Hi Billy and Christine, thank you for keeping me going each day although I must admit I haven't fekl lonely at all.  Just in case you were wondering, another four pints of milk this morning, we didn't hear him as I shut the bedroom windows just in case!  Next door took two of the so two went down the sink and two in the fridge, it's so hot I'm drinking gin with ice and lemonade, much better for me than sour milk. Lisa texted from Greece, do I need food ordering, No, perhaps you could make lots of puddings to use the milk up she suggests, very funny. I walked Zippy down to the shop but he started shaking his ears and sitting down on the spot and scratching them, oh please not again I prayed, we staggered home in the boiling heat and that's it from now on its the cool woods for us two.  Faye and I had a lovely day as we had no one interrupting us (Ella) the first time in years its just been us two, it was lovely.  The usual carry on last night, Elvie ate Eddie's food, Zippy ate Elvies food, much to my disgust as I know it's not good for him and he ended up with his tail between his legs but feeding three of them is like being in a zoo, they're all running in different directions, poor Eddie I put his food on the doorstep and shut everyone in the house.  I don't watch tennis anymore Christine, I do keep up with what's going on but  nothing else.  Billy it's all so expensive for TV in hospital, Norman wouldn't  pay it but Brenda needs the entertainment.  So already had one gin, dog and cat to feed and another gin, the new box of gin is calling to me, open me, open me it's saying, there will be lots of goodies as well.  Christine loved your drown the cat in milk, she is not my favourite animal and Sheds hair like I don't know what, she keeps rubbing around my legs and  I keep shooing her away, hate cat hair.  Well that's it, take care, Carol x 

Dear Carol and of course Christine. 

All that milk you can make your own cheese, yogurt an,egg custard and plenty more. 

I've managed to fix my small scooter this afternoon, a loose wire connection on one of the batteries it's taken hours to find checking different bit each day for an hour. 

So now two small scooters that we fit into my car boot, so if Brenda and i want to go somewhere we can, hope i haven't jinxed myself fixing something. 

Carol think you'll have to keep animals in separate rooms at meals.

Christine Really glad you like tennis and really enjoying nomater who wins.

Love to you both, Billy xxxx 

Two words came into my mind simultaneously... Ice-cream and I scream!! I love milk, but really can't imagine what I'd do with a quantity like that especially in this heat... Gin and tonic ice-cream anyone? x

Hi Carol, 
You can't possibly feel lonely looking after all those animals. I used to have three Shelties five days a week, my own two and my daughter's. I lost Archie's great great great grandmother, Faith, the week after I was diagnosed with cancer and poor little Smudge used to come to me when his "mum" was at work. He's also gone from cancer just before my daughter was diagnosed with Covid.  Now I only do doggy day care two days a week for Bobbin, and that will be reduced to occasional times in two weeks when my daughter retires. I love the little poodle, also known as demon puppy from hell, but I am quite glad to say bye bye to him for a few days.. He is relentless, demanding that I throw the ball he places just out of reach, or chasing Archie, jumping on him and terrorising him.  I have to supervise feeding because Archie thinks he's starving and inhales his own food, then zooms in like an Exocet missile to steal Bobbin's.  Bobbin, in the meantime picks at a kibble here and there and can take fifteen minutes to eat what Archie demolishes in fifteen seconds. I have to stand guard behind Bobbin as he eats his leisurely meal, keeping the thief at bay.  After feeding is done I then have  to rescue Archie from Bobbin's other attentions, which have, rather disconcertingly become sexual!  Bobbin mounts Archie and really goes for it while Archie stands there with a glazed look in his eye.They have been known to sneak away to another room, for privacy.   Bobbin is being "done" on the 25th of this month. That has been postponed from 11th because my daughter will be having a few nights out next week as she has about five leaving do's planned and couldn't face taking care of a canine post surgery. I can't really face the sleepovers he will be having at mine while my daughter celebrates her escape from the rat race, although he is a delight when he snuggles up in his sleep.  Apparently only one of his testes has descended and they will have to go digging for the other one! Heaven only knows how randy he would be with two!  Strangely, though, he behaves impeccably when we go out. I visit a disabled neighbour who thinks he's wonderful! Bobbin climbs up to quietly sit on his lap, looking adorable, while Archie snuffles all around hoovering up any crumbs he can find. They are both well behaved on the lead, but I darent let them off lead when I'm alone, although when we all go out together with my daughter they are allowed to run free and they are lovely.

