24 July 2014

Thunder drowns out what the lightning sees

Tomorrow, Mrs N informs me, I will be getting wet. She told me to bring plenty of clothes...although hopefully none of the kids will take a dip! I imagine some of them will need pulling onto dry land, or hoiking out of their canoes etc. though. Anyway, I have plenty of shorts and t-shirts in a bag. And spare boxers, obviously!

I just wish John could come too.

Sherlock is very excited. Like, still awake, despite us needing to be at school early tomorrow! He is at least in his room now, supposedly having quiet time...

Mycroft and I cooked, and Sherlock and John ate, and everyone was happy, so that's good!

Jo and Lisa sent us a picture of little Tadhg, and he's very lovely and small and wrinkly.

Sherlock is taking this year's transition to the big class very well. I think he's quite looking forward to being one of the oldest in the school. Mycroft has taken to work in an exemplary fashion. He's already working shifts without the owner, and impressing everyone in the process. He joins us in sampling a bottle of wine now and again too, so that's another area where his knowledge is growing.

We went to the allotment today, did some more weeding (it never ends) and pondered why our french beans are all a bit...oddly shapen (Mary says it's because we water 'irregularly'). Sherlock is drawing us up a watering rota, as he does not appreciate misshapen beans. She also says our blueberry needs more acidic soil. Ericaceous compost is our best bet...so we'll have to get some, see if it does the trick.

after tomorrow, Sherlock is home for 6 long weeks...for the duration, I think John will also need watering regularly.

For absolutely no reason, except that it has given me a post title, have a picture of a tiny tortoise wearing a raspberry on its shell.


64 comments:

Anonymous said...

Have fun canoeing! I think my dad took me once, on a local resevoir. I remember it being fun.

Also those tortoises are adorable.

Are there any long projects or scientific experiments that Sherlock could investigate while he's out of school? If he devotes his energy to something like finding the Loch Ness Monster, we'll have proof by September.

Those tortoises are adorable.

Ella

pandabob said...

good luck with the canoeing and with keeping even slightly dry.

Whatever you're up to tomorrow John I hope its a less wet day than Greg's ;-)

Those tortoises are weirdly cute!!

Greg Lestrade said...

I fear Mrs N knows I don't mind clowning around for the kids, and will inevitably get wet. In this heat, though, it sounds great!

Joolz said...

I'm sure the kids will love seeing you in action as much as the canoeing. ;) Will you be on the river, a lake or in a pool. Have fun anyway.

Greg Lestrade said...

I thought we'd be on a reservoir or something, but we're actually going up the Thames to where it's not tidal and won't have a strong current, so the kids can paddle easily and be in no danger.

John H. D. Watson said...

Should be an exciting day tomorrow!

REReader said...

I hope everyone has a blissfully fun time canoeing--it sounds like you've all been having the perfect weather for it. :)

That tortoise is adorable!

Greg Lestrade said...

Hmmm..what've you got planned for your last day of freedom, Danger?

Greg Lestrade said...

..and Mycroft, if that's Sherlock moving around up there out of bed again tell him Mrs T still has space with the baby class to design t-shirts at school, because only well behaved well rested kids can go canoeing...

John H. D. Watson said...

...Work. Punctuated with bouts of laundry. When you put it like that, I feel I should've thrown a party or something...

Greg Lestrade said...

Ha! You should've! I'll pay Mycroft to bring you any energising teas back from his work.

John H. D. Watson said...

I think you'll need more energising than I will. When are you supposed to get back?

Anonymous said...

Oh hey, pretty new background! I like it.

Ella

Greg Lestrade said...

when every last drop of my life-force has been wrung from my body by excited 8 yr olds...

I think we're leaving sometime between 3 and 4? So back home by 5ish. And Sherlock is desperate to ride the bike in to school, not get the tube/walk...so because I'm soft (in the head) we'll do that.

Anonymous said...

We will, of course await news of how it went, out on the water! This "bag" containing your changes of clothing IS watertight, yes?

John, six weeks is a long time. Skip laundry and other non-emergency chores and read a book, take a nap, have an uninterrupted train of thought!

I am with Ella, the atmospheric watery background is very nice.

Wishing all, as usual, a good sleep.

fA

Anonymous said...

Missing posters for Puppy have gone up in the alley. Some other person thinks his name is Alex, wtf. But I brought him back and explained that I wasn't stealing him, if anything, he was stealing me (and he also spent the vast majority of the last 96 hours sleeping off whatever it was that stung him). Apparently this isn't the first time he's been a fickle kitty and tried to adopt a new family.

Ella

Anonymous said...

Awwww. Mixed feelings, Ella?

I think Puppy is a waaay better name for a cat than Alex.

fA

Anonymous said...

Somewhat. I was getting very nervous about having a living creature depend on me, so that's a relief, but even though he looked at me like I was a very stupid human who was unable to follow clear and simple directions, he was nice to have around.

Ella

Greg Lestrade said...

Small children can sing very loudly. In a very high pitch. Mrs N should have told me to bring my ear plugs.

Small Hobbit said...

She wanted you to enjoy the full experience. With any luck half of them will fall asleep on the way back.

Greg Lestrade said...

Everyone has mastered canoeing. People are only slightly wet so far. We're heading up river in a fleet. Terrifying.

Greg Lestrade said...

One of Sherlock's classmates has just given me a bracelet made of those little rubber bands they're all obsessed with. It's blue, black and silver.

John H. D. Watson said...

That was nice. And waterproof.

Greg Lestrade said...

Yeah. They're just having a post lunch run around before we stuff them back in their canoes for the return trip... There are very ominous thunder rumbles in the distance....

John H. D. Watson said...

Has anyone fallen in yet?

