Shopping no deal

My sister June ordered a pair of capacious rain trousers for me which were delivered yesterday, just the right length and girth. Spurred on by this, I walked to town this afternoon along the Taff, to shop for a new raincoat. I caught sight of an elegant cormorant perched on a rock in the river, keeping vigil, and got one good photo. Cormorants look waterproof, but unlike other aquatic birds, after diving for fish, they must stand with wings outspread to dry them. It's lovely to see a colony of them doing this at the same time.

I find it hard to find clothes of the right size which are also long enough. I'm fed up of outdoor coats which don't cover the hem of my jacket, and leave me with wet fringes, unless I wear rain trousers. More often than not, in uncertain weather, if I'm wearing a waterproof top coat, I won't bother to carry trousers as well, or if I am carrying them, it's quite an exercise to put them on when it suddenly starts raining. I'd love a rain jacket that reaches my knees. Getting the lower trouser legs wet is far less of a chilling annoyance than getting one's thighs wet. I hunted in three different stores, and the only garment available of the right length was a very expensive Barbour raincoat. Rather heavy to wear in summer, and not available off the peg in my size.

Heavens! Do I have to spend hours trawling internet retail sites? I avoid doing this at all costs. I'm no fan of staying in to wait for deliveries either. I don't see how this is really convenient, especially if a garment is the wrong size or specification and has to be returned, entailing a wait in a Post Office queue to be attended to. I shop for clothes only when it's strictly necessary to buy something, perhaps once or twice a year in a real store. I shop for electronic kit just as rarely, although I often take a look at new devices and discount offers, which there always are if you wait six months or more.

Clare had a school AGM early evening, so once I'd eaten supper, I settled down to watch episodes of 'Helen Dorn' and 'Non Uccidere' one after the other, to compare the German and Italian take on female detectives. The Italian is series is stylish, the German series is described in the publicity as 'gritty'. The Italian detective has Mama issues, the German detective has Papa issues. The Italian woman seems to be single and living in the extended family house but having an affair with her boss, the German woman seems to be separated, couch surfing at Dad's, but in neither series do we yet have the full back story.

What you have time for when you have nothing better to do in an evening! It's better than being glued to the current national crisis news.