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Hi, Rusty!
I must need my head examining!
What I started about one o'clock, I have just finally called "Time" on, now!
I have been up and down ladders , in and out of cupboards, sorting out drawers!.......
I haven' t thrown all that much away...but boy, am I organised now!
But this was not a task to do in the heat.......
Why ever did I?
Definitely the time for an icecream..........
How is the cycling going?

Hello, Elle!

All that clearing out etc is good for the soul.
I am sure you have earned an ice cream!
Cycling was very good today, except for the start.
They tried a "grid" start and it was a complete non-event!
The racing was very good.
A short climbing stage won by Nairo Quintana of Movistar.
Geraint Thomas rode very well defending his yellow jersey.
Froome was dropped on the last climb.
But Sagan crashed descending.
I did not see it but believe that after medical treatment he got back on his bike and finished inside the time limit.
It was very surprising to hear of his crash as he is a great bike handler and a brilliant descender.
I hope he can start tomorrow!

Hi, Rusty!
Well, we now have two bags of clothes for the charity collection.....and a tidy wardrobe!
And going up and down the step ladder will have kept me fit!
(I cannot reach the top hanging space, and upper shelves, in my wardrobe, without the steps!)
I didn't even finish the crossword though!
I got stuck on 12 and 13 across...and somehow never went back to it!
But none-the-less, I have put in a hard day's work!
What a pity about Pete Sagan's crash...
I hope he is fit to carry on racing tomorrow.
How much longer before Le Tour finally finishes?
A beautiful evening...but still incredibly hot!
Maximum 33C today!

Good evening, Elle!
That is good that a charity shop is going to benefit.
They are great places if you are short of forks or teaspoons, too.
Now, 12, and 13, are both words that I did not know.
In 12, the herbal tea is "tisan(e)" surrounded by a Sea which is actually a lake.
In 13, About is "c" for "circa", the queen perhaps is "cat", "a certain" is "one", country is "nation", "about" is "on".
Now you should manage with those tips, methinks?
Sagan's jersey and shorts were badly ripped and he had "road rash" on his elbows, knees, and hips.
I believe he was going to hospital for a check up.
Le Tour finishes on Sunday afternoon in Paris.
My son and wife are taking bad with the London heat!
They are going to see "The Dreamgirls" tonight.

Elle, this is the parse for 13,
"c" is about,
"a certain country" is "one nation"
"queen" is "cat", inside "one nation".
Think that makes sort of sense?

Hi, Rusty!
Firstly, it is good that you have heard from your son and family!
I am not surprised that they are finding the extreme heat down here very difficult!
It is becoming almost unbearable!
I think I have heard of "The Dreamgirls"?
I think it is a film based on Diana Ross' "Supremes"?
Or are they going to see a stage version of this?
There may well be one, for all I know?
Whichever, I hope they enjoy it!
Poor Peter Sagan!
How did the crash happen?
The road rash will be painful..... I hope it will not become infected.....but he will have been treated for such, I am sure.
Thank you for the parsings!
Yes, I think I can understand them....
Re 12a: I already had "artisanal" = handmade (def)
with "tisan(e") for "herbal tea".......
but couldn't get the "salt water" part...
I had never heard of the Aral Sea!

This is the second time, I have written this out!
I'd just more or less finished typing when the entire lot disappeared!!

Hello, Elle!
I do not know if "The Dreamgirls" is a film or a play, or what is it about.
Just got told the title.
It seems Sagan was descending and his brakes were not as efficient as he thought they were and down he went into a forest.
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/tour-de-france/peter-sagans-tour-de-france-in-doubt-after-heavy-crash-on-descent-on-stage-17-388092
They will decide in the morning if he starts or not.
I hope he starts.
I had never heard the word "artisanal" before.

Hi, Rusty!
Oh dear, I am having quite a problem with my computer.........
Pages keep blanking out....... and when I type something, sometimes it just all disappears....
I cannot access "Google" at present, either.
I tried just now to check out "The Dreamgirls"..... but Google is only coming up as a blank page.......
I wonder if all these problems could somehow be caused by the heat?
I managed to read your link about Peter Sagan....
It doesn't sound too good, does it?
But maybe (like my computer?) he will feel better tomorrow, hopefully!
It will be a terrible shame if he has to cede his green jersey to the next contender, who seems to be way behind him in points.
Now let us hope that this reaches you, and doesn't blank out on me again!

If you look up Aral Sea, elle, you'll see what a tragedy it is, almost none left when once it supported whole communities based on fishing.
I only knew about it because I had to study Matthew's Arnold's poetry for O level and one ends
"the new-bathed stars
Emerge, and shine upon the Aral Sea"

The mighty Oxus River, which once fed it, is one of two rivers used for irrigation instead of flowing into the Aral Sea. As the Sea dried up, dust laden with agricultural chemicals blew from the bed onto the crops, which needed more water to get rid of them etc. Apparently the weather was even affected. There's now a dam and the North Aral Sea is very slowly growing again and some fishing is possible.

Good morning, Elle!
Another great day, here, but hot!
I have little knowledge about computers and technology.
Just the very basics.
Have you unplugged it from wall socket for a minute or two?
That may help.
Or, try a different browser?
I recently switched from Chrome browser to Brave browser and found it to be better...and no intrusive ads either!
I have a BT router, I think it's called, and the advice BT gave me when trouble strikes, is to unplug it for a couple of minutes, and that often solves issues.
It won't do any harm to try anyway.
Sagan will be sore today, but I hope he starts.
He is a very hardy lad, and will tough it out, I think.
He has very good team mates to help him.
I was reading about Philippe Gilbert who crashed the previous day.
He got back on the bike and rode 60 kms to the finish, where they discovered he had a broken kneecap, and he abandoned the race.
Just off out to get my paper!