End Of An Era

Our Post office closes in two weeks. It is not one of the many thousand rural post offices that have faced the chop from last year's cuts, no, it is just a victim of a change of expensive computer system and a need of the owners Jenny and Mike to conserve their health and happiness a thing which is totally understandable.
I shall miss the post office greatly. It is not as though I am a huge and generous customer (I buy a diet coke, regular stamps and perhaps a bag of crisps daily) but I do feel that the daytime "heart" of the village will be effectively extinguished with its closure.
Post offices and shops are, I think the public daytime face of a village. They provide a public place, where people meet and interact and I am rather saddened that that ours is closing the way of many, many rural businesses have already done

After a rainy start the day has started to brighten up. So much so, that the "Gop" over looking the village looks as though it will be an inviting and pleasant walk.
Leo was awake around 5.30am and pottered around until he had his chosen breakfast of eggy bread and potato cakes.
I turned into an Italian Mamma and shooed everyone out of the kitchen as I prepared a cooked breakfast and sorted out a packed lunch for them all to take to Chester Zoo.
"Howa canna I worka with all of youa arounda!!!!!"
I cooked a cheese sauce to have with pasta later then dutifully waved them all goodbye before collecting a somewhat exhausted group of dogs for their walk.
Leo has finally won Meg over ( with the help of some dog treats) and all three climbed into bed with him this morning after their early morning walk. Last night William sneaked upstairs after we had put Leo to bed and I found him curled up on the end of Leo's duvet, much to the sleepy delight of the little boy.
I suspect Chris' Brother and his wife is going to pestered constantly in buying Leo a puppy!

Badgers are proving themselves to be somewhat of a nuisance overnight, for the second evening running they have knocked over all of the bird feeders and have eaten at least ten pounds worth of layers pellets..........