Day 15.202: Exile #2's Sunday Column #403

Exile #2 writes...

It felt like a very long time since we had made it to the beach, so we headed down this evening as the temperatures cooled off a bit and the beach quietened down. There was still evidence of a busy beach day: lots of abandoned sand excavations and shell piles but there was plenty of room to walk. We saw terns and piping plovers.

We even made it down to the small community at the end of the beach, which was humming with holiday makers, and watched some fishing boats putting out to sea, including the excellently named Wasabi.

Day 15.201: Hot boxing

For some reason, we thought that mid morning was the right time to construct this box for our patio area. At that time of the day the patio is in full sunshine so it ended up being a rather hot enterprise. 

We succeeded in the end. Later we loaded it with chairs and in the cooler late afternoon, pulled a couple of them out for some more relaxing patio time. 

Day 15.200: That was intense!

Exile #3 has been taking part in two dance “intensives” this week - 5 nights of 5-8 pm, the first half doing Modern and the second doing Jazz. Tonight, we got to pop in and see the dances they have worked on - very impressive in such a limited amount of time. 

It has been quite a while since we saw her perform. 

Day 15.199: In the woods

I’m today’s episode of random Google Photos creations… pictures of Exile #2 in the woods:

Photos only an algorithm could choose. 

Day 15.198: Lobster!

When your out of state colleagues come to Maine during the summer months…

Day 15.197: Corner flowers

The photo below is of a beautiful garden on the corner near our house. We also saw some fireflies when were out for an evening walk this week. We may not be having the most thrilling summer, but it’s beautiful nonetheless. 

Day 15.196: Re-spiked

Apart from the tactile joy of putting an LP on a turntable and the pleasure of rediscovering some of our old music, another good thing that has come out of our venture into retro music reproduction is a reason to use these rather lovely floor-standing speakers again:

They've been languishing unused (except as a table) for several years since we stopped using them as TV speakers.

When we first bought them, they had spikes on the bottom but several of the spikes went missing during our move to the US. I hadn't felt the need to replace them until we found we had some sub-bass feedback occurring to the turntable in this new configuration. 

I tried a few different things, but in the end, some new spikes seem to have done the job nicely:

Day 15.195: Exile #2’s Sunday Column #402

Exile #2 writes...

I finally tested negative for COVID on Friday, so this weekend has seen a slightly foggy return to the world. I drove for the first time in a month, we staggered into town for an ice cream, and this morning I sang at church. It was a fairly bizarre experience, a bit like I imagine it must feel to be a teenage boy with a breaking voice. The results were certainly not predictable but hopefully not too alarming! In the afternoon we beat the heat by continuing our odyssey through some of our vinyl collection. Much fun was had.

Day 15.194: Hot walk for something cold

After dinner, I suggested a walk to the ice cream shop. It’s about two miles each way but there was some concern that the temperature was still 89 F and that we - never mind the ice cream - might melt. 

We made it - appreciating a bit of a breeze - and enjoyed the cool treat when we got there.

The Exiles with large ice cream cones in the early evening sunshine

By the time we walked home, the evening was cooling slightly - but only slightly. 

Day 15.193: Relief restored

It has been hot for the last few days and we only had limited success with our window unit air conditioners - as the downstairs one didn't work when installed for an eighth season. Tonight, we could cope no more and went to buy a replacement.

and when I say "we", I mean Exile #2 and me - happily she tested negative today, so we are all Covid free as far as we know.

Day 15.192: Turkeys five

Seen as I was leaving work yesterday - two adult turkeys and three chicks:

Day 15.191: Feeder watch

Since I was working from home last week, I saw a bit more of the bird feeder during the busier hours than I normally do during the week. No very exciting sightings, but here are a few of the visitors:

American goldfinch (female) (probably)

House finch (male)

Downy woodpecker (probably)

American goldfinch (male)

House finch (female) (probably)

Day 15.190: Relented; relieved

We installed our air conditioning window units this evening. It’s likely we would have relented sooner if we’d been around for more of the start of the summer. As it is, it’s a relief as we think about tonight and the next few days of too-hot-for-comfort weather. 

Window unit showing a current temperature of 80F

Day 15.189: Industry

Sessions 1 and 2 of Exile #4 helping E5N1 build the marble run machine he received as a birthday gift - it's quite complicated, but they are making solid progress. My only role is as photographer.

Session 1

Session 2

Day 15.188: Exile #2's Sunday Column #401

Exile #2 writes...

Since Monday, thanks to COVID, I’ve been shut up in my room nursing a very sore throat and a niggly cough, but today I made a few masked trips out into the rest of the house. I even managed to cook a meal. Later on, Exile #1 and I ventured further and took a brief walk around the block. It was nice to get out but quite demanding in the remains of the heat.

Not that our heat is anything to Europe’s at the moment. The Tour de France, which has been keeping me cheerful, looked very uncomfortable today. Hopefully, wherever you are, you are able to keep cool and take things a little slower this week.

Photo by Oleksandr Pidvalnyi via Pexels

Day 15.187: Resemblance

This shirt was E5N1's birthday gift from our long-serving friends who we visited in the UK. As C said at the time, "I saw him and thought of this!"

Meanwhile, those who've been struck by COVID are recovering and so far no more new cases. Maybe we'll start to get back closer to normal soon.

Day 15.186: Cool - science?

Since I’ve been at home in the morning and often on my own in the main part of the house, I’ve experimented with cooling methods to make the most of the cool morning air outside. The coolest air is at the back of the house in the morning so opening the window above the sink is a good start:

Opening a window at the front allows for an occasional through-breeze, but how to deploy a fan to help?

Based on my unscientific research, this appears to be the best option:

Blowing air out the front to draw air in the back and positioned a little way inside to get maximum flow (supposedly). In any case, we get a nice breeze from the kitchen window this way until the back of the house warms up.

Day 15.185: Bradgate stags

We saw some impressive red deer stags on one of our walks in Bradgate Park while staying with my sister near Leicester.

Meanwhile, in the current, COVID continues to bother us but no new victims to report at this time

Day 15.184: Jammy Dodgers

Exile #3 owns a pair of earrings each shaped like a Jammy Dodger with a small bite out of it. While we were in Weston, the kids spotted a packet of these particular biscuits in the little supermarket near our accommodation and decided they needed to try them - at which point it became inevitable that I would arrange for this photograph to be staged:

Day 15.183: Seaside fun

Another case of COVID has hit the family, but that doesn't make for interesting blog material, so instead here are a couple more from our touristy day in Weston-super-Mare:

Day 15.182: Mud warning

Weston-super-Mare where we spent a few days with Exile #2's mum, is famous for its very low low-tides. The sea (really the tidal estuary called the Bristol Channel) goes out so far that the beach transitions to mud which extends almost as far as the eye can see.

This was the view from the end of the pier earlier in the day - already out beyond the sand of the beach:

It gives rise to some interesting signs like this one - seen during a post-dinner walk:

We particularly liked the depiction of this unfortunate fellow:

On this particular evening however, the tide was in and the pier was extending over water for once: