The Sibs go South (well, three of them do)

I've been living it up with my sibs, which is why I have not posted.

Usually we meet up and stay together in Wensleydale, which is where our parents used to live, and where my brother Jonty still lives. This time we all went to stay with my sister Jen who lives with her husband in a village near Winchester. Jonty, Kath and I drove down south together, and Pete was over from Belgium.

We call my younger sister 'generous Jen.' She is a wonderful hostess, a terrific cook, and the home she has created is so attractive, tasteful and comfortable it could be a star feature in Country Living. Not for her an indoor workshop calling itself “a study,” or power tools kept in the bedroom because “they would go rusty in the shed.” Not for her rooms with old bits of carpet put down to catch the splashes of paint. Not for her, a jar of house paint brushes on the kitchen window sill because “it's a handy place to keep them.”

We had a wonderful time catching up. 

Pete, Jonty, me and Kath
Jen is on the left - she doesn't like having her photo taken.
Photo by Tony

I am so so lucky to have such a loving family who are also a lot of fun. During the day we were out and about in Winchester and Hampshire - where the trees are stately and lovely and the waterways are crystal clear. 

Feeding the trout

Looking for trout

Admiring yet another beautifully clear chalkstream

And we played Rummikub and hilarious games of no-holds-barred Cheat after tea. (Oops - I should say supper: it was down south.) 

One day we went to to the beach:      

photo by Jen

photo by Jen

And I was delighted when Jonty agreed with me that the water was far too warm to be resisted.

The other sibs call this shot "The Bodyguard"
photo by Jen

photo by Jen

Proof!
photo by Jen

They are all keen ornithologists, whereas I am not. But I did enjoy seeing some beautifully marked starlings who came to visit at lunchtime. One or two even fed from Jonty's hand.

I'm now back home and dying to get back to painting, but there are a lot of jobs in the garden that need attending to. I've made a list and will try to work through it this week, in between everything else in my diary. 

My siblings are stoical types, like Ma, and it's made me question my blogging habits again.  I may be nearing the end.

P.S.  Almost forgot…Jen even found time to give my hair a trim: