Twelfth Night, which I think is Wednesday.
My plan though is to do it tomorrow.
My cousin should be phoning very soon ( 9 o'clock) for our hour-long weekly chat. I shall get an update on their potential flood situation. All very worrying for them.
Luckily, we are so far okay here.
Although British Gas seems set on doing their bit in the area by all accounts!
Glad that leak wasn't near us!
Could you just see us see us wondering about in the small hours, carrying cat under one arm, holding onto the dog's lead and carrying the goldfish bowl?

Hello, Elle!
I put lentils in the soup, too.
Lentils are good for me.
Hope your cousin is fine.
Rain has never stopped here today.
Winds of 50 mph.
No buses getting over the road bridge.
Not pleasant.
My Christmas tree has been down for days.
If it gets any wetter here, I expect to see Barnacle Bill the Sailor passing my window!

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, thank you, my cousin is fine. No flood problems in her immediate area - she lives very high up in Blackburn.
Her younger daughter didn't fare so well though in Todmorden. As was feared, the flood water did get into her house whilst she was away in Fort William, altho' luckily only in the cellar. Cat took refuge in the bedroom.
The High Street was completely under water, as I saw on the News.
So what happens when buses are stopped from crossing the Road Bridge - presumably a lot of folk cannot get to work? or do you have single decker buses that ARE allowed to cross?
I haven't heard of Barnacle Bill the Sailor?

Hello, Elle.
That's fine, there is little problem with floods.
Yes, itis mainly single deck buses, and when it gets bad and nothing is allowed to cross, the buses go upriver and cross at Perth. The bridge at Perth is a lot shorter.
But it puts another 45 miles on the trip.
It is not often that the bridge is completely closed though.
Several times a year.

Good morning, Rusty!
We have a beautiful morning here - cold and crisp and sunny with a blue sky!
The early walk was very invigorating! just how I like it.
I hope that you have as nice a day?
I have no plans other than to take down the Christmas tree.....which I keep postponing.....I'm sorry to see it go.....
What do you have in mind for today?
When is the painter coming back to apply another coat to your front door?

Good afternoon, Elle!
Lucky you with the weather.
Our rain and winds are relentless.
Quite a bit of flooding in Tay country.
No sign of a respite.
Just read about in idiotic woman who was charged with careless driving
down in the Borders.
She attempted to drive a VW Polo through a four foot deep flooded road and had to be rescued. The police, ambulance service, fire service, and mountain rescue folk were all involved.
C'mon, bite the bullet and get the tree down!
"Bite the bullet"? Where did that come from, I wonder?
Painter will telephone me tomorrow regarding his plan of campaign.
(Today is a holiday up here.)

2016 has only just begun and we have two Times clues today to add to the (ever-growing) collection for non-Londoners.

Times Cryptic
11 A. At Bethnal Green, go underground and carp (3)

Times Quick Cryptic
23 A. Dutch capital and London area doing business (7).

Hi, Rusty!
We are no longer lucky!
It is now pelting down!! If it doesn't slacken off soon, this afternoon's walk (or do I mean 'paddle'?) is definitely OFF!
I have taken down all the decorations from the tree - just the tree itself to dismantle now....
I think that "bite the bullet " comes from the days of pre- anaesthetics. The surgeon would give the patient a bullet to bite on, distracting him from the pain, and also preventing him from screaming - which in turn would help the surgeon to concentrate on the operation.
I was going to tell you about today's Times QC clue (23a) which again will annoy you as it is yet another "Londonism" - but Malone has beaten me to it! Have a look at it!
How come you have a Holiday today? New Year's Day didn't fall on a weekend?

Hi, Malone!
Re the 15 x 15 clue.... I live on the London / Kent borders and I didn't even know where Bethnal Green is!
I've had to look it up!
I 've got the answer, but I had to look that up as well to make sure what it meant.
I don't think Mr R is taking much notice of our comments!

Hello, Elle!
Dreadful weather.
My car alarm has been going off.
Wondering if it is the wind causing it?
Londonisms!
Took me a while to get Bethnal answer.
But I did have first letter and l knew there was a fish called an ide.
Then had to wonder what a Bethnal person meant by ide ?
So, really the Bethnal bit was over my head. However, Rose seems to think everyone doing the puzzles should understand cockney, no matter what part of the world you hail from.
That, to me, is a weakness in the puzzles.
The other one. I had no idea Ealing was in London area.
I imagined it was out in the country somewhere.
Scotland has 1st and 2nd of January as holidays.
2nd was a Saturday, so the 4th is our holiday.
You must remember, New Year was always our holiday, not Christmas, though things are changing nowadays.
When I was young Christmas was an ordinary working day.