Those summer days...

This summer has whizzed by. It's been a largely solo affair with M tied up with a case for six intense weeks. I've done hundreds and hundreds of miles to and from week day cricket matches and between us we must have done thousands.

J has played so much cricket that he's on his third pair of cricket shoes! You can see how he's getting into the 'touring' habit with his home comforts. He plugs some music in and he's asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow, both going to a match and coming home. I wish I could do the same, but I guess playing 45 over matches entitles you to a little nap.

It wouldn't be British not to mention the weather. You can see from the photo that this was one match viewed from inside the car. It's not uncomfortable. M tends to spend matches inside the scoring hut so I place my lunch on the drivers seat, my flask in between, my book in that little cubby hole you can see top right, and my crochet, or knitting is usually in progress. I'm as happy as a pig in clover. I don't have to worry about cool breezes, spitting rain, bugs, people talking to me without me realising... I do sometimes have to worry about leather balls flying towards the windscreen but, touch wood, so far so good. I crochet while the match is on and I read my book when they are warming up, warming down or having tea. It's a routine that works very well. If it's not too miserable I also walk round the boundary.

My one complaint is when a clubhouse has just one toilet for two entire teams, coaches, managers, assorted spectators, groundsmen and people running the food and drink side of things. This is particularly problematic when it's boys cricket, and out of the 24 boys present it's often the way that 23 of them will pee on the floor near, but not quite in, the toilet. I'm usually quite a modest person but on this occasion, let me tell you, I taught both of my children not to pee on the floor!

One of the nicest parts of the day is driving home, after the match analysis has been done (talking about dropped catches, misfields, good wickets, cheeky runs, whether the tea was good or not etc) is daydreaming out of the car window. I often wonder what I'd be doing if I wasn't trekking around the country watching my children play cricket, and most of the time I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing, except maybe doing it in style with a nifty little campervan!