Fly Agaric

On my walk with Xena today I planned to take more autumn photos, so when I came across this perfect little Fly Agaric I could not resist taking it's photo. I had no tripod, so I placed my camera on the ground on a clean doggy poo bag (to keep mud off my camera), and I did not have my reading glasses with me so I focus stacked by randomly moving the focal point around for each shot, hoping it was on the subject! A man came walking by with his dog and saw me crouched down and came up to help me as I think he thought I had fallen - I explained I was taking a photo of the Fly Agaric which he said he had never seen before and he was marvelling at this and very pleased that he had stopped and then seen it.

After my walk I had to wash Xena as is usual in winter when it is muddy, before rushing off to the hairdresser. I had a good two inches cut off my hair today and it looks much better.

Tommy leaves tonight to go to Cambridge to stay with Inca before they go to her parents' home for a few days, and they will then join us in Norfolk next weekend. He has a rotten cold but absolutely refuses to take anything, not even paracetamol.
 
I have not seen Gavin this week, he leaves for work at 6am and has had work functions/dinners on every night this week. He is feeling exhausted as has not had much sleep. Last night he told me about his interesting evening at the Headmasters/Chairs meeting of schools where there was much talk about phasing out GCSE's - some schools are in favour of it but many are not.