Cooking to Dylan

Wake at five, after a restless night, the winter duvet is too warm yet, so retrieve the summer one from the airing cupboard and then sleep on until eight. It is still spitting with rain when I get up and persuade Norman to toddle into the garden, but he soon comes back in once he smells the sausages cooking. The last of the giant eggs deliver two double yolkers, so we both breakfast well, before we make our way to Cherry. The Pennines and North Yorkshire have been hit hard by the Gales and there is extensive flooding, here it's just soggy and boggy. After collecting the other two dogs, we park on Newbold Road and make our way into the woods. The cows have taken shelter there again and are gathered in groups of two or three under the trees. Norman was once almost trampled by them when he was a puppy and gives them a wide berth, Teddy on the other hand believes these are his woods and barks to shift them out of his way. We are sheltered in the woods from the strong winds, which have now veered to the Southwest. The rain fortunately has eased off for a while and the sky is beginning to brighten slightly in the distance. I swap Dolly and Teddy over on the lead and we make our way to Black Mill, the miserable weather means that only determined dog walkers are on the common. As we make our way downhill from the Mill back towards the car, I notice a large flock of starlings settling on the fairway, but when I get closer, I can see that they are swallows. There must be over a thousand of them, they have not yet migrated, but look to be getting ready to do so. We drive back to Cherry via Walkington Manor farm shop, where I buy some more eggs. Unfortunately all the giant ones are gone. After dropping Dolly and Teddy off, we drive back to Tickton, where I dry Normy on his towel and give him some dry food and water, before making my way to the pool. I am poolside by a quarter to twelve, it's quiet and I have the luxury of an empty fast lane. I warm up with 400m backstroke, as usual, but I can feel the muscles down the side of my body beginning to strengthen, and this enables me to get greater shoulder rotation and consequently a longer pull. My stroke count per length drops from seventeen to sixteen, a minor triumph! Encouraged by this I resume butterfly practice, 400m broken into 8 x 50m repeats. After swimming under water for five body pulses, I complete three full strokes without breathing to establish my rhythm and then switch to single stroke breathing for the rest of the first length. On the return I repeat the process, but just complete two strokes without breathing for rhythm, before adopting single stroke breathing for the rest of the length. The improvement in muscular strength is also apparent on butterfly, the muscles that count, are the core muscles of the back and abdomen, these drive the body pulses, that are the key to good stroke. Each complete stroke has two body pulses, the first helps flick the arms out to the sides as they complete the pull phase of the stroke, the second pulse drives the arms forward and to the sides, ready for the pull stroke. Today the extra strength means I am able to drive the arms out on the second pulse with more power. This means that my rhythm and breathing are easier and I am able to keep low in the water. Essential on the fly, and especially when breathing every stroke. I follow the fly with 400's on freestyle and breaststroke and then warm down with an easy 4 x 100m IM. Today was a good day, but I must be careful not to overdo it and put my body under too much stress too soon. The golden rule is never to increase distance or intensity by more than ten percent from one week to the next. I have a tea in the cafe and then drive back to Tickton for lunch. The Parmagiana is even better cold than it was hot, so I finish it off with some Ryvita and a glass of Tempranillo. Norman cleans the dish for me, while I make some strong black Italian coffee, which I take into the garden room and drink whilst doing one of my puzzles. Normy tells me it's his tea time at a quarter to five, so I give him his tin, but can't take him out yet as it has started to rain heavily. I meditate for an hour and feel refreshed afterwards, it's still raining but not as heavy, so I don my stockmans coat and a hat and then walk Norman down to the bridge. The rain has almost filled the drain and is only a foot below us. Norman is let off his lead and we play "praise and pat" all the way home. His towel has been drying on the radiator and he is soon rubbed dry and wriggles on his back afterwards in appreciation. It is seven o'clock when we get back and I decide to make some oaties, the first since my return from holiday, but first I put Bob Dylan's "Modern Times", on my iPad. While the oaties are cooking, I deseed the peppers I bought in Aldi last week and put them in an oven dish on silver foil and then peel a load of fresh vegetables to go in the slow cooker to help make a lamb casserole. The oaties come out nicely browned and the peppers follow them into the hot oven, The Dylan Album has finished, but I am in that kind of mood, so put on Bryan Ferry's album "Dylanesque", then fry a couple of chump chops in garlic butter and olive oil, with some chopped onions. When the meat has browned and the onions softened, I add a couple of oxo's and a little water and then pour the lot over the vegetables in the slow cooker. I will leave it on overnight and it should be ready for dinner tomorrow. After washing up, make a pot of tea and take it into the Garden Room with a few oaties and then do a couple of puzzles until bedtime. To bed about a quarter to twelve.