During August, we went to visit Windsor and surrounding areas of England. Locations included Windsor Castle, Cliveden, Henley and Marlowe, among others.

I visited the Dublin Horse Show. The grandstand has been demolished so that part of the RDS grounds looks very different while building work is in progress. There are several jumping and show rings, and screens up to show the jumping from the main arena too. For attending, I was given a special badge for members at the 150th Dublin Horse Show. This history of the Show was on display. For instance, shows were not held during the World Wars, as cavalry were quartered at the grounds. Originally the showjumping events were for cavalry, but this was soon opened up to civilian men, and soon after, women.

I am working through the oldest books on our shelves to clear out any we don’t want to re-read. Some were given to me by people going through the same process. Really old paperbacks just go to charity shops. Others I can donate to the RDS library book sale. The main incentive for me was to clear space, of course.

This was made urgent by the forthcoming installation of solar panels and a battery. The panels go on the roof, but the battery needed attic space. Cupboards had to be cleared for access for wires and earths. While the sparkies and roofers doing the work were brilliant, friendly and cheerful, and highly efficient, that installation day was a day and a half. We are now using phone apps to check the output. During daylight we are generally powering the house, heating water, charging the battery and sending power to the electricity grid, for which we will receive credits off our bill. During the night we use from our battery first.

My senior friends who are now publishing their own books on Kindle had a second book approved. This one had complications, which we had dealt with through showing Amazon photos of legal agreements etc., so it is just as well I took that course in media law.

We have one older cat at present, and we adopted a new kitten. This is a tabby and white girl kitten, impossibly cute and lively. I drove to the cats’ home and saw the mother and siblings, and where they were living. They were all healthy and enjoyed the run of a garden and shed. Our kitten stayed in my office room for a few days, learning how to use a tray and scratching post, as the older cat hissed. Gradually the kitten started to explore the perimeter. (Yes, that is a Murderbot reference.) As I write, we now have the risk of being ambushed at any time, and kitten toys are strewn around the floors. Oh, this is fun.
To celebrate the Horse Show, I’m making Show Jumping Team free to download, 21 – 24 September. Grab it at:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00NRBAA9A

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NRBAA9A

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www.clareobeara.ie