... of flimsy little skimpy things for high summer.
Most people walking past are wearing puffer jackets and scarves and (if they are anything like me) have still got their thermals on underneath.
Bertie comes with me to town. I hoped to walk him in the park but it starts to rain so we head straight for the new solar panel shelters and I lift out the empty gas bottles that are behind his cage and shove them in the well of the passenger seat. At least I manage to do that in the dry.
We wander up to the MacDonald's on the far side of the carpark. Bertie thinks it would be a good idea to go inside, which is tempting, but I steer him away and we explore the garden area they've created for any dropped chips and then head back to the car.
He is good in the new Renault - much more so than he was in the Skoda. Maybe it's because his cage is hard up against the front seats, so he is really close to us when we are travelling. Little or no whimpering, except if he needs a comfort break. I leave him to "guard the car", which he does happily.
I'd resigned myself to not renewing the gas bottles since the full ones are in pens up on the road, a schlep away from the back of the store where the Drive trolleys are wheeled out to waiting customers and where one pays for the gas. It's cruel to ask the assistants to come out in the pouring rain. They are all young and totally inappropriately dressed for a soaking.
But I'm in luck. The rain eases off and a young man carries my full bottles for me and puts them in the car. They are the plastic, lighter weight version and they warn me of the passing years. Sixteen years ago I could carry the heavy metal ones and now, even the plastic ones feel an effort. Tod has bought a set of dumbbells as we have read about the importance of retaining muscle strength. I note they are still in their box. I must encourage the young assistants to let me carry the full gas bottles. There's no sign that the weather is going to improve over the coming weeks, so it looks like I'll be buying more.
Also, there'll be no "clout casting" in this household even although May is about to be out, and certainly no buying or wearing of little skimpy summery things for the foreseeable future.
