P finished the fence yesterday and was very pleased with himself. He deserved his steak and half bottle of Merlot last night.
I went for a two hour walk this morning with my friend and when I returned home he was already hard at work down by the gate at the bottom of the drive. He has today moved a huge pile of soil and riddled it for stones, which he plans to use for a car parking hard standing area down there.
He is non-stop, just like the Energizer Bunny in those TV ads.
Yesterday afternoon as I was cleaning all the oak tree catkins that daily cover the car and patio at the front of the house, two women strolled up the drive with a small dog. I went to greet them and ask if I could help. They said they just wanted to have a look around the Memorial Garden. I very politely advised them that it is only open on Sundays, as it says on the sign at the gate, so they turned around and went back. This is the third or fourth time this has happened. People either genuinely don't notice the sign or just assume that they can wander in at will. It does make me feel slightly uncomfortable as this is our home and, although we are very happy to have visitors to the Garden on Sundays, I wish that they would respect our privacy on other days. One of the minor irritations of living here I suppose and something we shall need to get accustomed to in time.
After a misty, damp start today it has turned into a warm and bright afternoon.
P is still working out in the garden but I am now getting ready for my G&T before popping the "stinky" chicken in the oven (this is the chicken that our friends left for us in the porch last week. I took it out of the freezer yesterday and now our fridge smells quite pungently of garlic).
Off to try to buy some bread tomorrow. I have been told that the Co-Op bakery shelves have been bare the past couple of days so we are hoping the local artisan bakery has been hard at work using our local Manx grown flour.
I've laid in a goodly stock of bread flour, as I usually make my own. Did this when the Ukraine war kicked off.
ReplyDeleteI think you had better have a bigger sign! A shame that people turn up unannounced on the wrong days.
Glad to hear that your husband is working so hard. I am cracking on with the garden this year - I did lots of planting last year and that has paid off. Now I am clearing areas and replanting (today was the boring entire BED of Euphorbias. Roses instead and I will get some pretty plants which will flower through the year.
That sounds like a lot of work but should look very pretty afterwards.
DeleteOur roses have just started to open. I hope they do well for us.
I am not sure I would want strangers wandering all over my property. Was it a condition of the sale that you had to allow it even if just on a Sunday?
ReplyDeleteYes, there is a covenant on the property that was set when the church was deconsecrated. Any owners are required to allow public access to the Memorial Garden on Sundays between 10-3 pm.
DeleteMy house-before-last used to have visitors interested in the religious history. Built around 1660, one part had been used to hold the early services of what became the Baptist movement in Wales. The meetings were illegal at the time, and so were held in secret. Our largest 'group' of visitors was a coach of children from the Sunday School of a local chapel! No one ever called unannounced though.
ReplyDeleteSharing the history of the house you live in can be very rewarding. But, as you say, those experiences are best if they are not random, unannounced, just wander in visits.
DeleteWhat happened to the other half of the bottle of merlot?
ReplyDeleteHe is saving that for sausage night.
DeleteIs there some kind of shortage of flour?
ReplyDeleteI am hearing stories of a shortage of wheat elsewhere but our locally grown supplies are fine. The supermarket here brings in bread from the UK so may be having supply problems.
DeleteYes, I thought "bigger sign needed" too. Or P will have to build more fences and gates! Good luck with the bread hunt!
ReplyDeleteWe may have to get a new sign.
DeleteI would put up a bigger sign. Maybe use an exclamation mark. If that doesn't work, add more exclamation marks.
ReplyDeleteThe more the merrier!!!!
DeleteA lock on the gate from Monday to Saturday, then on Sundays leave it open. Maybe that'll do the trick.
ReplyDeleteWe are thinking razor wire and a guard tower, perhaps the odd landmine or two.
Delete"Stinky chicken". You have invented the name for a new meal.
ReplyDeleteSounds inviting doesn't it.
DeleteNo flour shortage here yet but we have stocked up just in case. Won't help in the long run. I can imagine if there is a shortage it will last a very long time
ReplyDeleteHope you found local bread and enjoyed the chicken
Just back with four loaves of the local artisan bakery bread. Not much UK bread on the shelves though.
DeleteIt would be easy to trap the intruders in a trench, lightly covered with sticks and leaves.
ReplyDeletePerhaps a couple of hungry lions roaming free...
DeleteMemorial gardens are for remembering. Being mauled by lions is something you would never forget.
DeleteWe would lock them up on Sundays .
DeleteOne could be called Halfway and the other Dancing ( after the halfway lion in football and American lion dancing.)
DeleteI could commission an artist to produce their portraits but where do you draw the lion?
DeleteLove the smell and taste of garlic, so stinky chicken sounds great!
ReplyDeleteIt was very tasty.
DeleteIt could just be people don't 'see' the notices. At Barnardo's where I volunteer we had several large signs in the window saying our card machine was out of order and it was cash only; this went on for 6 months and you wouldn't believe the amount of people who didn't even notice there were signs! Some people got quite miffed but we are lucky in that with a Sainsbury's Local next door there is also a cash machine literally yards from the door of the shop...
ReplyDeletexxx
It's very frustrating.
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