The worst day so far.

It got off to a bad start as several very heavy showers during the night prevented me getting a decent night's sleep.  I was fed up as I waited for the dumper driver [due 8.30, arrived 7.20 and didn't come to get his money].  I tried preparing the 40 metre bed but the ground is so wet it's like clay.  I had to give up as my boots were too heavy to walk in.  So I glooped and sloshed my way back to the caravan, very despondent.

The dumper driver brought another skip, which we hadn't asked for and I washed my wellies and got water in them.

By 9am I was ready to crawl back into bed. Thought I'd try looking on the bright side.

The good things in my life:
1. the caravan is waterproof and windproof.
2. this can't go on forever.
3. Beth's doing well
Oh well, that didn't take long.

When Darren and Stuart turned up, the weather was diabolical again so they came in the caravan for a cuppa.  Things are always better when there's someone to chat to.  But unfortunately it looks like they're going to have to desert the job as the site is pretty much unworkable, particularly as Darren has to re-lay the cement terrace once the micro station is in place.  The 15-day weather forecast is, basically, rain and more rain with some showers and a few storms.

I braved the temperamental shower and did feel a lot better after a good clean up.  Headed out to the hypermarket to stock up and to the bank to stock up!  At midday in Ste Foy la Grande it was 7degrees.  That's not even a daytime temperature unless you're in an Arctic region. Maybe that's it.  Perhaps I'm in the wrong country.  I went for lunch at the usual restaurant, where I was greeted as an old friend and he enquired after Chris's whereabouts and wished me Bon Courage as I left.

But we did have half an hour's sunshine later when I ran out and took these photos of the terrace being dismantled.

It will eventually run the whole length of the front of the house, but only 1 metre wide.

One day, this will be half my kitchen

The demolition is practically complete and tidied up, despite the appalling conditions.  They have worked really hard and Darren has often worked late in the evening but the weather has made it really difficult for them.

A brief burst of sunlight in the early evening meant that I could go out and shovel organic manure into the raised beds, oh bliss... not!!

This one's for Chris showing the area where the
pine, bramble and pyracantha [which he hated] have been removed

My hands are all blistered, my toenails are falling off, everything aches.  I want to go home.