Somewhat behind

I see I blipped these chrysanthemum on 14 October last year, and then put them in the extras on 24 October.

I'm pleased to see them doing a third year for us, although they are somewhat behind after being transplanted up here. They are just coming out now, and I doubt if I'll see much of them. I'm not likely to be here during November, but Mr A will be, lucky beggar.

We went down to Alness to the builders' merchants this morning to buy some slabs for a supplementary patio. Mr A put it together this afternoon, but it's not necessarily to his satisfaction. His preparatory work was somewhat undermined by the amount of rain that has come down in the meantime. It was a frosty and gorgeous morning. The two members of the swimming group who went to Shandwick at the same time as we were driving down to Alness had a pretty amazing time, although they had to contend with a lot of kelp on the beach. So now there is very little sand, a lot of stones, and a wall of kelp. Just marvellous.

These problems were still extant when I went for a swim at 5.30, but actually it was a rather lovely swim even if entry and egress were not the easiest. I am really pleased with the sleeveless shorty wetsuit I bought a few weeks ago (actually my birthday gift from L and L). It's now my go to outfit for swimming, as it keeps my core much warmer. Having cold hands and arms is not an issue. They warm up soon enough. But I've had enough occasions of evening swims over the last 8 months I've been swimming where getting warm before bed time has proved elusive. Not any more. I also put an extra layer on my feet in the form of my neoprene socks and a pair of water shoes, to protect my feet against the horrid rocks. That worked well too. It was a lovely evening with a wonderful sunset as we drove home. I wasn't inclined to stop to get a picture, but tried to commit it to memory. The glorious beginning and end to the day, today, plus the lovely sunshine in between, has rather made up for the grim weather at the weekend.

We had a lovely evening with A and N yesterday evening. Quite a lot of red wine was consumed, and we got to go through the phases with Elmer, who barked himself hoarse in his crate, but eventually settled down and then largely contented himself with aggrieved whimpers from time to time. They are really getting there with him, with the help of a dog trainer called Samantha. It feels almost like a I'm Sorry, I haven't a clue moment, although we are assured she exists.