STICK INSECT UNDER A CAROB TREE: DIDN'T SEE IT TILL IT MOVED
The blog week had an uncertain start last Friday when I visited the bank to resolve a couple of problems. Its software was blocking a transfer I wanted to make and I couldn't understand why. Also, we needed to query a mysterious debit that had arrived in our account. (We didn't lose any money.) The bank couldn't resolve the transfer problem. It thought my card might have been hacked and suggested I cancel it and get another.
Saturday morning Slavic and I worked on our latest path, a link that will complete the network around the park. I reckon we've two more day's work to complete the section. Bobby and Mello took a keen and determined interest in our labours, leaving a row of paw prints in the virgin mixture that Slavic later patched. The work in the heat was demanding (albeit rather more for Slavic than for me). After lunch, as usual, I collapsed into my recliner in the study.
Mid afternoon I woke to a terrific shower that was pounding off the patio. Although we were a bit concerned for several tubs of collected carobs standing under the trees, the rain was most welcome - the first shower of the season. By the time it was over, 15 mm registered in the rain gauge. The garden could scarcely believe its luck. Nor could we. (More rain is forecast for this coming weekend.) It was the first day in months that we didn't swim or water the garden.
DRYING PALLY
We asked our farmer neighbour to collect the carobs the same evening so that he could spread them out to dry under cover. Although rain doesn't hurt carobs, they go mouldy if stored wet. He wasn't at all displeased, pointing out that the moisture would fatten up the beans, which are sold by weight.
PICKING UP CAROBS
The same morning I discovered a(nother) captive rat in one of our traps, number 9 if I remember correctly. Ratty was far from philosophical about being so confined. I left the beastie in the shade under a bush while we worked, forgetting about him during the shower. So he was one sodden rat when I came to release him although I suspect that he was grateful for the moisture. Whatever the case, he shot off into the undergrowth, none the worse for wear.
Sunday I started walking in the mato (veld) again, although only a few hundred metres to the head-banger tree (a low branch overhangs the path) that overlooks the southern hills. There I await Barbara and the beasts who are completing the 2km circuit. The dogs have got to know that a treat awaits them there and come panting up the hill to collect it.
Although I've been taking the them around the park each afternoon, I haven't tackled anything more demanding until now that my left leg is back in working order. After so much sitting around I find my legs unwilling to climb slopes; in fact, just generally unwilling. Getting reasonably fit again is a priority. Jones, as ever, scampers around like a rabbit.
THE DELL
Sunday after meeting friends for coffee at the Leroy Merlin snack bar, we purchased a table and three chairs from the store to go under the trees in the newly-constructed dell. When I came to assemble the table - just a matter of pressing the legs into slots - I discovered that one of the plastic legs had a damaged base.
So Monday we returned to the store to ask for a replacement leg. This the store was happy to give us with a minimum of fuss. What we still need to do in the interests of mutual privacy is to plant a couple of bushes down at the fence that separates our property from our neighbour's.
CAROBBEAN LABOURS
Tuesday we picked more carobs. Jonesy wants to be finished before we go on holiday to Madeira this coming week (train to Lisbon and flight to Funchal). Not only are there still plenty of carobs to be collected from trees we haven't got to, there's a steady trickle down from the branches of trees we've already picked.
Wednesday we dropped in on our heating and cooling specialists, Termocelsius. I showed them a picture of our pool and asked how we could warm up the water sufficiently to continue swimming into the autumn. They were not optimistic. There wasn't enough sun for solar panels to work efficiently in winter and our little circulation pump wouldn't cope with a heat exchanger; never mind that either system would cost more than the pool itself.
Thursday we watched the doves through the living room window, scrapping over the seed in the bird feeder. Sparrows and magpies share their food around the table but doves don't. They're mean. Cock of the hoop takes all. We also continued our preparations for our coming holiday. Our house sitter, Ian, is due on Tuesday evening. We leave on Wednesday. No blog next week. Back in October.
MOONSHINE
