Wonderous Sandy Erections

Oh my life, to be back in our beloved Dawlish Warren has been truly wonderful, .........

........ especially as we've been able to introduce all its pleasures to a very enthusiastic Derek, who says he's never dreamed of such happiness!

Amongst said pleasures, let's just say that he doesn't shy away from hard graft in the guise of building a whole series of very mean sandcastles ........

...... with an unflagging and boundless energy for mounds, moats and complicated drainage systems 

........ with a constant flow of ideas, including innovative water storage for when the tide's really far out and collecting water one bucket at a time is a seemingly endless task! 

Derek is quite the taskmaster, striving for sandy, seaside perfection ..........

 ....... determined to create as many happy memories from this inaugural beach experience with his now well and truly adopted, honorary niece and nephew as he possibly can .........

........ even if he, at times, has left them totally exhausted.

It's hard to believe but he's even put Eric in the shade with his dynamic sandy excavations and erections........

........ and now, we can't help but wonder what we'd be or ever do without him, bless his little stripey jumper! 

Our Last Summer Hurrah

Sooooooo, we've been away for a looooooong weekend, despite being on the very cusp of the new school year and I can think you can safely say that with the five of us plus our beloved niece and nephew on board in our beloved Dawlish Warren .........

....... it's been quite the experience and a little hard to keep on top of things at times, despite all of Darrell's meticulous planning ........

...... especially as this is also Derek's very first family away time with us as an until now stranger to caravan life, to wit No. 287!

However, to his credit, he's taken to it like a seagull to a wantonly discarded pasty!

He's embraced the whole annual experience with a wild and abandoned gusto, certainly proving he's one of us ........

...... from the traditional and obligatory first night fish and chip supper .........

...... just dipping in with the rest of us .......

....... followed by sharing a hearty tray of Nutella donuts with a million and one sprinkles for pudding ........

........ a treat almost too glorious for words with Darrell, just this once, casting his calorie counting app to the wind.

And then, with barely a second to let it all go down, the mandatory first ride on The Pirate Ship aided and abetted by his best friend Eric  .......

What on earth are they like?

The rest of us? Well, we were just happy to watch!

It's Been A While, But .......

It's been a while, but after a bit of an absence, it seems that hedgehogs are slowly  creeping back to the charity shop bric-a-brac sections, according to the ever fragrant one after a mooch round town, perhaps its something to do with the approaching autumn? 

It has to be said that two, of the larger decorative persuasion, on one shelf is quite some going .........

 ..... including this quite spectacular festive piece, complete with pearlescent mistletoe berries and a said creature on either side, thus enabling it to be displayed any which way, from any angle, for full artistic and naturist appreciation!

However, on this occasion no considered purchase was made, as, even though it's really too early to think about, Darrell, most probably, has very firm ideas already set as to his Christmas decor and Alice, being spookily attuned to his creative foibles and whims, very much doubted that this year there would be a place for such a monstrosity delight, despite any of Eric's inevitable hedgehog related pester power, perhaps next year?

Sad Repercussions

 Following on from Alice's mystery nuts yesterday ........

...... it has to be said that our hedgerows are currently overflowing with blackberries .........

...... however, unfortunately they all seem to be very small and undeveloped, dry, and pretty sour.  We're blaming the whole heatwaved summer debacle with it's corresponding lack of any rain to help juice them up.

So, no unfettered and merry family berry picking expeditions this year .........

....... which in turn will result in a very sad lack of Darrell's most excellent apple and blackberry crumbles in the freezer, to help warm and cheer us, when served for pudding of a Sunday lunchtime throughout the autumn and winter ........ bum, bum, bum, bum, bum!!!!

Squirrelling Away!

Oh my goodness, poor Alice was in quite a quandary after her walk this morning .......

...... the two beech trees, on the cusp of our estate, are just beginning to shed a most ample supply of nuts .......

..... giving a very satisfying crunch underfoot according to the ever incorrigible Derek and Eric.

However, poor Alice, always thinking of others, saw this as a wonderful opportunity for our lovely family of squirrels, Boris, Carrie and their children Wilfred and Frank, to build up a store of said nuts to "squirrel" away, to help them get through the winter, when food's a lot sparser on the ground  ........

 ....... but how to let them know where such a bounty of food was waiting for them? 

The last I heard, she was using all her feminine, womanly wiles to persuade Derek and Eric to help her to collect as many as they can muster, to then scatter over our communal garden fence for the squirrels to find, collect and hopefully hoard!  What on earth is she like? 

Krisztian's Hatchling

The little fella has been taking a very great interest in Krisztian, our beloved neighbour Kata's little boy, hatchling egg type thingy!

