Tulip

I've been enjoying these flowers since Monday, when they were brought round by one of our book group members, who is also a blipper. I've also photographed them several times before today, in case I didn't manage to get anything better later in the day. I did, each time, until today. Today, I haven't been out at all - spending the day instead underneath a steaming laptop, which has allowed me constant - and eye-befuddling - access to an online reporting system for a grant which has just finished. I was very relieved to get that particular chore finished, but it made a bit of a mockery of my 'research day'.

The greatest excitement of the day was answering the door to our new neighbours in my dressing gown... They are the third set of neighbours we've had in the flat opposite. Each time it's a young couple. Each time, it's their first home together. Each time, they've left after having a baby - buying a house or somewhere with a garden, to bring up their family. Each time, also, the couple have seemed younger. This latest set - well, my reaction to Mr A on first meeting them was: 'do their parents know they've set up home?'. I guess it's a product of us getting older and older. Anyway, they seem perfectly pleasant, and I was able to give them some assistance in trying to find a solution to their problem, which is that their water heater seems to have packed up.

A quiet weekend beckons, with plenty of domestic stuff, some rugby watching, and a modicum of baby-cooing on Sunday. We're off on our travels again soon, so that blasted ironing mountain is going to have to be climbed yet again.