I’ve made the ice cream, only substituting pecan nuts for hazelnuts because I happened to have them, though I realised as I put them in that they were likely to sink in ice cream that doesn’t have to be churned,  Still, no matter.  It’ll be a bit layered, that’s all.  And it took a whole six eggs, which has to be a good thing.

Advice is that the lean-to part of the barn can wait for now, which is good.  Simon was able to fix the broken tile – there are a few, in fact, but there was just one that was causing a problem in the coal shed – so that the immediate problem was solved and he’s putting us on his list for the future.  Being an honest young man, he assessed the main part of the roof and even a bit of the lean-to as being not in need of redoing.

I’ve known him slightly since he was a child, in fact, as his parents – and mother, after his dad’s early, tragic death in an accident – always lived in the lovely next-door village.  As we were chatting, I remembered a talk he’d given a decade ago.  “Am I right in thinking you cycled across America some time ago? ”  Yes, it was him.  Three and a half thousand miles, with a friend – I hoped I’d blogged about it but I can’t find it (though I spent some time reading back and enjoying the time when this blog was good and when there was a blogging community: hardly any of those who commented are still blogging, though I’m friends with a number of them on Facebook).  I was reminded by his mentioning that he’s going to be away in May – seemed unlikely that he’d take a whole month off for a holiday and I had a sudden zing of memory.  In May, he’s planning to run from Land’s End to John o”Groats.  Yes,  my mind is boggling too.  On his own, without back-up or company – though it’s not as if, for most of the journey, he’ll be out of contact with people if he wants or needs it.  He’s aiming for 40 miles a day.  He’s not entirely sure if he’ll make it – but hey, if you don’t try you’re not going to find out.  It’s 838 miles by road, apparently, though perhaps he’ll find some short cuts on foot.  All the same…