Following a grizzly three days of hard slog and graft, we’ve decided to go on strike and put the grand plan on hold for a few days. This is, to me, something of a dilemma because I’ve been fretting and worrying about lack of progress and now we’re actually making some, we’re on hold.

The truth is that there are simply not enough hours in the day for everything I need and want to get done. This means I’m working myself to a frazzle and then beating myself to a pulp for not achieving enough. So, for a few days, there is a halt to all grand plan activity while we take a well-earned breather.

Today then, a walk on the beach this morning and a much-needed shopping expedition this afternoon – I’ve been walking around in decorating rags all week because I’ve had nothing else to wear so something had to be done. I loathe shopping and this was an hour spent in two shops in Plymouth where I knew I could find myself something. Looking back at the pic I've linked to, I have been a customer of exactly the same two shops today!!!!!

I’ve said many times that I wish clothes sizes were reliable enough for online shopping but in my experience they just aren’t. I tried on four items in one shop this afternoon, two of one size and two of another. One of the larger items was so big it was falling down, yet the other fitted apart from being way too long so I was tripping over the hems. The smaller two items – one fitted perfectly and the other was too tight. Until shops sort out this sort of thing, online clothes shopping is a no-go for me.

I’ve made a couple of rather nice discoveries today – firstly that we do live in a VERY special place. I knew it already but frankly the weather since we’ve been here has mainly been so appalling that it’s often hard to tell what’s on the other side of the street. This week, though, the sun has been shining and the weather has got better and better. So much so, that our friend Erica got sunburned yesterday. Today has been glorious – see above pic!!! There have been people stopping in the lane outside our house, jumping out of their cars and taking photos of the view that we wake up to every morning. It’s extremely cool. The other discovery is that it is possible to see our home from a small town about 6-7 miles away. I know this because as I drove through it this evening, I could clearly pinpoint our house! Again, a cool discovery.

David sits on a rock on Crantock beach noodling on his new blues harp, having been inspired by the talents of Iain a couple of weeks ago. He loved Iain’s playing so much that he went and bought one for himself and has not been anywhere without it for the last week. I must say, he’s coming on a treat.

He’s been entertaining me, our flesh and blood dogs and the spirits of Toby and Airlie, for whom this is ‘Rainbow bridge’.

I have been lying in the sand, in the sunshine, photographing him.

Last year, I was heading for a cropper - but didn't yet know it.

Post Script - I have passed a pbase milestone today and had over 10,000 comments on my photos - I know that's small potatoes for the likes of Jeanne and Jude but for me, it's a huge thrill. I'm celebrating by standing at no 5 in the Popular galleries with my 50 ways to leave your lover gallery and I've now posted 36 of the 50 ways to set yourself free.....will I be able to stretch my imagination to find 14 more? Who knows, I am sending my grey matter into a frenzy trying to think of good names to rhyme with things that are vaguely sensible - if it looks effortless, it certainly isn't!!!