Tuesday: Unexpected heavy rain kept me awake last night so it was a bit of a late start and I wasn't as dynamic as yesterday. Dashed off to buy some gas for the flame thrower, food and some more wasp killer [because yesterday's didn't work] and rushed home to meet up with the plumber. He's coming back on Friday to install an external tap as the well has dried up for the time being.......
Afterwards, I had to do some more chores so I decided to have some lunch out, which meant that I would double the number of people that I spoke to today, The afternoon was spent laying out the area where Darren is due to build steps on Thursday, rearranging the edging stones and killing as many weeds as possible. I got a little stone trapped in the flame thrower handle which ensured that once the super hot jet was on, I couldn't turn it off. I had to put it on the lawn, run to the gas bottle and switch off the gas supply there. Only a small part of the lawn was burnt irretrievably!
By the time I had killed all unwanted weeds [whose descendents will appear within a week] it was time to tackle the wasps again. This time I was braver and stood on a chair about 2 metres away from the nest. I still ran like the clappers once I had sprayed.
Wednesday: Couldn't sleep properly and was watching the sun come up when a mega thunderstorm erupted. It was very dramatic so I stayed in bed to watch it all. I tried to listen to Today on the radio but it was drowned out by the rain crashing down on the caravan. I wasn't tempted to get up at all but felt guilty by 9am when the rain had definitely stopped. The weather was cooler, high 20s, with a light breeze so I had no excuse not to work outside. So I attempted to move some earth for the steps to be built tomorrow. After an hour I gave that up and did some some gardening. Darren came around to discuss the path and steps, which gave me the chance to stand up straight and stop aching for half an hour. The rest of the day was moving stones, covering 30 metres of hedging with wood chips and handweeding. Didn't even have time to go shopping. I finished at 5 but was too knackered to shower and change and go to buy food. Dinner was tinned vegetables. Then a bit of cheese later, then some quite stale savoury biscuits, well actually a whole box of out-of-date biscuits. 501 calories. I know that because I spent AGES reading the package. All washed down with a bottle of rosé. I really must get a life.
Thursday: A chilly night and rain first thing. Wasps seem to have survived my attempts to kill them. The weather improved enough for Darren to come and start the side path while I went to Veolia to try and get a certificate for the microstation. No one there! Went back in the afternoon and phoned but no luck. I didn't do very much in the garden, just couldn't get motivated for some reason.
Friday: The day got off to a chilly start but I managed to get myself into the garden before 9 in order to do more weedkilling and stone moving. Temperatures soon rose and I gave up the hard labour, The plumber came and installed an external tap, to be used if the recuperated water runs out. The well water has risen again but the pump had given up. So he had a look at it, shook it and, hey presto, it worked.
One of the dogs at the Poney Club has had puppies and I saw them today, was sorely tempted to kidnap one but that would mean staying here for ever and I miss South Africa.
Darren was meant to return with the template for the steps but he hadn't finished it so emailed to say he'd be there later. He then phoned to say he'd got car trouble and would be even later but he never got here. However I went to a restaurant for lunch and then spent a thrilling afternoon comparing the price of grass seed. The evening passed in a frenzy of extricating burrs from my socks. Exciting stuff, this retirement. I just didn't think it would be so rural.
I think it's time to go home.............
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