Highdown, DH's birthday nad dilemma cont'd

I took Merlin up to Highdown this morning, and took my camera. It was quite a murky morning, not sunny at all although quite warm and humid. Here are some of the photos I took.

This is from the 'middle' walk back to the car, looking up at the ring on top of highdown, which was once a medieval fort. I walk round it every time I go up there, and marvel at the sense of history. The grass is really long now, and absolutely full of wild flowers. This is a scabious I think, and look, it's got a bee on it!
This is just the most fab picture of Merlin. It has really captured his lovely expression. I've altered the colour and brightness a bit hope I haven't made it too green! He had a wonderful time this morning running through the long grass. He is always so exhuberent, it is hard to feel down when you are with him!







There are quite a lot of orchids in the long grass, but they are beginning to go over now.



















Today is DH's birthday. He is 51, born the day after Mum and Dad got married! He doesn't really 'do' birthdays, which is a shame, because my family like doing birthdays! One of the many little differences between our families. His mum has however, given him a cheque for £50. (She won't do that for me, or the children!!) I bought him the DVD of The Long Way Round, because we didn't see the tv series, although we both read the book. One thing DH decided to do a few years agao was to buy the children an 'unbirthday' present on his birthday because they are both December birthdays. They have planned for this 'unbirthday' present for months before usually!! This year, DD has had so much she isn't getting a specific present, but DS (and me) would like a new laptop, so we have been campaigning for it for a few weeks! DH is not keen to spend that much money and would rather buy DS something not connected to computers. I'd love a new laptop so I can have it downstairs or out in the summerhouse! We felt we did make a little headway yesterday when we went out for lunch and got DD to back us up as to how useless the old laptop is!! We'll see, watch this space!

The Volleyball dilemma continues - DB and SIL came round yesterday, and want Lucy to go so that we can take thier DD up to Oxford where the vb training is. They go away on the Thursday, so we've said their DD can stay with us until the weekend, and that we'll get her to the airport on the Monday. Our DD is feeling very pressurised now, her cousin really wants her to go so that she has got someone to go with, and is pleading with her quite passionately!! I feel a bit annoyed that they are pressurising my DD so much. (There is always a bit of tesion between me and DB anyway!!). The cousins have vb training at school tonight, so they will be able to talk some more. I've told DD not to make up her mind completely yet, sleep on it for another couple of nights. I'm very tempted to say to DB that we will take his DD to Oxford whether Lucy goes or not - it takes the pressure off Lucy, and enables them to organise the flight for Monday etc.

On a much more happy note - I have booked Merlin in to kennels for a couple of nights while Lucy is in France, and DS is away, and just me and DH are going away for 2 nights. Don't know where yet, probably b&b, devon dorset way on the mototrbike.