Fun on the water (not for the faint hearted...)

Well it's been a busy couple of days.

Andrew took George and his friend Jack out for the inaugural trip on the boat. I didn't go as I've had some weird virus type thing that was making me lose my balance (or at least I'm presuming that is what it is, and not a brain tumour or something...). Anyway, after they left I snuggled up on the sofa and must have fallen asleep.

You can imagine my concern when I woke up some hours later to find it pitch dark and with our happy sailors not returned. I went outside and surveyed the darkened lagoon. No sign of them. I tried Andrew's mobile - switched off. Just as I was wondering who you phone when your husband, son and his friend have disappeared in the dark on the lagoon, the boys came in the front door.

It seems that they had run out of petrol in the middle (won't be taking the boat out again without the petrol can methinks). They had had to row to the shore with the one paddle that was in the boat (I had pointed out previously that if there was a problem, just one paddle might not be all that helpful...), then walk around the lagoon to home to get the petrol.

However, they were all in high spirits and appeared to have thoroughly enjoyed their adventure!

On Sunday we had friends Paul and Lydia and their children Jack and Will over. There were several uneventful trips out in the boat and lots of fishing from the back garden. Paul caught a beautiful bream which is shown above (minus head and guts). I cannot tell you the tale of this fish's demise at Paul's hands for fear of reprisals from the Animal Liberation Front, but suffice to say that I did not eat it in protest. The others tell me it was delicious.

And I meant to say - have I told you that we have an orange tree, a lemon tree and a mandarin tree in the garden? I can't tell you how lovely it is to start the day with an orange you picked yourself...