Categories: uncategorized
Date: 10 August 2007 22:23:59
I was contemplating a seriously early night today, considering that my poor weak body is crying out for mercy after a somewhat strenuous, though productive, day. But to my amazement we can actually hear the fireworks celebrating the end of Cowes Week, so I think it'll be a short while longer before I retire to my bed... though actually, thinking about it, I'd probably sleep through anything!
The day started bright and early. The trouble with encouraging Tiddles to work at the stables is that he'll often inform me that he has to be there by 8. He's old enough to get himself up, dressed and fed, but sadly he has to be taken there and signed in by a parent (and not just any old parent), so muggins has been up with the lark all this week and looks to face the same ordeal next week too. So I was rather proud of myself when, at 8.35am, there was a line-full of washing waving merrily in the sun to greet the neighbours.
The morning was spent sorting out the clean washing from our trip to France (Did I mention we'd been to France this year?), packing away the things which Tiddles will need for school next year (i.e. ensuring the underwear that's already labelled does not get lost amongst the unlabelled knickers and socks as I can't stand the thought of sewing on another 24 nametags!) and packing a bag with the things Smudgelet needs for his week away so that we can test whether he can manage the bag unaided. Then the big morning task began.
As Dad's bungalow finally welcomes its new owner-occupier on Tuesday, much of his furniture is going to have to be stored in my garage and, more to the point, in my bungalow. I have a small extension on the end of my lounge and this is to be used to store a bed upon which I will sleep while my bedroom is redesignated as a storage area for three months until our new extension is built. This little extension (my sleeping-area-to-be) is rather prone to.... shudder woodlice and spiders, so I decided to spend my morning depopulating it. Oh bliss, oh joy... especially the need to be brave and fearless in front of the Smudgelet. I don't have any problem with woodlice, and have overcome my fear of spiders almost completely, but I really don't like rehoming them and certainly detest the task of destroying their egg sacs... to say nothing of my calm and placid reaction when one accidentally dropped down the sleeve of my t-shirt!!!
I cleaned all the windows (and there are plenty) inside and out and evicted at least thirty spiders (no exaggeration) but was really pleased with the results. I'd take a photo to show you only a) my camera's not working and b) it's dark.
Having collected Tiddles from the stables at lunchtime, we cleaned the patio and patio furniture and sat out to enjoy our lunch together. Then work began in earnest. We dispatched Smudgelet to construct a new rail network on the computer (he's worse than no help when he's helping, so today I gave up the fight and simply kept him out of the way). Then Tiddles and I donned long sleeved tops, thick trousers, heavy shoes and reinforced gloves - guaranteed in-built sauna effects in the weather we had this afternoon - and tackled the deforestation of the area where the extension is going. Thorns of all shapes, sizes and denominations, but with an unerring homing instinct for any less-protected area of flesh. Weeds to pull, ivy to untangle, rosemary to inhale while breaking off at its rather brittle and elderly stem, blackberries to pick, spiders to avoid (I made the mistake of telling Tiddles about the poisonous spiders that have started appearing on the Island, the False Black Widows), crickets to observe, frogs to watch, snails to lob over the hedge in neighbourly fashion, and prickle after prickle after prickle to cut into tiny pieces. Tiddles worked like a trojan for half an hour before losing interest - then I don't know whether I worked harder for the next hour and a half on clearing the ground, trying to get Tiddles to resume his former level of effort, or struggling to remain patient ! But eventually we reached a point at which we can stop and leave the rest for another day.
Finally this evening was a barbecue at Scouts for a group of Japanese scouts visiting for the jamboree. I'd intended to drop Tiddles and run, but we were invited to stay as the occasion was to be exploited for Tiddles' being invested. I couldn't miss that. So I ate burnt beefburgers, drank warm coke, inhaled copious amounts of campfire-smoke, failed to find anywhere to sit, and had a rather lovely time, all told. So my boy is now an Explorer Scout and, to my amazement, Smudgelet will soon be moving up to take his place in Scouts.