15 September

Richard's birthday! Ilse and I bring him coffee in bed, singing Happy Birthday in duet. We all sit on the bed and gas about birthdays, and how we like or dislike extra attention on our special day, hating the wind, and preparations for our impending flight to Scotland tomorrow. Out come the birthday gifts from "under the tree". Then time for an Oumi-omelette - birthday request.

Today the sun is predominant, but accompanied by strong wind, which is Rich's worst. There go our plans for a walk in Old Deer Park out the window! 

Instead, we arm ourselves with gardening gloves and hand shovels and go planting about nine plants in the far more secluded garden.

We work hard the whole morning, place, plant, replant and water all the newcomers to the beautiful scenery around them, and admiring the result.

Rich got two inhabitants for his pond as a present: a duckling and a froggie. The duck landed in the pond on Wednesday already, and we couldn't wait to see how foxy would react to its intrusion in his territory. He had indeed removed ducky, but had dropped her immediately, and since then ducky has stayed safely on the water. Now there is Mr Toad, lying under his solar umbrella with fairy lights dangling down (once the sun has powered the lights). Let's hope to goodness that he's no      threat to Reynard the Fox!

I spend the rest of the day getting ready for our trip to Scotland. This includes packing my little suitcase, and planning our trajectory tomorrow. ChatGPT has become my best ally in trip planning! My excitement is palpable, but poor Izzie has to sit nose to the grindstone, inundated with meetings and work tasks, so she cannot even start thinking of a holiday break until 6.00!

Then we go to the shops for last necessities, make supper, play a round of Scrabble and turn in.