Letter from Espargal: 12 of 2012

This isn't really a blog - more of a late and hasty record. Jones has been visiting family and friends in the UK, whom I have to thank for these pictures. The first shows her seated with Lucia in Trafalgar Square.

The second was taken at St Martins in the Fields, where she agreed to hold up the sheet music for a member of the orchestra.

And finally you see her pictured with Malcolm on the banks of the Trent, taken during a visit to Newark to visit Malcolm and Gary, friends who hail all the way back to our days at the SABC.

Here in Espargal, the builders have nearly finished paving the tractor entrance to the property. They are not in my best books. I discovered on Friday that they'd backed the tractor into the gate, damaging it. All that was evident was the chipped gatepost for they'd removed the gate to be repaired.

I can't complain about the quality of their work. They do a fine job. Here they are cutting bricks to fit into the uneven gaps along the side. Note the cloud of dust. If they have a fault, it's being blind to everything else around them.

I shall be glad to have the paving finished and the gate replaced, if only so that I can put the pups back in the pen while we're busy elsewhere. Barri got into the house one afternoon and had a wonderful game with the cushions and flowers. Fortunately, the damage looked worse than it was.

Most of my week has gone into domestic chores, mainly garden and animals - including Jonesy's waifs and strays run each afternoon. Our neighbours are remarkably patient about the treats that she hands out to their dogs as well as to the strays. Here you see Lucky awaiting his.

In truth, it hasn't been a great week. I trapped Russ’s paw in the car window while driving. He shrieked. So did Prickles, who was underneath him. I thought they were fighting. Finally figured out the problem and lowered the window. Russ had crapped all over the show in fright. The car looked a mess. I felt bad. Otherwise no harm done.

I made the mistake - should I be relating this? - of taking a prescribed dose of laxative shortly before setting out with the dogs on a walk - puppy on the lead, the rest running free. Never mind!

After dropping Olive off at Faro airport, I made a small high-tech investment that turned out to be a disaster. It's going back to the shop before Jones returns.

My watch (Citizen EcoDrive – I love it) is playing silly buggers and won't change back to summer time.

The wind has scattered leaves everywhere and the forecast morning of rain served up half a millimetre that did nothing but filthy the windows and outside furniture.

As I said, not a great week. You'll understand why the blog's a bit late. I'll probably see the funny side of it in due course.