Slow starters

We went over to the farm again today.

We have been looking forward to getting on with things very much, it is hugely frustrating to have to waste our lives doing dull things like going to work. If only we could win the lottery then we would have lots of free time to get the camper van fixed.

We hadn’t won the lottery, probably because of not having bought a ticket again, but today was a clear day to spend at the farm anyway.

It was another day of gorgeous sunshine, and the birds were singing as if they were auditioning to be extras in a Disney film. The dogs were very happy to be reunited after their weekend of absence and charged about tumbling over one another and barking for ages.

Mark was tidying up the workshop and I was cooking.

Over the last few months the workshop has degenerated into an unspeakable mess. We have not only got two oversized camper vans but also a car which is the spitting image of my car. Mark harvests bits from this whenever something goes wrong with mine. Mine is due for an MOT next week so it is expecting another assault in the next few days.

Apart from the camper vans and the diminished car and the spare engine and back axle we have got hanging about, there are all of our bicycles and a spare couple for the same purpose as the extra car. There is a pile of bits purchased for the camper van restoration but not yet installed, and another pile of bits which have been torn out and hurled out of the door. There are off cuts of everything, boards and carpets and aluminium and pipes, none of which can quite be thrown away yet in case we might just need them.

On top of all of this lot, actually on top of it in a lot of instances, are piles of spanners and screwdrivers and drills and saws and sanders and a host of other stuff.

We can never find anything. I spent ages the other day hunting for the Stanley knife, which eventually materialised on the camper van roof.

We needed to tidy up.

In fact most of it still needs tidying up, because although we made a start on everything, after not very long at all we were visited by my friend Kate, who had been down at the lake with the chap who is her boyfriend, in a relaxed informal sort of way.

They had been taking photographs and drawing pictures and feeling pleased with themselves, and so called around to see us on their way home.

This was very pleasant indeed but not at all like sorting out scrap metal.

It was much more like drinking coffee and eating biscuits than it was like stacking spare timber and moving the engine to the side a bit.

It made for a gentle start to the week anyway.

Fortunately there is always tomorrow.

We are going to get the engine out this week.