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Good evening, Elle!
Had a good natter with my grandson, then he went home for his tea!
I had never heard of Lutetia before, but being an anagram helped.
Never heard of "perihelion" before, or "pharaoh's serpent", or knew a rowan was part of the rose family!
I liked today's puzzle.
Your dog seems to be doing fine, anyway!
My pals will have a good time in Majorca, but she said it will be too hot to go running!
So, "Couch to 5k" will go out the window until they return!
Don't think my son will visit tomorrow.
His family are taking him out for his birthday tea.
It's his birthday today, but my daughter-in-law does not finish work until 8, so they are going out tomorrow.

Hi, Rusty!
I didn't know "perihelion" either...but it was quite gettable from the parsing.....which I enjoyed!
Sometimes, I think I am really getting there with my solving and parsing.....but then at other times, I feel "as thick as two short planks"!
Do you think it depends on whether one is on a particular wavelength?
One of my friends has just come back from Majorca - she has a property out there - and it turns out that we had it hotter here (in London) than in Majorca, during that last heatwave!
Tell your friend she deserves a "rest" from the running!
Btw, she might enjoy Jo Pavey's book "This Mum Runs"...….
Tell her about it?
Happy Birthday to your son!

Hello, Elle!
I think today's setter covered a wide range for his puzzle.
The Times uses around a dozen setters and to me that is far better than just one or two.
Much more variety in the clues that way.
I do not think wavelength comes into it.
(I just looked up "wavelength"! It's to do with broadcasting, well, one meaning is).
Though some days are more of a challenge than others.
My friend will never have heard of Jo!
And I doubt if she reads, except for a magazine.
She is going to Majorca to eat and drink.
I am not sure where my son and family are going for their tea.
Down town, I think.

Hi, Rusty!
I passed my copy of Jo's book onto my daughter, who also enjoys running, and, as you know, takes part in various charity runs for "Cancer Research UK".
I cannot envisage not reading......
I have just been browsing Amazon for books..... and have come across a fairly recently published book by Sebastian Faulks that I somehow missed....
He is one of my favourite authors.
I have ordered it for £4-98 postage free, from one of my reliable sources, in very good condition.
I am looking forward to its arrival!
I hope your son and family enjoy the birthday outing tomorrow ...but you will miss his coming to visit you.
Maybe he will come on Friday instead?

Hello, Elle!
My friends in NI are not readers, but they like television watching and going out socialising.
Yes, my family will enjoy their tea out.
My son may visit me another day.
I'll leave it up to him.

Good morning, Rusty!
It is a beautiful day here...blue sky, sunshine, and pleasantly fresh in the early morning.
It is said to heat up later, though.
Our plumbers phoned!
They are coming this morning at 10.30.
Let us hope they will finish the job today.
I had intended going out to meet a friend, but have now put that on hold.
I'll have a coffee and do the crossword instead!

Hello, Elle!
Fine weather here, too, and breezy!
Hope the plumbers have the part, now, and finish!
I have no paper today, but did the puzzle online.
More new words for me today!
1a, 15a, 23a, 18d, and 20d.
It is a good puzzle, Elle!
Good luck with it.

Hi, Rusty!
The plumbers arrived about ten minutes ago......
They are now armed with a coffee and an orange squash.... and are all set to go!
It is unusual for you not to go out to get your paper?
Yes, I have found it a reasonable puzzle today.
I have a completed grid...and have parsed all the clues!
(Hopefully correctly)
My favourites are 1a: auxiliary verbs; 9a: plane tree; 22a: ad nauseam; 14d: hereunder
"Daleth" and "tinamou" are new words to me.
I wouldn't have spelled "chimera" with an "ae"......although Collins gives both spellings
The dog took her first dose of painkillers and antibiotics quite amicably........!

Hello, Elle!
Well done the plumbing lads!
Yes, I normally go for my paper (it's already paid for!) but I am expecting three phone calls which I did not want to miss, so I stayed home.
Had two of the calls, one to come!
Good news about your dog!
Well done on completing the puzzle!
I did not know about "chimaera", too, but Collins has it, and I imagine Chambers does, too.
So, more new stuff learned today, Elle!

Good afternoon, Rusty!
It has definitely been a week for learning new words and new terminology, hasn't it ?
I have yet to introduce my new word, meaning "fear of a duck looking at me", into the general conversation......
I think by the lake, in the park, would be a good place for that?
I must try to remember tomorrow morning!
Progress in the bathroom seems slow......but hopefully sure.....
The cat has decided that having workmen is the house is a traumatic experience...... having never batted an eyelid the previous week......
And the dog (who is normally quiet indoors) has decided to bark, if any one so much as moves.....
(I wonder what is in her medication?!)
What a day!
And to think I could have been out to lunch!
Did you get your third phone-call?