Too hot for much

We’re in the midst of heat wave number 2 (well, it’s promised it will finish tomorrow – we’ll see). Also, Environment Agency has declared drought conditions in this area. This is an area that floods each autumn into winter. Or at least it has for as long as I’ve lived here.

You can see what the dog thinks he should be doing.

I also found him this great frozen chicken water (ie, a chicken pop sickle but in a tub – see below) at the farm shop. He gets to lick that many times during the day.

The only thing I’ve been spraying on the past few days is the Agrumi di Sicilia I got for the last heat wave. It definitely does the trick.

We may see thunderstorms from Monday. Please, please. But gently, as the ground is so dry at this point heavy ran would just run off and cause flooding.

Anyway, my son is working on his plans to go to NYC next month. As our visits when my father was alive were fairly constrained in terms of tourist stuff, he’s planning a lot of that (eg, Liberty Island and the 911 Memorial) plus a nostalgia day in Park Slope, Brooklyn, where my Dad lived.

I was thinking about what I might want him to bring back for me (the last time I was in NYC was 2018 for estate stuff) and had one of those a ha moments (don’t get too excited). Every time I smell the fruit bowl in the kitchen full of peaches and nectarines I think that’s wonderful and I need something with that smell.

And then Bond No 9 Chinatown popped into my head. It’s the only Bond I like (of the few I’ve smelled – and it seems an anomaly anyway given its weirdness, and the only extraordinary thing Bond released). Wowser. Perfect. I’ve wanted a bottle for ages.

But.

Then I looked at prices in the US, and then prices here. Which put paid to that desire, sadly. 1) It’s more expensive in the 50ml in NY than it is here and 2) the pricing is outrageous. Like seriously ridiculous for 50ml of juice. Totally can’t be justified – even as a combined birthday and holiday self gift.

So, sadly, that went out the window – ie, a bottle. But then it occurred to me that maybe Surrender to Chance would have it. But, no, no Bonds at all. So, I’ll look here for decants and have returned to my original idea, which was a small Statue of Liberty statuette.

In any case, I am very excited for him and if you have any ideas for what he might do or where he might eat suggest away, please.

The plan is he goes for 10 days, arriving back the day before I go up to London for three days (trip, as ever, arranged around an appointment) so the dog is looked after.

And as to that, I’m staying at a friend’s house with her kids (who are both lovely – she’s away) not that I’ll be there much except to sleep.

The day I travel up I plan to do Covent Garden (ie, central London things). The following day is the appointment and life revolves around that (ie, getting myself into central London early for breakfast so I can be anxious close to lot of different transport to get to appointment location). After appointment plan is to go to a museum to try and calm myself down before dinner with a friend I haven’t seen in almost three years. Friday is an early visit with another friend I haven’t seen in years (thank you, Covid) and lunch with another who I haven’t seen in ages before taking myself somewhere for a couple of hours before train back home.

So, in any case, what should I smell when I’m up-country? Liberty is probably where I’ll end up. I thought about Harrods, but Liberty is nicer and more central. Its stock is mostly well-known niche (eg, Malle, Le Labo, Comme de Garçons, Byredo), but also some more esoteric stuff (eg, something called Ellis Brooklyn).

I’m looking forward to seeing people, train travel, and having a mooch around London.

(pics: lizard pexels; others me)