Beating the weather

Knowing that things would get worse as the day went on, we made a reasonably prompt start this morning. I made some bread dough as soon as I was dressed and left it to rise while we got on with the routine of breakfast.

Once that was done, we went over to the lodge. Sheila swept the decking in front of the door whilst I positioned the new DVD rack and stowed the first batch of DVDs, those already in the cupboard.

Back at the boat, the dough had risen sufficiently to be knocked back and shaped into subs. These were covered lightly with a sheet of cling film and popped back in the slightly warmed oven.

Off out we went again, this time to walk round the marina, dumping the ludicrously large box in which the DVD rack had arrived as we passed the recycling skips. We nipped into Still Waters for milk and (we'd planned) some oranges. But they didn't have any of the five for a pound bags, so we thought to get some Carnation milk to have on canned mandarins instead. No Carnation, either, so we've got some Elmlea cream substitute to fill the same rôle.

Next stop was the Farm Shop where I stocked up on meat; shin beef to casserole for tonight, pork loin steaks for tomorrow and mince for later on.

Back at the boat at last, the rolls were well risen and could be baked straightaway. We possessed ourselves with patience, The Independent and a jigsaw on the iPad.

Eventually the bread was cool enough to eat and we scoffed half of them with suitable fillings.

Afterwards, a check on the credit card account showed no repayment of the money we gave Elite for the non-delivered chairs. We've messaged our credit card company asking for the transaction to be reversed.

Since then, it's been a quiet time, pottering about with this and that, including preparing the casserole which is now simmering on top of the Squirrel. I'll serve it with mash and frozen peas, I think, a suitable meal for a day which has turned dark and stormy as forecast. I've been reading Poe's MS Found in a Bottle, highly appropriate to the conditions.

Hopefully, it will have dried up by tomorrow morning, when Elanor is taking us shopping for some bits and pieces in Burton.