After Dropping Diana Off At Work,

and chatting to Steph our next door neighbour a few days ago, 

I took our car here, unfortunately some resin had dropped out of the trees nearby, at certain times of the year they give out a sticky sap, and if left, when on holiday perhaps, it becomes more than difficult to remove, I have tried petrol, cellulose thinner, methylated spirit, white spirit and a branded sap and tar remover, it still stuck fast,

so I went here on our next door neighbour's recommendation, BR3 Hand Car Wash, the result?

unbelievable!

the car apart from when we bought it the car has never looked so good! so if you are in the area and have some sap spots on your car that you and other car wash places can not remove, this is definitely the place go to, it is situated at the top of Westfield Road, where it joins Croydon Road, almost next door to the TESCO Express, they have a solvent that works so well, highly recommended, arriving home I had a lazy day, in the afternoon I watched a film, 

 Immortals, pretty much a almost all action movie, great sets, CGI and cast, after which, 

time for my evening read and sherry,

going into the kitchen I noticed one of the foxes waiting for a few peanuts, 

then time for my meal, a huge tuna salad that Diana had left for me, 'Cheers!', next feet up for a film,

Venom: The Last Dance, if you like the concept of the previous Venom movies you will like this one, all action pretty much, as it happens at times a little too much action, it was difficult to follow, but enjoyable neither the less, then a oldie from,

 The Erik Sykes Collection, great if somewhat dated fun, after which Diana arrived home so one from A Touch of Frost before we were off to bed.

After Dropping Diana Off At Work,

at 04.45 AM

I had a quiet day, just looking at various Internet sites, I never realised there were so many animals in Costa Rica that I would like to meet, in the afternoon I picked Diana up from work, so a coffee and a chat it was until our evening meal, after which it was feet up for 2 from,

A Touch of Frost, we started with the first series, after which Diana was off to bed, for myself a Have I Got A Bit More News For You before I too was off to bed.

After Diana Finished Work,

she meet Kai for a girls afternoon out in London,

first stop shopping, then a bite to eat, 

a afternoon, not cream tea, but a dim sum tea!

at the Dim Sum Library, a walk past the kitchen, 

looking at how they are made, and then to their table, 

treats ordered,

and as the dim sum arrive a selfie of both Diana and Kai,

OK so who is going to start first?

the agony of choice! three layers to choose from, 

it did not take long!

one more of Kai, 

and here is Diana tucking in, crikey all in one! and a chat from Kai in Thai, 

after which they walked to the station and caught a train home, I picked up Diana from Kai's home, for myself for the past couple of days I have been a tad busy, next year, I know a long time away, but to put it in perspective Christmas is only 142 days away! I hope to go to Costa Rica, and hack my way through the jungle in search of poison dart frogs, armed with nothing more than a camera! you can see all of the little critters I will be looking for here, I have learnt so much about them, most importantly, they really are poisonous, so do not eat one! As it happens the poison in the poison dart frogs of Costa Rica is only mildly to moderately toxic to predators, but they are not dangerous or deadly to humans, but some poison dart frogs range from mildly toxic to the most poisonous animals on Earth, capable of causing paralysis or death. Their toxicity depends heavily on species and diet, the toxicity level of the Golden Poison Frog (Phyllobates terribilis), below,

image found at r/natureismetal, is the most toxic vertebrate on Earth, it carries enough batrachotoxin to kill up to 20 or even 20,000 mice and multiple humans, small, pretty, but oh so deadly! which is why I am surprised that someone has it in their hand, as it happens dart frogs that are breed in captivity are not poisonous, but rather like nudibranchs,

like this one I photographed in the Philippines many years ago, that eat food that is poisonous and then use the poison from the creature they ate to defend themselves, the dart frogs do the same by absorbing lipophilic alkaloids from eating wild ants, mites, and tiny beetles, and like the nudibranch advertises they are unpleasant to eat but displaying the most outrageous colours, after all of that and my evening meal I watched a couple more YouTubes about the frogs before picking Diana, arriving home we were just in time for the start of a Midsomer Murder, after which Diana was off to bed, another 05.00AM start for her tomorrow, for myself a Bangers & Cash before I too was off to bed.

A Busy Day,

well not for me,

but it was for Diana who was asked to go into work today as there were staff shortages, and for Harry, who arrived with so much kit,

but first the blind from the kitchen window was taken down, I will make a trip to the dump with both of them as well as the 4 unwanted sash weights,

then work began in earnest, firstly remove the temporary window,

then out with the sanders,

and paint after the top pane was put in place,

it was secured in place and a few touch ups to the original outside window frame,

time to start on the bottom window,

I mentioned he had brought a lot of kit with him, 

this is just a bit of it, 

and of course his trusty hover, after he leaves the area is spotless,

I mentioned a few touches of top up paint, and this is his paint kit, 

bottom window in place,

a final hoovering up,

and then the brightwork is fitted, all nicely polished rather than the countless coast of paint that was on them before, job done and he was done for today, tomorrow he is off on his holiday with his family, a 2 week relax in the sun, so no more window refurbishment for a couple of weeks, during the afternoon Diana returned home, 

after he left time for my sherry and read,

we had the doggie bag of Indian that we had on Friday,

and nice it was too, 'Cheers!', next a Midsomer Murder, which we followed with,

 Johnny English, not to everyone's taste but we found it funny, a comedy based upon an inept James Bond showing how to be a secret agent, not, after which rather surprisingly there was another Midsomer Murder showing so we watched that, then Diana was off to bed, a 04.00AM start for her tomorrow, for myself a Bangers & Cash before I too was off to bed.

Unfortunately Diana Had To Go To Work,

so she missed the street party,

the cul-de-sac was closed,

so tables and chairs were brought out, 

as more residents arrived, 

a gazebo as well as umbrellas,

it was so nice to meet everyone, 

and put faces to the houses we walk past everyday, 

I am not sure how many home owners called by, 

but there were a a lot of them! late in the afternoon I made a move for home,

I dispensed with my normal read and sherry and went straight onto a chicken noodle soup, 'Cheers!', after which it was feet up for a couple of Midsomer Murders back to back, after which Diana arrived home, so a episode of I. Claudius it was before we were both off to bed.