Ann had a rare day off work today. Since it is raining, all three of us are inside. After the heat wave of the past couple of weeks, the gentle mist that is descending and the lower temperatures are a blessing. Even the magpies seem more cheerful and birds of all sizes and colours are about.

Ann is a good cook and this morning she made a Chinese dish which has been spiced up in the usual Thai manner. There are chicken and mushrooms in a kind of broth(Tom Ka), a thin soup, cucumbers and a spicy red paste. Of course there is also rice, the mainstay of any Asian table. Delicious and filling!