Home again.

So after a night in the Day's Inn, we continued our journey home, transferring to the A303, and stopping at Cartgate picnic area, for bacon and bacon and egg rolls. We arrived home at around 1 pm. We unpacked the car, then I went to the supermarket to stock up. I had done a fair amount of washing whilst away, but there was still more to be done.
On the Sunday it was Father's Day, and we should have been going to our Daughter's for lunch, but she was unwell so had to cancel. Fortunately I had something in reserve.
On the Monday we had a dental appointment, whilst there our Daughter rang to say she had locked herself out,so she came to wait with us, and made appointments for herself and the children, then she came back with us to collect the spare key. It was uncanny, both of us had lost a filling, and our bills were exactly the same. I went out into the garden which was somewhat overgrown,and began to cut back the honeysuckle, which had finished flowering. Then later we had a go at the tall ceanothus, hacking it right back so that it doesn't overhang the steps. I also pulled up loads of rhubarb that had got too large and stringy. Between us we managed to fill up the green recycling bin.

The front garden was doing well, all coming in to bloom

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On the Tuesday we took our bikes out and rode to Hunton Bridge, later that day I had a nasty moment when the handle fell off my teapot just as I was emptying it. I was so thankful it wasn't full of hot tea. We were back to childminding, and on the Thursday it was sports day for Nathaniel's school. Neither of his parents could go, Dad having just started a new job, and Mum being short staffed.
Husband finds sport a bit like watching paint dry, so I took Lydia, having first smothered her with an incredible blue suncream,and found her last year's sunhat. We arrived a tad late, due to Madam being a slow lunch eater. I realised my first mistake was not to have taken a chair, and the second was to have forgotten my camera. I sort of positioned myself so that I could see the finishing line, but I didn't really know anyone. I seemed to be a bit close to  so me of the Mums who insisted on screaming and yelling at their children to win, and then shrieking as they punched the air. As I later joked, it was a hot day, there were lots of tattoos on display - and that was just the women!
Then I spotted a familiar face, someone whose Daughter had been in the same year as my Son came over. We chatted, and she pointed out her Daughter. Last time I heard of this lass, she was married . However it now seems that the marriage didn't work out, and she came home whilst pregnant with her 4th child.
So her Mum and I chatted for a while, but then Lydia needed the potty, so I was back on my own again. I was proud that Nathaniel won his first ever sprint, but he didn't do too well in the 'egg and spoon', which was actually a ball on a wooden spoon. At least Nathaniel didn't cheat by holding his on with the other hand .
On the Friday of that week we rode to Berkhamsted, husband had lunch sitting near Waitrose, but I had something light,as I don't think I could ride on a full stomach.

Stream near Berkhamsted

handsome fellow

 I was incredibly uncomfortable and sore riding back, and later we discovered that my saddle struts had somehow bent, and it was impossible to bend them back. Later we visited the garden centre,and I found enough plants to do my hanging baskets,and had some left over for the beds.