Bees, birds and bread.

Thanks for all the suggestions about proving the dough when I make bread. Steve won't eat soda bread, I like the hot water suggestion but I don't have hot water on tap and I'd have to boil the kettle so many times to fill the sink and I don't have an electric kettle. I will try Athene's suggestion of leaving it overnight.

I belong to some FB boating groups and I get quite envious when people write about cooking with an airfryer or Ninja, I think many of them live full time in a marina with an electric hook up. I don't have any sockets in the galley, so no toaster kettle or microwave for us. Because of where we are moored we are currently walking a couple of miles most days to top up with water and empty our black water.

My daughter took me food shopping yesterday so I'm no longer having to count eggs or bread to make the food stretch. I also managed to buy shoes to wear to the wedding, £10 from Sainsbury's.

They are grey and will go with the dress I'm wearing.

Janf, I'm very grateful for all the support from my readers.

I have three troughs of flowers, French marigolds and pansies, and herbs on the roof of the boat they are swarming with bees.

Yesterday at 5am we were woken by a crow, it was walking along the gunwhales and banging on the window. Beano was not impressed and barked but the crow carried on. It walked from window to window, cawing and banging.

It visited again this morning but at the slightly more acceptable time of 7:30. It walked along the length of the boat, across the prow and along the other side, it was here for about an hour and a half. At 3:30 this afternoon it returned and again stayed about an hour.

I know that crows are believed to be messengers but they aren't birds of ill omen. We also have a large flock of Greylag geese nearby.