Today we celebrate two family birthdays, Tobin is twelve and my daughter-in-law is, actually I have no idea, except that it is late thirties. Tobin is somewhat miffed that he is not having a party and some presents are arriving late because they all have to be ordered on line.
Patrick’s battle with the moles has reached epic proportions, with his traps deployed all over the place, but sadly for him the moles just stick two fingers up.
Mole facts:
They sleep for four hours and work for four hours.
They are solitary souls and on an acre you probably only have two.
At the end of their tunnel is their bedroom and birthing room.
They have a kitchen in which they keep a store of worms as they eat about twenty a day.
Smell and touch are excellent, but not their eyesight or hearing.
THEY CAN DIG THIRTY-TWO FEET OF TUNNEL IN AN HOUR.
We had a social distancing visit from our friend Roger today so that we could exchange prototype hand gels. Roger produced ‘Roger’s Patent Hand Sanitizer’ – contents: 80% isopropanol, 20% glycerine. For treatment of viruses, bacteria, greenfly, nits, unbelievers, ingrowing toenails and squeaky hinges. No guarantee, specific or implied.’ This label alone sounded somewhat dodgy so I am spending a week testing it.
A sad demise in the household last night. My favourite linen sheet, well patched, over washed and much loved has died from too much love. When we moved into Patrick’s parents’ house, seventeen years ago, I discovered a trunk in the loft full of his grandparents’ bed linen, real linen. It was quite well worn then but I felt that I had won the lottery it was so beautiful, but slowly over the years the attrition rate has grown and now there are only four sheets left. They just do not make bedlinen of that quality any more.
A very good friend of ours, with whom we walk on Exmoor on Mondays sent us an excellent Ordnance Survey quiz. It will keep you and the offspring occupied for hours. Even has the answers!!
Overheard during Patrick’s Zoom Rotary meeting last evening: “Gary – can you turn Debbie on?” What DO they get up to in Rotary?”
Choir news now. Jenny asked me if I had slow worms in our compost heap and the answer is ‘no’, but we do have Sammy the grass snake, in fact she is really a Sally because every year she lays her eggs in little sacs just like bubble wrap and then a little later sheds her skin. Yearly she returns and yearly she grows and must be about four foot now. When we first saw her we had no idea what kind of snake she was and the only book (days before google) we could find was the Ladybird book of wildlife; what would we do without all those little Ladybird books? Gardens are developing and Nicky’s gang have been making veg labels using stones and paint and they looked wonderful. I suppose they will be on your craft store next year Nicky. Maria and Laila have been cooking and Maggi has been busy doing a church video for the children and you can catch up with that on facebook.
I am off to put my feet up after a very nice supper provided by my daughter, which was eaten on the landing while social distancing. I tried to put Jo’s monologue on coronavirus here, but I could not copy it across. Jane B on duty tomorrow.
Sarah
Comments