Summer time, a crazy car driver and too much rain

What a naff summer (weather-wise) it's been. Spent a lot of time at the beach when the suns been out. The newly nearly finished breakwater/tidal defance building work has made a big difference in the overal fun factor. It is supposed to stop flooding, but from what I've seen it's just a pile of specifically placed rocks imported (apparently) from France, and placed in long lenghts along spaced out sections of the beach. It looks strange as its changing the appearance of the whole horizon of the beach, when seen from beach long view. The only concerning factor is that there now seems to be a permenant foot or so cliff which has formed at the edge of the pebble section. So now, when you want to "hit" the beach and go paddling or building castles, you have to remembed to bring you hiking gear so you are able to get "down" to the beach itself. Hopfully this has been calculated and is simply part of the finished outcome. But I have my doubts. Its come about from all accounts, because the newly placed sand (dredged from the seabed?) has been quickly pushed by the moving tide, to a point where the waves stop, and hence a wall of sand is now created.

That aside, the new sand is wonderful for making castles and digging with.

So many lovely shells that my daughter now loves collecting them. I am also a bit sad about the colour of the sea itself. It's now got a strange yellow muddy look to it.

The froth from the breaking waves, which is left after each wave craching against the shore, is not something I would want to walk on, touch or for that matter choose to see. But I hope it's just the new work that now has to settle down which has caused it.

That aside....
Today, our new trailer arrives. I dont have a car just yet, and so decided that because we need transport, and I need to loose a few pounds, I would get us a bike trailer. I've only seen one in use, and that was a friend at my daughters old school who used one to take her little one to and from school. They (trailer) looks odd at first glance, but the appearance is outweighed by its usefullness. My daughter as I am myself, is looking forward to trying it out. There's room for luggage along with being able to transport (in safelt via two seatbelts) two children. So Sophie and a friend can sit in there whilst dad peddles like the wind to the destination....ha ha

We've been doing a bit of gardening too. I moved a tree from the back garden and planted it in the front.....and its now nearly dead. Oops! Still it was a valuable lesson learnt about now moving certain buds etc.

We now have a kitten called Max. He is great. Together with our dog Harry, they have quickly become inseperable. If Harry gets stuck and can't find Max he will look everywhere until he finds him, and then usually curl up beside him. Max (Kitten) has become a permenant squater in the no-longer-used-very-much large dolls house my daughter has in the front room. Whats funny is that Sophie my little one (not so little anymore as she is nearlt 6) has sorted out all the furniture and fitting, and along with removing the movable iserts has created a luxury detached house just for Max. He can curl up anywhere now apart from the loft. The stairs are far too small. Althought Sophie asked if we could make a lift for Max. But logistics and materiels and obvious difficulties aside, I have had to explain why this wouldn't either be a good idea or possible. Cats don't know how to press buttons (or could they be taught?) to take themselves up and down to the different floors.

Yesterday, we both went crabbing down on the jetty at Felixstowe ferry. Great fun! We caught in total 11 crabs, various sea weed and an old crabs claw. We hoever lost two fishing weights and nearly lost the fishing net. I managed to rescue it after it slips out of Sophies hands, via the throw ing the fishing line and old cod head bait at it until I caught it and managed to pull it in.
Things have certainly changed down there. I don't recal ever having to wait for a space on the jetty previuously. But yesterday we had to go and use the other side of the water way until someone moved. Its amazing how many people got down there these days from what we were told.

A few days ago, we called on a friend and family from across the way. I had been meaning to visit for a while. Great people and great kids. Sophie had lovely afternoon and it was great to catch up on old times with my friend. What ever nicer is all the children go to her school. So it will mean even more friends for my daughter. She loves the new school and so do I. Everyone so far has been great. I have even bumped into a few old faces from my own school days. It only seem like yesterday when I was at school. And its funny how faces stay pretty much the same. In my case I guess it's just the weights around my middle that gives the game away...he he he he

Recently.. I got hit by a car whilst about to go around a corner on my mountain bike. The old guy was certainly in now fit stage judging from how he looked and sounded when he eventually pulled over to explain. I have a nerve in my right arm at the moment that is causing a bit of a problem. As the car nudged my handle bars, I put my arm out to steddy myself, and the car pushed up again me forcing my arm up. This is what caused the nerve to become damaged.
I called the police straight away having got over the road, and .........

Well. I have a few things to do today, so had better stop writing now and make some breakfast.

Nick