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Good afternoon, Rusty!
It has turned into another glorious day - very cold wind though!
I have just collected the dog from the groomers..........it takes about two and a half hours to bath and trim her.
She doesn't like the procedure, although I am told she is well behaved!
She always looks very relieved to see me!
Still, that's the job done for another two or three months!
Did you find a lamp to stand on your new bedside table?
What is it like?
Two clues for you from the Times QC today......
7A: Shopkeeper is more vulgar, we hear (6)
19A: On the radio totally divine (4)
(It seems we cannot escape them..........)

Hello, Elle!
Great day here, too.
7 is grocer/grosser.
I do not know the other one.
No lamp.
I shall wait until the tablewhatisit arrives.
That is a long time for the dog to be groomed?

Hi, Rusty!
Still a beautiful day here..... it was lovely out!
Have you been out for a walk?
Does that seem to be a long time for grooming? it 's pretty standard, I think?
I know some dogs larger than mine take even longer.
The end result does look good! She won't look like this for long though - she is a real tomboy, I've never known a dog who gets so muddy when she has the chance!
But never mind, she enjoys herself , that is the main thing!
The other clue.......
On the radio totally divine (4) is holy/ wholly
I must go and bring in the washing - this is the first time this year (!) that I have dried anything outside!

Good evening, Elle!
Been a fine day with me too.
Great day for drying a washing!
I had a walk for an evening paper.
Holy/wholly? At least it is not holy/olé!
How fared your cousin with the broken down car?
Any contact today?

Hi, Rusty!
We too have an evening paper! The London Evening Standard is a free paper available at the local Sainsburys, so most days my husband usually has a wander down to get it.
Today's Headlines tells us that we shall be having an overnight Tube service, on Friday and Saturdays, on the Jubilee and Victoria lines from August 5th.
Initially, five lines were meant to be running this service, but the others will be phased in gradually later on.
Not that any of this will affect us - the Tubes already run late enough for our needs!
And we are rarely up in London in the evenings anyway.
Now, my cousin........the AA man arrived and sorted her out........he managed to get her car going with jump leads but couldn't find any basic fault. He checked alternator output and battery strength but all seemed okay.
She got home safely, albeit extremely late!
Her car is booked in for a service tomorrow so hopefully if there is an underlying problem, it will get sorted!

Hello, Elle!
My evening paper is more like a comic.
Not much in the way of News in it.
Plenty in it for Horoscope enthusiasts, and TV fans.
I only got it to see the fields at Cheltenham.
The trophy I forgot is the Prestbury Cup.
Britain won it last year.
14 wins to Ireland's 13.
Well done the AA man. They are pretty good!
Your cousin should let the garage know what happened.
That way they may find the problem.
By all accounts, your Tube service sounds pretty good.
Mr Rogan will be very pleased!
Our buses go off just before midnight.

Good morning, Rusty!
We have yet another lovely morning! the gods must be on my side in keeping my newly bathed dog relatively mud-free!
Yes, we do have an excellent transport system in London; the Tube especially.
But remember that this does not affect us. We live about ten miles out of London, and the Tube services do not run out this far.
There has been talk of an extension out this way, but I don't know when this is scheduled to happen....or indeed, if it will.
It would certainly be convenient!
As it is, I need to get a mainline train up to London, before I can avail myself of the Tube services.
But then, I only go up to town to meet up with friends perhaps once or twice a month......otherwise I go to Bromley or Croydon.
Now, what plans for today?
I expect you will be watching the racing at Cheltenham?
(I have already set the recorder for Victoria's race on Friday!)

I go to Cheltenham 2 or 3 times a month rusty. Not this week, though! I know someone who lives at Prestbury.

Does anyone else think that the German Shepherd that won the class at Crufts is obscene? To say nothing of the bulldogs that can't breathe properly or breed without help, and the spaniels with skulls so small their heads hurt? Why is nothing done about this?

Please don't tell me I don't understand the dog world. Too right. But that Alsatian looks absolutely dreadful by any standards except Crufts. My bother had two, both with serious hip problems.

(Ducks quickly)

Rosalind, I have just google the 2016 Crufts winners and I entirely agree with you; that poor Alsation dog looks as though it is towards the end of his life - too much in-breeding I feer !

I assume you are talking about the Field Spaniel ? Yes, the head looks rather small.

The Pyrenean Mountain dog is a beauty though - but there again, I like big dogs !

Good morning, Elle!
It's here! Cheltenham !!!
My transport system is adequate at best.
London and surrounding area seems to be well served.
I am just home from visiting my health practice nurse.
Annual MOT time! Just bloods today.
An in-depth report next week!
Going to pick a couple of horses for today.
One will be Vroum Vroum Mag, one of Willie Mullins team.

Good morning, Rosalind.
I am in full agreement with you about the Crufts dogs.
The German Shepherd is an abomination compared to how the breed used to be.
I have saw paintings of bulldogs of 150 years ago, and they are completely different (much better) from the present bulldogs.
Was there not one of the major manufacturers who withdrew advertising from Crufts because of the way it was going?