Good Weekend

We'll call that a good weekend, then. It's been a long time coming but Spring seems to be finally here, Daffs and Irises are starting to do their stuff, all be it rather late for the local Hort Soc's Spring Show. Never mind, on that one - there are always plenty of ladies willing to enter the flower arranging classes or cook the cakes for the baking classes (and Jackie next door happy to pass "us" a cake (and, thankfully a roasted lamb bone or two) which she has over.

Dad gets a chance to catch up on the SB Cambria, and you can see from these pics that not only is the decking progressing well but also in the below decks pic of the back end, you can see the side planking slowly climbing up the sides. Look either side of the red-painted vertical pole (which is a deck support pillar under the little rear (="mizzen") mast. The light shining in between the frames there is now only getting in for the top 3-4 feet.

The on-deck pic is taken from the starboard bow, basically standing just to the right of the stem-post, looking aft.

And there's a new "Smudge" in the house. We already know one, companion of Westie "Barney", a mainly white, long bodied JR cross with wirey hair and floppy ears that glow ever brighter red as he heats up chasing the tennis balls that are his number 1 passion. Well, tiny pup Smudge is aslo a white wispy haired JR with brown smudges, but he's only 12 weeks old and still all floppy and soft in his movements, and given to falling over his feet when tapped by a westie's nose. His companion is a red Staffie of whom we cannot recall the name, though we were told.

Deefski

Nearly 3 , you know

Diamond has an old family friend who is famous for telling everyone how old she is, but not quite. She actually says "I'm nearly 83, you know" with great significance but famously changes the age up a year as soon as she passes that birthday. So almost the day after her 83rd birthday you will hear her proclaiming that she's "nearly 84, you know!" Bless her. On that basis, I can get away with being "Nearly 3, you know"; with my brithday on the 17th just 4 days from now.

Talking of Birthdays, Dad has a busy day yesterday having to attend the local Horticultural Society's Autumn Flower and Veg' Show (He's Treasurer) and in the evening take Mum out for her Birthday meal. A bit late maybe, but things intervened on the dates immediately round the day itself.

Mum chose new-ish Italian restaurant, Villa Toscana

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&source=hp&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=villa+toscana+Faversham&fb=1&split=1&gl=uk&view=text&latlng=2427189463523918666

which is not a million miles away - easy "staggering distance". They describe this place as reasonably priced but also known for huge portions, and they come back bloated. Mum had had a carpaccio (thinly sliced) of swordfish, a main course of seafood in a superb tomato-y sauce, and cheese-board. Dad had had a sardine paneta (3 splayed out sardines with very garlicky mayo (aioili?) and a salad) and for main course the biggest, most succulent pork-shin you have ever tasted. Cooked as it was, till the meat was falling off the bones, in a casserole-y sauce with tuscan (borlotti?) beans, mashed potato and veg's he could hardly finish it. We'd have helped you Dad if we'd have been allowed in!

He admits that what first attracted him to this on the Italian menu was the word "Stinco" (Italian for "shin") as in "stinco de maiale" (which almost competes with Crappaud for "toad" a few posts ago). But it was a good choice, and he could only manage lemon sorbet for pud. Pathetic effort. They adjourned back here to the terrace for calva and coffee, candle light in the still evening air, and Billy Joel's "Italian Restaurant", while we mooched about checking out the night sounds and smells.

Having a great weekend
Deefer.