More grey, more rain. The newspapers are beginning to notice, but can  promise no relief. Very dispiriting.

   C. came this morning and I heard all about her week in Sicily. It sounds fairly successful and very strenuous. She brought me a delicious-looking jar of anchovies in olive oil. For my breakfast doze this very morning I had been listening to Nigella reading her own “Cook, Eat, Repeat”. The first chapter is all about anchovies. I own the book so I can refer to the actual recipes. Except that they look so plump and delicious in their little jar that I will be loath to open it.

   Mary Lou, I have started to listen to “Wilding” for the intervals when I am fairly wide awake and actually knitting. I’m very grateful to you for suggesting it. We’ve known Strathardle for 60 years now. It has changed a lot although not in the direction of big farms. Our own land, let to the same family for most of that time, doesn’t grow crops any more — oats, turnips, potatoes, raspberry plants for growers in Blairgowrie. It’s all sheep now. And wildlife is undoubtedly diminishing. I can’t remember when I last saw a hare or a hedgehog or a duck. 

   Today, however, I didn’t get any knitting done. I was awake and listening to “Wilding” and untangling the knitting when a neighbour called.

   Anonymous, thank you for your message yesterday about Mt.Athos. It’s still men-only. It’s a special administrative section of Greece, the whole peninsula, which is how they get away with it. I think kittens and eggs and honeybees are not unknown, however.

   Wordle: I forgot to tell you yesterday that my winning streak has passed 40. Today was routine. Two browns and a green from my starters.A brief struggle to think of anything. It was wrong, but helpful. I got it in four.

   Ketki had five. Rachel shared my four. The other four members of the home team all managed it in three. C. also had a three today. Theo had four — he approached it as I did, with the three central squares green on line three. Roger scored three.