On again, off again

Since Monday morning, our internet has been on, then off, then on again, then off again - with the 'off' periods far outlasting the very brief 'on' periods. As a result, we haven't been able to update the blog (every time we've gone to do it, the internet has flickered off again). Having an interrupted internet service really brings home just how much we rely on the internet and what a huge effect it has on our everyday lives. I rely on it for my work, we both rely on it for gathering information, for translating letters, working out how to say certain things for which we lack the vocabulary, for researching dog training, for watching the odd bit of UK TV, but perhaps most importantly (other than the obvious economic importance of using it for work), we rely on it very heavily to maintain contact with the outside world - to send messages back and forth with friends and family back in the UK. Not being able to communicate easily with the outside world is not only like having your right arm cut off but can have an emotional impact as well as a practical one.

Anyway, since we are currently in an internet-ON phase (for who knows how long!), here is a very quick round-up of the last two days.

Stuart spent most of the day on Monday working - in between rain showers - on finishing the fencing outside and constructing a stair gate for the bottom of the stairs. Reggie has shown increasing interest in trotting upstairs to find out where we go when we climb them and, since the bedroom is out of bounds for him (we like to keep it as another 'safe' place for Lucca and Florence), it was becoming clear that we would need to take some action to nip his upstair investigations in the bud.

The fencing looks great, and while a stair gate is perhaps not the 'look' we were going for in our living room, it's actually very good too:

We had a brief visit from Sue mid-morning - who wanted to be introduced to Reggie. Reggie barked his little head off at her when she arrived, and at first cowered away from her and sought sanctuary on Stuart's lap, but as Sue sat quietly next to him, he gradually came round and by the time she left he was happily licking her hand.

With winter on its way (there's no denying it now it's December), Stuart wrapped up the more sensitive of our pot plants to keep them safe from frosts. They look like rather odd early Christmas presents:

We thought we were in for an almighty storm on Monday evening - the sky looked like it was about to fall in, but after a little rain, some strong gusts of wind and a few flashes of lightning, it passed over - thankfully!

We did manage to take Reggie out for a short walk in Pescia on Monday evening (once we were sure that Armageddon wasn't actually going to happen). We were surprised when we arrived in town to see it all lit up with beautiful Christmas lights - of course, it was 1st December!

The photo doesn't do it justice, but hopefully we'll get some better pictures before Christmas:

So that was a round up of Monday.

Tuesday was similarly uneventful (and less photogenic). Between taking Reggie outside for play time, toilet time and walks, and fixing broken printer cables and battling against flaky internet connections, Stuart managed a shopping trip to buy a new extension cable, some much needed new door mats (more important than ever now we have muddy-four-paws coming in and out twenty times a day), a new outdoor security light and various other bits and pieces. He also started work on exercise area/outdoor work area version 5.0 and started moving a few things from the wood shed to the former rubbish shed. I went for my weekly Italian lesson in the evening - going solo this week, as Sue is away for a week - and we had a quiet evening.

So there you have it. Apologies for the very brief and belated nature of this post. Hopefully normal service will resume from now on!

I will leave you with the rather splendid mushrooms growing on the tree stumps in Goose Island: