Morning sky...

...with birds.

Solstice Greetings! Some blue sky in the morning, as seen from our kitchen window, but it didn't last long. Inset is the place I'd really like to have been - Duddo Stone Circle.

The day started well, with the arrival of a cheque for a sizeable amount of money with no explanation as to why it had been sent! Took two phone calls to the company concerned to establish that it was for insurance cover that is apparently not valid, so they have refunded the money.

Thereafter, a day of re-arranging and sorting out, and waiting for a parcel. Gifts and a chunk of Christmas cake for Angus, MrM's son, who was due to be here for Christmas, parcelled up and ready to go to the post office. A  considerable length of time spent online this afternoon, searching for a Christmas present for MrM. The original gifts I ordered were in stock, and due for delivery tomorrow. But it seems that they were in stock in Germany, not the UK as I had thought. Due to the new coronavirus variant, France and other countries have suspended travel links with the UK, causing absolute chaos around the Channel ports. It seems that rather than their lorry becoming embroiled in all that, it very sensibly turned round and took the whole load back to the warehouse in Germany. The company sent a lovely and very apologetic email to let me know that they have cancelled the order and will refund the money.

We could see the moon through the cloud late in the afternoon, and went up to Weetwood Bank to see if the Jupiter and Saturn were also visible. They weren't, and by the time we got there, nor was the moon! Back home, after being out for less than 30 minutes, to discover that our Winged Messenger had attempted to deliver the aforementioned parcel in our absence! C'est la vie...