I am so tired I am not sure I can write this......

The morning didn't live up to the forecast, although it was quite pleasant. I felt quite optimistic [you know it's going to go wrong at this point].  I was up and doing things in the garden early.  Thought I'd better have another bonfire, haven't had one for days.  Got it going well and lobbed a few trees on it.  Jeremy was in his JCB - the new pecker has stopped working!  Darren passed by on his way to another job because there's not much he can do until the holes are dug.  I moved a lot of debris, watered the plants that are still waiting to be planted and then carried on moving rubbish around and generally tidying up.  

About 11.30 I went back into the caravan and realised we had no power.  I tracked the power cable and realised that the cable had been pulled out of the socket. Unfortunately, that was the final straw for the socket but I managed to find another one.

Once the power was reconnected, I was having major problems connecting with the internet and couldn't find the password so I tried to phone Chris but couldn't get through. I texted and in the end he managed to get through to my cell phone but reception is so shite here that we couldn't hear each other.  I did what I always do in times of stress I went to see Kevin and Judith and ask their advice.  Jeremy had gone to lunch by this time so I had to throw water over the fire to put it out [luckily we do seem to have plenty of water], I had to shower and went to their house to ask their advice but everything seemed all right there.  I went to our local town Ste Foy la Grande with a view to having something decent for lunch. Got some fruit and veg inside me for once.  I was in a better reception area and had a chat with Chris and then with Kate.  I tried to get through to Darren but couldn't.  Chris suggested that I check to see whether Jeremy had cut the telephone line as well.  Good idea I thought. 

It's very pretty for something that's 750 years old!

I made the most of the, now, summery weather 24C and took some photos of the town and the river then headed home around 2.30.  

The River was in full flow

Jeremy still wasn't back from lunch so I had a look at the telephone line and, lo and behold, it was snapped clean through.  OK so now I know what the problem is but don't know how to get it repaired.  Back to Kevin and Judith's to use their internet connection and Chris suggests that I ask Patrick the plumber/electrician.  He said he'd come and have a look.   I was pretty frazzled by now but things seemed to be working out so I was quite upbeat when I got home to be told that Jeremy had gone through the water main!  The hole for the micro station was now looking like a reasonably small and rather manky swimming pool.  Oh God!  Jeremy phoned the Town Hall [I don't know why, that's apparently what you do in times of crisis here] and we waited for an  hour or so for someone to turn up.  I lit another bonfire, out of habit and did some more clearing up. 

In the meantime Patrick turned up, sorted out the electricity and the phone line and when the water workers arrived, he got stuck in with them.

Lots of men deciding what to do.

  The pecker man arrived with the third pecker of the week.  A bigger one, isn't it funny how men alwas think bigger will be better.  I left them all to it and went to see Mme B to explain why she didn't have any water.  She was fine about it.  Patrick left without being paid.  I'm sure he'll be back some time.  I asked Jeremy to cover the telephone line with wood.  He said yes but he hasn't done it yet.  I asked him to replace the soil pipes so that I can flush the loo and he said he would do it tomorrow when everything has been tidied up.  I know that I should have insisted but I was too tired so still no loo in the caravan.  

The combination of some hard physical work and  the stress of everything has left me totally exhausted.  I dragged myself around the house to lock up, made a meal of cold ham and tomatoes [yuk!] and then I emailed Darren "Taken to drink!  Knock gently on caravan tomorrow morning." 

I had to wait for the fire to die down enough before I could go to bed.  But then the circus started playing music at around 10pm and I've lost all my earplugs...............