It was just as well we were at home at the time, because things were quite damp enough.

I had a Finance meeting this morning, to receive for discussion and approval (and recommendation to the governing body) the budget for the next year, all seven million poundsworth of it.  Yes, darlings, this is the sort of job we do.

After that part was over and before the rest of the meeting, I had to scoot, because I was picking up Russell from home and we were meeting his sister for lunch in Norwich.  And that was very good, she’s great fun and I love her dearly.  I had to break the news that R is not very well and I thought I was being gentle with her, until we said goodbye and she said comforting things to me and I realised it was the other way round…but he’s still reasonably well, we’re taking things as they come.

It rained on the way home, quite heavily, on hot, sunwarmed roads, so the last part of the journey was through steamy tarmac.  Not long after we got back, the rain bucketed down.  And I heard some splashing and went out into the passageway to discover rain streaming down the wall.  That was a bit disappointing, it hasn’t happened for a while.  I fetched towels and put them down, then went to find a Swiss Roll tray to catch the water while I check around – a few more towels have been soaked.  We’ve been relaxed into complacency by no hard rain for ages and haven’t been clearing all gutters and gullies (is that right?  Gulleys?  Gullys?) of late.  I’ve been up on a ladder, hand in plastic bag, clearing out gunk, but there is more to do – we can see where a bit of something-or-other needs to be replaced, but it’s not a one Z job, I need someone to hold a ladder and murmur encouragement while I clamber up and wonder what the hell to do.

Now, the sun is shining and it’s a beautiful evening, at 8.30.  We’ve eaten salmon, raspberries and lemon cake and I’m writing new stuff in my diary, including a three hour training session at the start of next month.  Joy.