The road into Yagnub is closed for resurfacing. In fact, the bridge was closed a few weeks ago, because someone had knocked over the garden wall of the person who lives next to said bridge, so it needed to be rebuilt. You’d think they’d manage to co-ordinate so that two road closures might have been avoided, but never mind. It’s only a couple of miles round by the bypass and we’re fortunate to have the road, which used to be a railway line (that we’d be jolly lucky if we still had a railway line is another matter entirely).
I had noticed that the roads around here were actually in pretty good nick. A few months ago, LT and I observed that there were a lot of patches on former potholes, and not long afterwards I read in the local authority’s newsletter that they’d bought a jolly good new machine that mends potholes better, quicker and much cheaper than anything they’d had before. Well, it looks as if they’ve had great fun trying it out and good for them.
It all seems a bit random though. Mahsrae Street is closed for resurfacing, but I took a shortcut down another road today, which is in much worse state. New houses were built several years ago, the street was dug up for services to be put in and, though the surface hasn’t broken down, it’s all rather uneven and unattractive. M Street seems okay, to me. But there. I’m sure it’ll be lovely. And, considerately, they’re just shutting it from 9.30 until 4.30, so LT can nip out for his paper in the morning and not have to go the long way round.
In other news, today I made blinis. Or is blini the plural? I’m not sure. Anyway, that’s what I did and I used Nigella’s recipe, which is also good, except that I couldn’t possibly make them the way she does, in a single 4 inch pan, one by one. I don’t want a 4 inch blini (or blin, if that’s the singular) and I don’t want to make them one by one. I use my round griddle that’s just the same size as my Aga hotplate, and I can do ten or more at a time, in little blobs. Perhaps she has time on her hands, or else she really loves standing over a hot stove.
I wanted at least 50 and I made 49. So I’ll make another batch in the morning. I like yeast cookery, actually, and I quite like the dropping of spoonsful and gentle cooking too. Standing over a hot stove isn’t unenjoyable, now I think about it.
Oh, and in yet further news, Paul the Fish had sea trout today, which is a rare treat. So I baked the steaks en papillote. I ambled out for some herbs, picked parsley, decided against basil and came in with some tarragon. When I told LT, he said he’d been hoping for tarragon. It just seemed right. Frankly, darlings, it’s no wonder I’m bigger than the woman I used to be. It just isn’t quite right that he hasn’t enlarged similarly. All the same, we’re happy. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s to appreciate every good day. And to try to find something to appreciate in every day, when possible – I’m not complacent, it’s clearly not always possible.