I have to admit, I find it, for some bizarre reason a little unsavoury. Maybe it's the colour, a bit too egg yolky or the shape, round and unsettling? Or then, perhaps it's just me and my over active imagination.

Anyway, this morning, when Eric went over to "mind" it, he found that the creature had finally broken free from it's shell to reveal nothing other than a harmless little chick.  Eric wanted to fish it out from it's jug, but thought he'd best leave that pleasure to Krizstian when he came back from school later on.  

I'm thinking this might be a most excellent diversion sort of tactic to keep Eric occupied whenever he gets himself all excited and wound up before a big trip or holiday, as long I can find one that isn't quite so yellow or round in its emergent stages!!!

A Most Excellent Find And Present For Lulu

Without sounding overly modest, sometimes we even astound ourselves with our "on point" charity shop shopping spottage.  

Our beloved Lulu has been musing for quite a while now whether a coffee machine in her bedroom for lazy Sunday mornings would be a good idea, saving on going downstairs to make a coffee/tea and then taking it back to bed ........

...... but such things cost money and ever prudent, she was wary of making an expensive mistake.  

However, we'd not really given it all that much thought, but the idea must still have got stuck somewhere in our communal subliminal psyche, because when Darrell and Alice were mooching in the Salvation Army shop up town, they gasped in unison when they both spied the display table, where the most perfect machine was standing proud and resplendent, marked up for the very princely sum of £6 (pat tested). Well, it was a no brainer and at that price, certainly worth a punt (the receipt kept safe, just in case).

A box of coffee pods was duly purchased (from Iceland, as the Salvation Army don't usually sell food stuffs) and excitedly and expectantly bought home.  Unfortunately, on testing, the pod drawer was well and truly jammed, but a quick flick through YouTube and the problem was quickly remedied, it was an old stuck pod, but after that, all was well!  A pertinently timed find, soooooooooo Happy Birthday Lulu ....... and if you find you don't get on with it, we'd be interested!  Happy, happy days! 

What To Do - Eric Has A Quandary

Poor Eric had a quandary yesterday, in as much as, what to do when you come across an erection of a scaffolding type nature smack bang on the pavement you were hitherto blithely walking along?

Do you just carry on, passing under it, but with your hands on your head protecting it from any possible random falling object(s) ............

......... perhaps wishing you'd worn your safety helmet ........

........ although normally absolutely unnecessary for trips into town, for a cheeky mooch!

Or, do you leave said pavement to walk a matter of yards in the road ...... but doing so backwards, so you're facing any oncoming traffic fully in the eye? 

Or, do you simply just cross the road .......

....... and then cross back again as soon as the "hazard" has been averted to continue on your journey?  Answers on a postcard please .......

Keeping Things Green

Oh my goodness, poor Derek had a spot of confusion while he was out and about with Eric the other day .....

....... for some bizarre reason on seeing this sign, his mind immediately raced to thoughts of Kermit The Frog and wondering what could have possibly gone wrong with his colour and how he could personally get him green again, while at the same time keeping him hygienic ????????

Needless to say, Eric quickly put him right as best he could, assuring Derek that this was all about promoting environmental sustainability and absolutely nothing to do with the Kermit the Frog, who was safe and sound with Miss Piggy and still very much of a green type colour.

And, yes, caterpillars, green grapes, grass and leaves and green Skittles were safe too.  Life with Derek is certainly going to be very interesting, he ponders and muses just as much as Eric, but on a whole different plain! 

Does Derek Dare?

We've quickly learned that "our" Derek has a very healthy appetite, he is the ying to Darrell's culinary yang, where seconds are now de rigueur and leftover recipes  somewhat redundant these days.

However, he isn't, in any way, greedy, simply appreciative and thankful of a meat and two veg regime with the occasional pudding, if there is one, this we've put down to his days on the road looking for his long lost "family", bless him.

So, when he saw this banner outside the local Churchill retirement complex, up the road, naturally, his curiosity was piqued as he's also very fond of eating alfresco.

He first mission was to first establish where said "patio" might be .......

...... and then ascertain whether this was a strictly by invitation event or a simply rock up as you are casual type affair? 

I've suggested that he might just about get away with it, if he was careful to stay on the periphery of things and not draw attention to himself by the amount of picnic comestibles on his plate, (less is more), but, as this was most probably an attempt at luring potential residents in (at exorbitant prices may I add), should he be pounced upon by someone official looking with a clipboard, he should apologise profusely, saying he was just passing and hadn't realised, looking around him, that he was obviously far too young to be even considered as a prospective investor, but, would tell his nan ........ and then sidle way as subtly as possible, taking his plate with him!  What are we like?