I can't come up with any ideas for the milk, I'm afraid. I go through a lot of it because I drink milky coffee all the time, but four pints a day might be too much, even for me! I can't even use it in cooking because my daughter and I share home made goodies and she is lactose intolerant! I'm very impressed with Billy's list of suggestions, 

Billy, now you've fixed the scooter, will you use it more than the car to save on petrol, or is it just for you and Brenda to go out together?  If I had one I would never go out in the car, I would trundle along the road with a trail of cars behind me, all the way to the shops. I put twenty five pounds of petrol in the car last week for less than a hundred miles. I will be refunded petrol costs for the imaging session last Saturday at 25p a mile, I travelled 86 miles from home and back and I need to refill before going anywhere this weekend   I say refill, but I mean put some in. I dread to think what it would cost to fill! 

It looks like it's going to be a hot one for the next few days, so don't get burned!

love

Christine xx

Dear Christine and Carol, think we would all be lost without at least one pet, even though Bella sleeps alot, she still comes for a good ear rub, and especially a treat when she's been out to do usual things or lay in the sun for a tan. Going to grandson this afternoon for a coffee he insisted and taking Bella on scooter I've a small bed that fits on scooter floor. I definitely use scooter as long as weather is good and dry to save fuel and no trouble parking when shopping, although i don't take scooter in shops see plenty who do especially the big scooters, our morrisons have their own scooter but people don't use them use their own. 

I got mad at pidgins other day filled bird bath up and two fly in and splash about so much all water was gone in minutes, i know its a bath and they like keeping clean but I'm forever filling it up, it'll hold over a gallon (5liters)app lucky i keep hose near-by. 

It's very cloudy here yet and cool. 

Hope weather is good for you both today. 

Love Billy xxxx 

Crikey Billy you're an early bird, I had to get up as a certain cavapoo needed a wee and it's too hot to go back to bed. He's having a mad half hour with all the shoes, the cleaner was meant to come yesterday but her lift let her down so she managed to have 30 minutes to change Lisa qndHarrys beds, will I see you next week, oh no I'm off to Devon tomorrow she says, typical I now have the house to clean as I'd left it all thinking she was doing 2 hours as usual!  I'm going to do an early morning walk through the woods as Zippy got too hot yesterday.  I hate those big scooters in supermarkets, it's like a gang of Mods and Rockers doing their own thing, they obviously forget the rules, it's walking pace only but they're on a mission to knock you down and the noise they make when reversing, Beep, Beep, I generally don't bother with supermarkets anymore, I have a local Sainsbury and it's too small for them to get around, thank God.  Well I'll reply to everyone later today when I've done my duties, my daughter is a lucky girl, that's all I can say!!  Xx

Oh Carol, you do make everyone laugh! Thank you. I loved your comment about Mods and Rockers. I've had some really unpleasant experiences with people using very large scooters inside supermarkets even quite small ones – front headlamps left full on, flashing lights, music blaring. We don't have any pets. They're not allowed where I live. Reading about all your, Christine's and Billy's animal antics is a mix of vicarious pleasure – if only I had a pet – and relief that I don't. The humour is definitely appreciated!  

Hi dear Carol, always up early bad habit from working for over 50 years and having to travel .keep trying to sleep again but rarely works and i get fed up.  So up and shower, let Bella out, water garden before to hot,give the plants a chance. 

Definitely good idea take pets early while cooler. 

Clouds are going here now soon warm up. 

Take care Carol don't forget where you live. 

Love Billy xxxx 

I have ignored Elvie so much that when I shut her out this morning after feeding her she jumped through the front room window and snuggled down in Zipps cage, you should have seen the look on the dogs face, he looked at her in his bed, looked at me with his head cocked to one side as if to say "what the Hell is she doing in my bed".  Poor cat she obviously knew that she would gain my attention by doing that!  So Lisa texts from. Greece, can I put their lottery on when I go for my paper, two lines please, Saturday and Wednesday for two weeks, methinks she now taking the proverbial *** out of me, even I don't do the lottery, I hope if they win they share it with me, seeing as ownership is 9/10ths of the law they will have to wrestle my handbag off me, even my Norman didn't dare go in my bag without asking first.  Faye said on Thursday after we'd spent four hours moving the garden sprinkler around the acres of lawn that her sister had better buy me a large gift, I'll second that I said.  We do need a laugh or life is too hard, we have to see the funny side of things or life would be too dark.  Norman and I laughed at the most stupid things, many times I was laughing so much over something that I couldn't tell him what it was!  So no milk today or tomorrow, can't wait for Monday, I decided to mop the floor but the handle came off, the hoover needs emptying but apparently that's broken as well, it's a Dyson, they truly are not worth the money you pay, my little Vax push along hoover lasted me for years but there again I'm old school, if it works don't change it.  Don't laugh I gave it to them for the cottage, it's broken apparently so they've bought a Dyson as they are Much better, yes of course they are!!  Have a lovely day all of you, Billy enjoy your coffee and Christine don't get too hot, so glad I make you laugh RoseStarBlue.