Food fairs, birds and Bones

Ah, the bliss of Bank Holiday Monday - no work, hurrah!!! And even more shocking - a nice, non-rainy day to enjoy it in. Anyway, Lord H and I have taken advantage of the weather and spent most of the day at the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum in Sussex, sampling the delights of the Sussex Food and Farming Fair. And very delightful it was too. There's really nothing like pork-in-a-roll for lunch, complete with stuffing and apple sauce. Wonderful. We also came home laden with purchases, including apple juice, beer, a rabbit pie for dinner, hand-made cards (I'm a real sucker for hand-made cards), ginger beer and home-made jam. I can never resist jam, and the odder the better. This time I opted for rhubard jam and blackberry curd, though I was hugely tempted by the tea-tree jelly too. I might get that next time. I'm a jam tart really (sorry - couldn't resist ...). And in so many ways!

Ooh, and whilst at the Fair, we actually spotted two buzzards a long long way up (which was hugely exciting) and some swallows. Summer is really on its way then.

On the journey home, we stopped off at Ebernoe Common and took a short walk through the woods to admire the pond. Where - joy of joys! - we spotted a male mandarin. Wonderful! A new bird, hurrah, and such a colourful one at that. The perfect Bank Holiday moment indeed.

Back on the ranch, I've managed to edit Chapter Eleven of The Bones of Summer, which brings me to the end of Part One of the novel. Double hurrah! A bloody good chapter too, if I say it myself - and bloody hell, why not, eh! I've managed to detonate two virtual bombs at once - (a) a moment of high drama & angst between Paul & Craig, which leads to (b) Craig's confession about his past. Whoops - that'll put the proverbial amongst the birds then. I do so love to end a chapter on a cliff-hanger. Well, you have to have something to make the reader turn the page, you know.

Anyway, enough for now. I'll open the gate to Part Two tomorrow, if I get a chance. As for tonight, there's sod-all on TV (whatever happened to Bank Holiday scheduling???) - so Lord H and I will be forced to watch a video to soothe our path into the working week. Best get that rabbit pie on soon then.

Today's nice things:

1. Food fairs
2. Birds
3. Editing Bones.

Anne Brooke
Anne's website
Goldenford Publishers

Haslemere Chocolate Day

A morning spent cleaning - not Lord H's or my favourite task but, hell, it's got to be done. Then an early lunch and a visit to the Chocolate Day of Haslemere's food festival (http://www.haslemere.com/foodfestival) - bliss. Stocked up on chocolate buttons, chocolate swizzle sticks (for melting into hot milk), chocolate ginger, and chocolate dried pineapples. Also sampled chocolate hazelnut tart and chocolate flapjacks. I think we've done our bit for the local food trade this week ... And a trip round the town took us to a sausage tasting (also part of the foof festival), so never say that Surrey doesn't know how to enjoy itself.

Late afternoon, I caught up with Star Trek, and then tonight it's the last episode of "How do You Solve a Problem like Maria?" (http://www.bbc.co.uk/maria) - I really hope Connie wins, but I'll take Helena as second choice if I have to. But please, please don't let it be Siobhan - I can't stand her! What am I going to do Saturday nights now it's over? Oooh nooo!

Today's nice things:

1. Chocolate
2. Star Trek
3. Maria School

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk