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Hello, Elle!
I was but teasing about the weightlifting!
So, Dibden Purlieu is a village?
It is a new one to me.
Is Mr Jingles still to the fore?
Do you still get a picture from the loch?
Excellent coverage now.
Laddie was trying to incubate the egg while "herself" stood by!
No sign of any eggs at Loch Garten.
It is a pity your son-in-law does not have the bug.
You could have done a lot of fussing there!

Hi, Rusty!
Firstly, isn't it exciting about the egg!
But is it not rather small?
I was thinking (perhaps erroneously) that last year's eggs were larger?
Lassie is the one I have seen sitting on the egg.
I have a clear picture at first, but sometimes it gradually becomes partially obscured - but I am getting a notice apologising for the poor vision?
Now, what is wrong with a bit of "fussing", when people I care about are feeling ill?
I cannot help but worry......
But my son-in -law seems of stern stuff and has so far avoided all the germs.
Re the crossword, I meant to ask you about 1d.......
I've put "bum"
knock = bum(p)
But I have a couple of queries.
Why does "Knock" have a capital letter?
And I always thought that "bum" meant "dud" rather than "poor"?

P. S, Rusty!
As in a "bum steer"

Hello, Elle!
I think bum is fine for poor.
I do not have the clue but there is a town in Mayo called Knock.
Could be the setter trying to mislead you?
My picture from the loch is super.
Lassie incubating the egg now.
I am not sure about the size of our egg, but it seems darker in colour this year?
Maybe the camera...or something?

Hi, Rusty!
The clue said : Poor in Knock denied pence (3)
Ye, I think you are right and that it must refer to the actual place "Knock" in Ireland.
Retrospectively, that would make sense of the clue, I think?
I feel satisfied now, anyway!
I shall be back to buying the paper tomorrow, as John is off on holiday again.
I have just begun reading a Jeffrey Archer.
It is a sequel to "The Prodigal Daughter", which I re- read recently.
As I found "Shall We Tell the President" on my bookshelves - and cannot remember the plot - I am assuming that it is one of my Boot Fair bargains, that escaped being read at the time of purchase.
I think Jeffrey Archer is a great author.

Hello, Elle!
Knock has an International Airport, thanks to Bishop Horan!
Yes that would make sense of the clue.
I think Jeffrey writes well too.
I have ordered "Race to Truth" by Emma O'Reilly.
She was Lance Armstrong's soigneur and was one of those who brought him down.
I also ordered a micro-fleece lined shirt!
You are buying The Times?
Plenty puzzles in it.
I do the quiz every day.
There are 15 questions and my record number of correct answers is 4!
It is tough! For me anyway.

A Very Good morning to you, Rusty!
It is a beautiful day here!
We even took time out in our walk this morning to sit and chat!
Out of interest, I have just read a (very brief) synopsis of Emma O'Reilly's book about Lance Armstrong and the drug doping.
It is somewhat surprising that despite the fact that she felt the need to blow the whistle and expose the drug world scandal, she and Lance have now rebuilt their friendship?
It should be an interesting read , coming as it does from a personal involvement, too.
Now.......I have never heard of a micro-fleece shirt?
Do you wear is as a 'shirt'...or as a 'lightweight jacket'?
( It puts a whole new light on "shirt-sleeves" weather!)
I shall look for this Quiz that you mention, when I get around to opening the paper!
First though....I need a coffee.......

Good morning, Elle!
My score in today's quiz is one correct out of fifteen questions!
I did not know that about Emma.
Her and Betsy Andreu were two major participants in his downfall.
I had a micro fleece shirt that was over 20 years old.
I loved it, but last week spilt Gorilla Glue on it and it won't come off, so time for another one.
The one I ordered looks like an ordinary Tattersall pattern shirt but is lined with micro fleece for warmth.
They are super, but not cheap!
Now, Phil Mickelson (Phil is a top American golfer)has come out and said several of his fellow golfers cheat by replacing the ball nearer the hole.
He also said the "Lexi" decision should be reversed, and she should be awarded the trophy.
Good luck with the quiz!
It is on the back page of Times 2 with the rest of the puzzles.

Hi, Rusty!
Well, my efforts with the Times Quiz did not amount to much!
I thought I was doing well as I answered the first few.......
No 3 : I knew the Australian painter Frederick McCubbin had painted "On the Wallaby Track" ( although I didn't know the other painting mentioned)
No 4: I knew the plant as lamb's lettuce (I remember coming across that before)
No 6: I knew that Richard Byrd was something to do with flying to the North and South pole - so was on the right track!
..........And then I came sadly unstuck!
I hazarded a guess in No 13 that Enos was a chimpanzee, but only because I thought there had already been one chimpanzee in space?
So, after a hopeful beginning, it was a sad deterioration to being unable to answer any other questions!
Two right; one near; and one guess!
Um... I'll stick to Eggheads!
Yes, your shirt sounds good!

Hello, Elle!
It is a tricky quiz!
We would need Daphne and Kevin to help, I think!
I got "AFAIK" and had an idea Byrd was a polar explorer and that was that!
Only space animal I knew was Laika, the dog.
Often I do not get any at all right!
Type you, "Fife Country" into search box and my shirt is called "Bracken Fleece Lined".
I am looking forward to it!
I am off for a dander to see how Horace is getting on!