Colonials

 We had a gentle start to the day. I was up at my usual time, but Diane, thinking it was Monday, got up earlier than she would have otherwise. We had breakfast and then prepared to go a-calling.

Michael and Emily had invited us to their wedding in Portugal a few years back. Unfortunately, we were unable to go as it coincided with Diane's heart surgery. They arrived in the UK this morning (from home in Connecticut), and it was our opportunity to meet them and their daughter. Jane and Trevor were hosting them, and we were invited to lunch.

We had a good run to Wokingham, which included a brief comfort stop near Camberley (just as the heavens opened). We arrived soon after midday and were greeted by Jane and Emily. It was so nice to finally meet her. Mark and Lel were also there, and we all stood and chatted until Michael and Trevor joined us. 

Their daughter, Eloise, was asleep when we first arrived, but she woke up after a while. She was an absolute joy. Despite all of the noisy adults and the attention, she remained happy and alert. She reminded me of Ellie in that way.

As usual, Jane presented us with a wonderful lunch, which we all tucked into and demolished the lot. After lunch, we settled in the lounge so that Mark could play with the trains using the excuse that it was to amuse Eloise.

Mid-afternoon, except for Jane, Diane and me, they went for a walk between the showers. The idea was to allow Eloise to play on the slide in the local playpark. They did manage to catch a shower but didn't get too wet.

Michael, Emily, and Eloise are off to Rye tomorrow to stay with Emily's dad.

We set off for home at about 18:30, and had a wonderful run through, getting home by 20:00.

We'll be seeing Jane and Trevor again in a couple of weeks for our next river cruise.