Today, I headed of to Lanciole with the strimmer,leaving Helen working away in the office with Reggie for company. It is now fully into strimming season and the grass waits for no man, so with a full jerry can and strimmer I arrived at the house to find it locked up despite the key holder having told me that the guys laying the new parquet in the bedroom had the key. I was sure they did, but they weren't here yet - what to do? Wait until they arrive? Go home? Or climb the gates? Climb the gates it was! I found a place low enough on the fencing to drop my gear over and then scaled the 7ft gates finding my youth again!
 |
| 7ft of gates to scale. I've still got it! |
After the initial excitement it was strimming all day long - six hours of it and something of a shock to the system. The back pack straps chafed, my clothes were soaked with sweat, and I fell over twice. On the plus side, Helen's gaiters, which I'd borrowed, were a revelation: not a single blade of grass reached the inside of my boots today - they are definitely a keeper (if she'll let me!). I also enjoyed my not-quite-Heinz-but-it'll-do baked beans for my lunch.
 |
| Baked beans and a beautiful view. |
On the way home, I spotted an old washing machine that had been abandoned at the bins near to Alex and Donatella's house. I'd spotted it on the drive up, but once absorbed in my strimming I'd completely forgotten about it. On passing it on the way back though, I just about had the presence of mind left to make a quick stop to investigate. I tried to remove the drum using the odd selection of tools at my disposal but couldn't, so there was nothing else for it but to remove one of the heavy in-built blocks of concrete and then throw the whole machine in the boot.
When I arrived home, Helen had just finished office work for the day and was heading out with the hedge trimmers. At the sight if the washing machine, she could muster no words but just pointed, open mouthed. I think that she was worried I'd lost my mind and started bringing rubbish to the house instead of disposing of it! I reminded her of my plan to use a washing machine drum as an outdoor fire pit, after which she headed off to do a little work while I fetched more tools. Half an hour later, I had the drum out - who'd be a white goods repair man!? Honestly!
 |
| Clapped out old washing machine? |
 |
| No, it's a fire pit in the making... |
With what was left of the washing machine loaded back into the car for the return trip to the bins in the morning, it was time to retire to the patio with a beer. The next step in the fire pit project (putting legs on the drum) will have to wait for another day. Shortly afterwards, I was joined by Helen, who had cut away an unsightly lump of greenery from near the guest patio that my strimmer wouldn't touch yesterday - it's all looking rather tidy down there now!
We've decided we've fallen into British mode all of a sudden now that spring is in full flow and the weather in the 20's, meaning that we are reluctant to go indoors of an evening while the sky is clear and the sun still warm, thinking that it might not return again for weeks. It will, of course, but old habits and mindsets are proving hard to shake. Needless to say, it was 7pm before we started watering the veg and plants and almost 7.30pm before we came indoors to start the blog and dinner. If last year is anything to go by and we continue to sit outside (especially if we have the additional warmth of a fire pit), the TV won't get much of a look in now until October!
No comments:
Post a Comment