Decent rains at last

I intended to get up late today but I was thwarted by the builders turning off the electricity to move the cable.  Consequently I was so cold I had to get dressed.  My arthritis is really bad as a result of the cold weather so I wasn't the happiest bunny in the world.

The heavy showers that had lulled me to sleep last night continued all day, with sunny periods in between.  Great for the garden but not so much for the builders.  The wooden rafters were pretty slippery but they carried on regardless except when things were really dire and the rain was sheeting down. 

Cutting through the rafters [between showers]

They had another bonfire and I lit a big fire in the house to warm it through a bit.  After 10 days of almost continuous burning, I now find I have slightly more wood than I started with.  It's Hellish.

The micro station hadn't arrived by lunchtime, neither had the empty skip so tempers were a little on the short side.

Getting there!

In the afternoon I attempted to get a hot shower, I managed a tepid one, which turned very hot and finished with a flourish of freezing water.  It's the gas boiler's way of showing who's boss!  But, even so, after a shower and hairwash I felt substantially better.

They started the demolition which was noisy - to be expected - but it did seem to involve a lot of stonework landing on the caravan.  I felt totally under siege, even when they shouted 'Sorry' and I was stressed anyway because I was still trying to decipher the instructions on how to put the brushcutter together.  It wasn't a linguistic problem, the instructions were in English.  I just couldn't understand the sodding pictures.  I think I've managed it now.

At the end of the day

Thank God the weather turned bad and they gave it up around 4.30 and went home, still without micro station and the skip.

Both of these last 2 photos were taken from inside the caravan - too damn wet to venture outside!

A long lonely evening beckoned so I decided to get to grips with all my websites on French gardens, no-dig gardens, lasagne gardens, irrigation, ecological pools etc etc.  It needed doing and it was helped along with a drop of French finest and some hot soup.  I only gave up when the cold threatened to send my arthritis to unacceptable levels of pain. 

Sleep was prevented most of the night by the rain pounding on the roof.  I keep telling myself that it's good for the garden.  I really could not have forseen a retirement like this!!