1st October 2026

 ~?~

  Thursday 1st 54F/12C [7.00] A bright morning is promised. Followed by rain in the afternoon and overnight. Windy again from the east, south-east. 22C/72F in the room with the heat pump remote set to 20C/68F.

 Up at 6am after a fairly quiet night. With weird dreams again. I was stabbed in an unfair sword fight! Probably from watching too many Asian gangster series on Netflix. A ferret just ran across the drive.

 I have a potential overlap between selling my heavy, vintage lathe and exercise therapy. There is some tidying to do if the lathe is to be easily accessed and removed. Mostly lawnmowers and other electric gardening tools. 

 I don't want it all standing outside in the pouring rain. In the vague hope of somebody turning up with an army of enthusiastic weight lifters. I could house the overflow temporarily in the shelter of the carport. If I park the Morris alongside. I could treat the tidying as an exercise in itself. It needs to be done. So I can actually get into the shed. Without having to clear a pile of stuff first.

 9.00 I have had to have a rest. Having cleared loads of stuff from the shed. Dragged two full wheelbarrows across the gravel to the carport. Nostalgia is welling up at the sight of my wife's gardening tools. Most of which I was prohibited from using. I was either "clearing the Amazon" or unable to follow direct orders.  

 I've been having a chat with my minder while I cooled off. Meanwhile the "gardeners" at the house on the road. Are beating a tin shed to death with sledge hammers. Prior occupants built scruffy sheds. No doubt they are now having a proper clearance.

 It's odd to hear anything from that direction. This house is not far away but the view is completely blocked by all the trees. I hope they don't get too ambitious with the tree felling! Though I don't think they own the 30m wide, wooded strip between our boundaries. There is a stream there and the intervening ground is very wet. With mature trees forming a shelter belt between us. Which helps to block traffic noise.

 There are two houses left. After one was demolished. With their front doors at road level. Built on ground which drops at 45º. So they look like bungalows from the front but have split levels. And probably need ropes and crampons to climb up from their steeply sloping, back gardens.

 

  ~?~