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Hello, Pigale!
What a lovely surprise! How very nice to see you!
Wherever did you find the PCT? It must have been well buried!
Yes, like you, I have been away from the Forum for several months....I only made a reappearance (spotted by Chris) on Sunday, when I was drawn to looking at the Everyman thread.
I am not liking lockdown very much...but then who is?
I miss seeing my family and friends ....and, of course, hugging the grandkids!
But we all talk on the phone, and send texts and emails..... and so life goes on......
What have you been up?

Hey! Nice to hear from you!
After a long break I decided to look in yesterday and was hoping to
see you and Rusty, and every one else of course.
It has been lovely to chat again with Forum friends!

I had to go back some 30 pages to find the PCT - date 21st February!!!
I know I wanted a break, but you must have done the same too around the same time!

I can't say that the lockdown does a big difference to my life, except that I miss my trips to the market and meeting my mates afterwards.
Like you we keep in touch by phone (not emails, they are not computer orientated at all!) but as you say, it's not quite the same.

Otherwise I have not been doing anything special
My friend Jeremy was supposed to be here now, but of course he is not and does not know either when he will be able to come.
The quarantine business is no big deal since he stays in what is in reality his own house, and remain here for over a month, but it's more the fact that another lockdown might happen during his stay!
and then he would be stuck here for God knows how long!

Yes, I can understand your missing the family particularly since you are all so close. Any idea when you might be allowed to see them again?

PS - without Jeremy's presence, you can just imagine the state of the garden! and I can do nothing with this silly back of mine!

Hello again, Pigale!
It is good to hear that you are keeping well in these difficult times.
We are all fine so far here, but I am finding lockdown especially restricting in that I miss my long walks.......
The dog is finding her new regime very odd!
And she takes cover whenever she sees me coming near her with a pair of scissors!
I am having to trim her coat myself, as of course going the Groomers is out of the question.
I am reading a lot.... I have a pile of "used" books ordered through Amazon, and am steadily working my way through them.
No, I don't know when visiting with family will be allowed.....

Good morning Elle and everyone!

Talking of trimming animals' coat, Fluffy (one of my cats) has longish
hair and I like to have it trimmed every now and then otherwise she gets all sorts of knots!
Well, trying to do it myself is simply impossible, and asking a friend to help holding her while I do the cutting is also impossible since she
is shy of people and disappears the moment someone is here!

So with the garden in its present state, she simply carries half of it on her and I have a job to try and keep her grass-free when she comes for a cuddle in the evening!

I suppose your own cat has 'normal' short hair?

It is already very hot here - 27C on terrasse and not in sun yet!

Hello, Pigale!
I am just in from the garden.....fighting a losing battle with bindweed......and now I have a leaky hose!
No, my cat does have long fur - like Fluffy - but fortunately he loves being groomed (unlike the dog) and will come running willingly whenever I say "Brush and comb time" to him!
So a daily groom does the trick! No tangles!
I didn't even know that cats did have trims?
It is hot here, too, by my standards , although only about 24C
Too warm for me to sit out though.
I am driven indoors to cool off!

Yes, I know you don't like it too hot (weather I mean!)

What's good is that we have a breeze from the North-East which cool things down somewhat.

Bindweed is a pest: isn't it strange than even during a heat wave when
nothing grows anymore, pest-weeds still thrive?!

I may have to call in a local firm to deal with the garden, as I said, my back prevents me from any big efforts, and this time of the year is the heavy growing season - it slows down after June, particularly if there is no rain, which is often the case around here..

Hello Rusty, are you out there somewhere?

I wonder how you are and how you are coping with your lockdown still stricter in Scotland

Hi, Rusty!
My goodness, it's a long time since we last talked on here, isn't it?
Pigale has decided to try to revive the thread.....she had to hunt back about 30 pages to find it!
I shall add my voice to hers.....
Why not join in, if you are about.....
I think everyone around would benefit from "chatting" together, especially at present.

Hello Elle, Rusty and everyone,

I think we should stay with this thread! The 'new one' seems a bit
dodgy to me and I was warned by Norah about it.

So be careful