It Is Diana's Day Off,

today Thursday, so I will only be making one post,

as we will be out for the day as soon as I post this, back to Wednesday, I was out to visit Duncan,

a bit of a grey drizzly day,

the good news the bus was early, as I speed past the entrance to the park,

and Peter Pan's Pool,

a few Canadian geese had made the pool their home for today,

as well as a heron,

the bee gardens looking decidedly sparse as they still suffered from lack of water,

and the the rain started,

a change of drivers at Catford,

and a incident at a later bus stop,

as the bus entered Lewisham it came to a complete stop, 

which gave me time to photograph the flowers over The Watch House pub,

and the market, literally 10 minutes later the bus had just about past the market,

it was a bus jam!

time ticked by as I looked at the market,

there were so many buses,

at the next set of traffic lights just one or two could pass at each change,

the number 54 bus, the same number I was on in front, was so held up my bus caught it up,

nearing Blackheath again the traffic came to a complete halt, luckily the bus driver opened the doors so I could walk to the station,

at the florists next to the station,

displays of potted plants,

each side of the door,

including these cyclamen,

in the station bad news, I would like last week have to change at Dartford,

I waited for the 09.31,

and then had to take shelter as the rain started,

arriving at Dartford, more bad news, the train to Gravesend was cancelled, just my luck, especially as I found out that from now on it is a hourly service,

so a look at the pond by the station,

the fountain now working,

the pair of swans,

showing off their family,

and there is my train, the 11.00 to Rainham stopping at Gravesend on the way,

only a 15 minute wait at Gravesend for the bus,

over which the sky was decidedly cloudy,

opposite the bus stop,

the pub had a nice display of hanging fuchsias,

I walked up the hill to the nursing home where Duncan lives,

arriving it was starting to clear up with a few patches of blue sky, 

Duncan was in fine sprits, we chatted away, he told me one of his children has arrived in the UK for a holiday, hopefully she will call in to visit her dad, we chatted away about where Diana and myself had been in the past week, until at 12.55 his lunch arrived, we said our goodbyes, so off to the bus stop for me,

I arrived at 1.05, an hour layer still no sign of a bus,

but it arrived eventually, it was packed as one had been cancelled, I was all set for the 14.58 to Blackheath, the train went via Greenwich,

arriving there, the number 54 bus was just pulling out of the stop, 

so a 14 minute wait, and I would be on my way to Beckenham to pick up some shopping, but it was not to be, driving through Lewisham market the bus hit a parked lorry that was unloading,

resulting in a wing mirror being knocked off, the black spike that is in front of the oncoming bus should have a wing mirror on it, all of the passengers were told out of the bus, so another 15 minute wait for the next one, which was packed, so I had a aisle seat and could not take any photographs,

I eventually arrived at Lidl,

where some nice orchids,

succulents,

 clematis,

and pinks were being offered for sale,

but not a very good selection of cut flowers it has to be said,

on to a 227 for the bus home and a walk past the graveyard,

and church, 

through the green and home, I left at 08.20 this morning, 

and arrived home at 17.30, as they say "let the train take the strain" well not today! use public transport and save the planet? what a laugh with the service I received today,

still home at last for a read and a sherry, "Cheers!',

for tonight a selection of Chinese starters,

along with a Indian and Chinese curry with rice, and I amazed myself by yet again remembering to using a big plate!

eyes down and tuck in, after which the fun began, our BT TV box had stopped working, so a call to BT at 7.30 in the evening, I was taken through a number of switch the box off then on again, followed by switch the BT hub off and on again, all of which I had done before the call, the press the R button on the top of the box when the red light was showing, which as it happens after looking up the problem on the Internet I had already done, then hold on the line as the engineer at the other end ran some tests, then more button pressing, eventually a decision was made, our BT TV box was at fault and a new one will be sent, so hopefully on Friday it will arrive, it only took an hour and a half, what a day! now time to relax with a Endeavour until Diana arrived home, then time for a coffee for Diana and a spiced rum nightcap for myself, after which we were off to bed.