Second Last

Today I made a pot of WW chicken noodle soup (with tomatoes) instead of the chicken bake because I forgot to thaw out the chicken for the bake but remembered to thaw it out for the soup.  So today's soup is the second last recipe of this bout of Investment Cooking.  I've done extra recipes this time so I should have more than a month's meals.  The soup will be for lunch and the chicken salad goes either way (I had some for supper tonight) but the rest of it is strictly for suppers.  Makes life easier and keeps me losing weight. (-32lbs. since last fall, -20lbs. since the COVID lockdown started--tooting my own horn)



More day lilies started blooming today.  These are the ones in the fern bed out the patio doors.






I'm still chugging away on the Log Cabin cloth.  Lately it's about as complicated as I'm up to.  I've got that Hawk's Wing shawl going too but only manage a row or maybe two a day and some days none at all.  I don't know what's up with that.  I'm struggling to write and I'm off my knitting.  Lately I'm best at listening to audiobooks and binge watching The Durrells in Corfu on Amazon Prime.  And cooking, I'm always good at cooking yummy food.





Today is my DD's 39th birthday.  Happy birthday, DD!  She took the day off so I got to chat with her without worrying that I was interrupting her work day.  She's way far away in Kentucky.  I miss her.





13 July--Barbara Malcolm, Tropical Obsession. 

Rooibos got a report from the coroner, Doctor Booi, the next morning that the skin Sergeant Hale and Officer Royal had found on some rocks at the base of the cliff near the entry to Oil Slick Leap dive site was, in fact, Jack Spencer’s skin.  That meant that he had to have been pushed from the cliff top and hit the rocks on his way into the water.

Rooibos and Sergeant Hale drove up to the site where they surmised that Jack had fallen.  Hale had just finished crime scene training and had a brand-new kit to work from.  Rooibos knew that it was possible to park at Witch’s Hut, two dive sites back toward town from there, and walk along a narrow shelf of land, like a rock-strewn beach, from there to Oil Slick Leap.  Having grown up on the island he and his friends had walked there many times. 

“Sergeant Hale,” he said when he had shut off the car, “take your kit and work along the top of the cliff.  See if you can find any sign of someone waiting nearby.” 

Hale nodded, said “Yes, sir,” and took his kit from the back of the car.  He started at one end of the area, carefully parting the sea grape and leaning out to peer down toward the water.  Hale had worked his way halfway toward the parking area when he called out.  “Sir, I think I found something.” 

“What is it?” Rooibos asked. 

Hale was lying on his stomach, stretching an arm down the cliffside.  “There is a ledge here, about six feet below the top, and there are a lot of cigarette butts crushed in a niche at about head height.”

Rooibos walked over to look.  “Could it have been a lovers’ trysting place?”

Hale barked out a short laugh.  “Not likely, sir, it is too narrow, and the rock is too rough.”  He moved forward on his stomach.  “Sir, could you please give me a glove, an evidence bag, and tweezers from my kit?  I can bag the cigarette butts and when we have a suspect the lab can do a saliva match.”

Rooibos opened the lid of the kit and found the items Hale had asked for.  He carried them over and stooped down near Hale’s head.  “Here.”

Hale raised up on his elbow, put the glove on his left hand, and took the tweezers.  “Turn the top of the bag back and hold it open, please, sir.”

Rooibos did as he was asked and in a very short time there were a dozen crushed and sandy cigarette butts sealed in the bag.  “This must be where the murderer waited for Mr. Spencer.  Now all we need is a suspect,” he said. How the murderer lured Jack to the killing place was another matter, one he intended to look into the next day

“Yes, sir,” said Hale.

Today's toss was a couple silicone sheets that never fit any of my baking pans and Durwood's beloved donut maker.  I think he used it once but would never let me get rid of it just in case he decided to make donuts again.  I will never make them so it's out in the donate box.

I had every intention to take a walk after supper tonight but then I forgot about a Zoom meeting I had so supper got pushed back and the walk never happened.  Too bad you don't get credit for good intentions.
--Barbara