Sharpe’s Folly (the tower in the sun)

It felt chilly when I set out for my walk this morning, leaving Mr C to hack away at the rhododendrons which are taking over the garden.

I had to return some kefir starter to Katy. (I didn’t like the result - I thought it would be more like I had in the Middle East but it wasn’t.) Just as I arrived she and Colin were leaving for a walk and asked me to join them. I had intended to walk by the river to Thropton and then go up to the moor and home, but I went with them. We went through a muddy field then steeply up to a ridge. We followed that east to Whittonhillhead and down to Sharpe’s Folly, built by a local rector to give employment at, I think, the end of Napoleonic wars. We parted there as I went further east to make my walk a bit longer and they turned west for home. I hate the last steep pull up out of the village to our house but I had achieved 6.25 miles to add to my total.

This afternoon I worked on my cookery book then Ella FaceTimed me. She was bored being on her own - they are trying to keep her apart from the rest of the family till she is no longer infectious. She showed me a lot of her magic tricks. Her other Grandad’s wife had given her money so before Christmas she went to a toy shop to buy something. The magic set includes a box of equipment with a book giving instructions on how to do lots of tricks with the stuff in the box. She couldn’t get the red handkerchief to disappear without me seeing it. She’s going to practice and show me again tomorrow.

Ella’s friend Iman got Covid the day after Ella. It’s a bit of a shame as both of them are wearing masks in class. (Her age don’t have to but some of them do). Ella’s aunts (Luke’s sisters) both have Covid. I’m glad I side-stepped their offers of hugs when we saw them last Sunday. I felt uneasy as they had been “out out” a lot over the festive season so rather than stay inside with them and enjoy the chitchat, I went outside to watch the boys playing football.

We are really enjoying our Christmas DVD of Succession.