June a long, busy and happy month.

June has been a very busy month, I have had my niece and little great niece to stay, twice, 

Northumberland County Show

We taught her to Rummy and she was surprisingly good at it. 

(My niece said it was ok for me to put photos of my little great niece on here)

I had a holiday in Suffolk:

This is how many steps I did each day I was in Suffolk.  And here I am celebrating finding my 2,200th cache.  I got 71 caches while I was in East Anglia.

My birthday:

A trip to the dentist:

I broke a tooth way back in March, and since being up here I have not been to the dentist nor had I joined a practice.  So I looked on the internet and rung a few before getting into one.  I made an appointment for a check-up, then one for a clean, then one to take out a pin I had ages ago for a crown which only lasted about a year and my next and fourth appointment will be in July to finally fix the broken tooth. 

A long weekend in Dunoon: 

Sorry, no photos as we only went out once as the weather was not very good this trip.  We did a jigsaw puzzle and played a new game and of course, chatted a lot. I did stop off on my way at Port Glasgow to get some caches, I'll show those photos another time. 

When I got back from Dunoon on Monday, someone had mowed my front lawn, I don't know who did it and I am not sure if I should be offended or grateful. 😟😁

Three New Zealand v England Tests listened to and now Wimbledon to watch.

I enjoy listening to the Test Matches on the radio, the commentaries are so good and funny too.

What can I say about Wimbledon? The best fortnight of the year. 

Housework will have to wait until July. 😀😁😂

The Third Twin by Ken Follett

The Third Twin by Ken Follett, well this was a book and a half, but then aren't all of his books?😀 The themes of the book include genetic engineering and the nature and nurture debate using identical twins who have been raised separately as the subjects of research.  

I didn't like the beginning of the book as something really horrible happens and felt uncomfortable with the themes it covers and I wasn't sure I wanted to continue with it, but I soon got into the story and wanted to know how it would be resolved. There are several twists and turns, some of which I guessed at, but saying that, they did not spoil the overall book for me. I wasn't entirely happy with the ending, but I can see why Mr Follett gave that ending as it was written in the mid-1990s. The world has moved on since then.  

Using a restricted FBI database, genetic researcher Jeanie Ferrami has located identical twins born to different mothers. Frightened by her bizarre discovery, she is determined to discover the truth at any cost—until she finds herself at the center of a scandal that could ruin her career. To fight the charges, Jeannie plunges into a maze of hidden evidence. With growing horror, she uncovers a cynical, far-reaching conspiracy involving disturbing genetic experiments and some of the most powerful men in America—men who will kill to keep their secrets concealed. (GoodReads)

There is a long plot summary on Wikipedia, but don't read it if you think you would like to read the book as it gives everything away. 

It was made into a film in 1997 and is available on YouTube. 

I listened to this on Borrowbox and borrowed it from my local library.

New hair style

I had booked my week away in Suffolk at the beginning of May and the week before I left I contacted two of my cousins to see if I could visit their mothers, my aunts who are my father's two youngest sisters. I heard from one of them that there was going to be a memorial for the second husband of one of my aunts, who had died at the end of April, the day I was travelling down. I decided to see if I could travel a day early and stay with my friend for the night.  

All sorted then I thought about my hair. I haven't had it cut for over a year.  And thought my aunts may say something about the state of it. 

Before

I had arranged to have my car serviced on the Wednesday, the day before I was due to travel, it was supposed to take 4 hours, but was ready in an hour and a half. So decided to go into Morpeth to see if I could find a hairdresser who had an appointment that day.

The second I tried had, but after lunch so I went home for a few hours and then returned. The lady, Mandy that cut my hair was lovely.   My appointment turned out to be the last of her day. Her husband and mother turned up before Mandy had finished my hair too. She did say, (she did prefix this with I don't mean to be rude),  that I did look like I had been dragged through a hedge backwards, (which was true).  She was lovely and chatty and asked how I use to have my hair, it was always short and gave me some advice on how to take care of it now.  Including a new shampoo, Purple Glow/Silver Brightening, which 'brightens grey hair, helps remove brassy tones and softens rebellious strands.'  All of which would help with my hair.

The other thing she did was to straighten my hair, which she said would help too. Also, she told me off for cutting my fringe.😐

And after

She has cut my hair very well and I do like how she dried and straightened it, (even if I do say so myself 😀). I am not sure I will continue straightening it, but I have borrowed some straighteners from my niece.  I have very thick hair and it can be difficult to cut well, I know I am lucky to have hair as I do, and it does look better short. 

I have tried two other hairdressers since moving here and have not liked them, the cut has not been very good.  I'll go back to Mandy in a few weeks.

My aunts didn't say anything, but friends did and even my little great-niece said 'ohhh your hair looks nice.'

Raised bed progress

I have been away for just over a week and took this film of the vegetables I am growing in the garden when I got back.  They have really come on while I was away. My niece came over to water them a couple of times.

Garden Wildlife 2

As I have mentioned before I have a lot of birds and wildlife to entertain me in my garden.  Here are a few more photos and films.

A female blackbird or maybe a thrush

Horrible noisy and greedy crows or rooks.