The Systems Administrator tracked down the source of the mysterious clattering sound from the lettuce farm, and found that they had started excavating the extra reservoirs. That's quite good, better than if it was due to some new method of cultivation, since once the reservoirs are dug the noise will stop. We try to remember that the countryside is someone else's work place, and not to get too irritated by the comings and goings of the lettuce lorries, and evenings when the Lithuanians are still driving fork lifts around the yard at gone eight while we're sitting out on the verandah, but it's still a relief to find that the latest noise is only temporary.
Days of gallivanting around art galleries and gardens, and time spent in my own garden, have caught up with me, and apart from a couple of hours spent visiting a friend, today was devoted to cleaning and tidying. My definition of tidying the hall extended to repotting the Meyer's lemon on the hall table, and glueing a couple of broken flower pots back together which had been sitting on the hall floor for ages, but apart from that it was bona fide washing and wiping, once I'd watered the greenhouse, and potted up a couple of evening primrose seedlings given to me by my friend. She has a pale lemon version with narrower leaves than my bright yellow one, very pretty. They wilted rather pathetically after being pulled out of her gravel, but all I could do was water them in, put a plastic cover over them, and hope for the best. If they don't survive I'll beg a seed pod in the autumn.
I really can't think of anything amusing to say about cleaning. I don't like it, but it has to be done. The SA has promised to vacuum the sitting room tomorrow morning. It was getting rather hairy and unpleasant anyway, and tomorrow afternoon a sales rep from Kent Blaxill is coming to measure up and quote for a replacement window. This is going to be eye-watering expensive, since the double glazing unit which takes up most of one wall in the sitting room has failed. The seal went back in the winter, and the interior has been getting foggier and foggier. We left it until summer to do anything about it, because installing a new one essentially entails removing one entire wall of the sitting room, and we couldn't face that in the winter. The thought of how much it was going to cost may also have had something to do with it, subconsciously, but we can't live with a giant fogged-up window for ever.
We checked in the show room with someone who went and double-checked with the manager, and the building regulations do allow us to have toughened plate glass if we want to, rather than replacement double glazing. I was afraid that in this brave new energy-efficient world where I am no longer allowed to buy light bulbs that I can see by, I would be forced to have more double glazing. I think that a unit that size is pushing the technical limits for double glazing, and we can't afford to keep replacing the window every decade. The salesman said we'd done well to get ten years out of it, since they only guarantee units for five. He warned us that plate glass would push up our heating bills, but I don't think the amount we'd save sticking with a sealed unit would add up to anywhere near the capital cost of replacing another failed window. The SA asked hopefully if we could get any credit on the glass from the existing window, but the answer was No.
The baby robins are growing, and look more recognisably bird-like. As I was watering and potting, I almost collided with an adult trying to come in to the greenhouse just as I was going out. It swerved off, and I felt guilty that I was preventing it from feeding its young, but I think it nipped in while I was filling up the watering can. The starlings don't seem to be going for a second brood in the roof, which is a shame. The broody hen has given up brooding at last, which is a relief. Her comb was looking very pallid and unhealthy, and it will be much better for her to come out and get fresh air and exercise with the other hens. Though they didn't get a run tonight, because there were showers, and anyway the SA was glued to the cricket.
No comments:
Post a Comment