We got up especially early this morning, and I mean really early, we were out of bed by quarter to nine.
This was because we had got lots of things to do before we went to work, like washing and bathing dogs and tidying things up, and we resolved that we would achieve absolutely everything on the list and be at work by three o’ clock.
The day took an unexpected turn when we were emptying the dogs and Mark discovered that the Council were felling a large tree in the Library gardens.
We were very sad to see this, because it was a beautiful ancient birch, but it was rotten in the centre and clearly had every intention of one day collapsing on somebody’s head.
Never one to miss an opportunity, Mark went across to ask the tree surgeons what they were doing with the wood, and they kindly said that he could take a couple of loads, so in the end he occupied almost all of his day hauling and splitting logs, which almost turned into the sort of domestic that you get when two people disagree about whether a person with a chainsaw ought to carry on making a huge sawdusty mess when another person wants to hang sheets on the washing line. This was resolved in any case when the chainsaw ran out of petrol and he couldn’t be bothered to trail over to the farm for any more.
My own day was hugely hampered by a note being shoved through the door by the Water Board, telling me that they were going to dig a hole in the road outside Number 27, and would have to turn our water off all morning.
I was not at all pleased about this, especially since I had got up early to get the washing done, and couldn’t start the washing machine at all if the water was all going to go off. I filled both kettles and a jug just in case, and felt cross, because although I was guaranteed a cup of coffee or water for the washing up, of course that wasn’t at all useful when it came to the washing machine or bathing the dogs.
When ten o’ clock came and the water still had not gone off I started to feel irritated, and went out of the front door to try and find out what was going on.
There were three men having a picnic in a hole in the middle of the road.
I explained that I wanted to wash my sheets.
They looked a bit blank, and I said that I wanted to know when the water would be on, and they said that it wasn’t off, and looked at me as if I was mental.
I said that I knew that, but I didn’t want to start off a load of washing and then have some people in high vis jackets finish their puddings and then suddenly turn my water off halfway through the rinse cycle.
They hummed and hawed a bit at that, and asked how long my washing would take, and I looked as middle class as I could and said it would be three hours, because of being a boil wash for white cottons.
Eventually they reluctantly promised that they would not turn my water off until I had got everything pegged safely on the line, which satisfied everybody. I tootled off happily to fill the washing machine with sheets and napkins and handkerchiefs, and they turned their attention back to their picnic.
I was very pleased to have got my washing done, although I have got to acknowledge that even having started the day practically in the middle of the night we still didn’t manage to get to work for three o’ clock, although we were close, it was only half past.
In any case I didn’t in the least mind being at work because I have set myself the task of mastering my knitting tonight, which is turning out to be a completely absorbing pastime.
I am on my third attempt now, having unraveled it and started again twice due to incomprehensible knitting difficulties, but I think I might be on the road to success now. Mark got in and watched for a while, but had to get out again because his laughing was putting me off, I am sure he was making it up about having my tongue sticking out.
Knitting is very complicated indeed when you have only got one long bendy needle to do it with, but I am determined that I am going to have a beautiful hat in the end.
It is going to keep me busy for ages.
The picture shown Mark in the middle of his logging activities in his camouflage overalls which he bought because they were exceptionally cheap, and his new not-cutting-your-legs-off chainsaw trousers. They must work because he hasn’t cut anything off at all, although he did some complaining about a splinter in his finger.