Kestrel337 said...

That tortoise is the cutest thing ever. Hope you make it back before anything exciting happens, at least in the weather department. I remember canoeing in a thunderstorm; not the most pleasant experience of my (then) young life.

Greg Lestrade said...

No one has fallen in. I've had to wade in to about waist deep to rescue panicking drifting children when we started and everyone was being launched in ones and twos.

Anonymous said...

Sounds as if the expedition has gone well so far! Maybe Sherlock can give us a report on the highlights from his perspective later (or in a day or two if he's too busy tonight).

fA

Greg Lestrade said...

We're doing final checks that everyone has what they came with. Them: clothes, shoes, bags. Us: clothes, shoes, kids...

Greg Lestrade said...

..the upshot of that comment was supposed to be that we'll be heading home shortly.

Anonymous said...

Leaving with the same number of people you arrived with is the most important thing. Whether they have to be the exact same people is debatable.

Ella

John H. D. Watson said...

I've had a call out, so I won't be home for a while yet.

Greg Lestrade said...

Take care of yourself Danger. Love you.

John H. D. Watson said...

I love you too. Don't lose anyone on the way back!

REReader said...

Ha, Ella!

My question is: Is it easier to herd excited, eager kids into the bus at the start of the trip, or stimulated but (hopefully) tired kids at the end?

It sounds like a good time was had by all--and I too would love to hear Sherlock's take on the day!

Greg Lestrade said...

Each scenario is difficult in its own way.

Becca said...

Sounds like an exciting time was had by all.

I remember the one time I went canoeing (in a lake) and we got stuck in the middle and went in circles and had to be towed back to the dock.

Greg Lestrade said...

We are home. Mycroft is home. Mycroft is probably wishing he wasn't as Sherlock gives him an exhaustive account of his day. He may finish just in time for John's return, so he can start again.

Unknown said...

sounds like a success, bravo!
that tiny tortoise is the tiniest tortoise I've ever seen... I didn't know they could even be that tiny.
Ella, I wonder whether Puppy will decide to return to you at least for a visit... it might be nice to have a visiting cat. And if the other family isn't too jealous, maybe you can cat-sit for them if they ever go away over night.
S

Mycroft said...

John, I do hope you'll be home soon. Purely because you're missing Lestrade singing along to 'Kiss' very loudly, while making dinner with Sherlock.

REReader said...

That's very thoughtful of you, Mycroft, to not want John to miss the performance.

How's the job going from your perspective--are you getting what you wanted out of the experience?

John H. D. Watson said...

Home at last. Got one more call just before seven.

Greg Lestrade said...

Home ... And having his ears talked off. Sherlock has yet to pause for breath. Except to correct John when he said 'don't eat with your mouth full'.


May as well say that I hope your day wasn't too bad on here, as I can't get a word in edge ways.

John H. D. Watson said...

It wasn't bad, though clearly yours was better. Did he just mention something about alligators?

Greg Lestrade said...

I can assure you there were no alligators in the Thames. But if there were, we scared them off with splashing. Although if they had sense they'd have gone before Flotilla the Hun turned up anyway.

There was a lot of splashing and some haughty looking swans.

John H. D. Watson said...

Glad to hear it. Swans do tend to look permanently haughty.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a wonderful day. Nothing like a happy, excited child - though sometimes easier to appreciate from a distance than for relentless hours on end. Hope he crashes relatively easily tonight.

fA

Greg Lestrade said...

I think the swan upping was only the other week. And then they were invaded by kids... Probably want a rest!

Greg Lestrade said...

Sherlock is half asleep on John. John is half asleep on the sofa. Maf is asleep on all of them.

REReader said...

Take a photo! (Even if you can't share it with us.)

Greg Lestrade said...

I'm sure he'll tell you all about it at some point.

Greg Lestrade said...

Hope you're all having pleasant days. We've had a good one together. Ice cream has featured, as has visiting Jo, Lisa and Tadhg.

Joolz said...

Glad you've all had a nice day together to start off the school hols well and no day that includes ice cream can ever be bad. ;)
How are the new parents coping already. Is Tadhg a little sweetheart. Have the boys ever seen such a new baby before. I think I remember it not being immediate when you went to see Rachel or have I got that wrong.
Enjoy the rest of your day. :)

Greg Lestrade said...

Sherlock is slightly disappointed that he doesn't do much yet. But I think he's amazing.

Anonymous said...

You and Sherlock are both right about tiny babies. That's what I think.

Hope the rest of the evening is good.

fA

Greg Lestrade said...

It does make me wish... Pointless things. Things whhich arent possible. Its amazing to welcome such a little life into the world.

John H. D. Watson said...

It is.

Greg Lestrade said...

Can we be official babysitters, as well as uncles?

John H. D. Watson said...

I imagine we can, yeah.

Jo said...

Can you?? We shall insist on it!

Greg Lestrade said...

I'll enjoy it. John may just enjoy me enjoying it ;)

pandabob said...

Tadhg will be very lucky to have two crazy uncle babysitters to add to his two wonderful parents :-). I guess now is your chance to start leading children astray and then handing them back instead of having to deal with the fall out Greg ;-)

I hope everyone's days are going swimmingly :-)

Greg Lestrade said...

Well I'm at work. Waiting to see if Sherlock's life-force depleting powers work on Mycroft as well as John.

Anonymous said...

The BEST part of babysitting from the very early days? You'll have Sherlock educated about childcare so that by the time Tadhg is old enough/sturdy enough for really exciting adventures, Sherlock can be the sitter for when all the grownups are exhausted. My kids' favorite sitters were the smart ones who took them on crazy, semi-educational adventures that the adults were just not up to.

fA

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