29.10.2026 Life threatening!

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  Thursday 29th 48F/9C [9.20] Wall to wall sunshine and lighter winds. Peaking at 13.5C/56F.

 Up at 8.20 after a fairly quiet night. I have been chatting with my minder for ages. The heat pump is getting too excited. 24C/75F is too hot for me. I am sweating!

 I'll have a shower and then go for a walk. Or not. It's a bit late now. I'll just fetch the recycling bin from the end of the drive instead. 

 Therapy at 11.00.  

 12.15 Another fine day of solid sunshine. Back from my exercise class. I tried to fit in every machine available. Pushing myself again. With enough series and repetitions. To cause real pain and make my timetable look good. 

 I washed up the usual backlog. It only took me half an hour. It saved me having to rinse every piece of crockery and cutlery I needed. As I went along. Just to have to something to use.   

 I have just risked life and limb to walk along the drive. Carrying a heavy DeWalt hedge clipper. For almost a year the occupants of the houses on our shared drive have taken our lives in our hands. Every time we attempted to pull out of the drive onto the busy road in our cars. 

 All thanks to the dangerously overgrown hedge of yet another abandoned "investment" property. Under the completely false guise of "property investment." But really just an evil ruse. For yet another attempt at blatant blackmail. Where the "investor" buys a dilapidated old house for [very] small change at forced auction. He then deliberately fills the garden, or grounds, with absolute junk. And damages the house beyond all hope of further repair. 

 So that the whole becomes a hideous blight on the landscape. To the absolute horror of those still living nearby. Whom, are now, completely unable to sell their homes. Not even for pocket change. There is no escape! 

 The entire farce is not so subtly designed. So that somebody [anybody] will offer the "property investor" ten times the price he paid at auction. For what is now an absolute, worthless wreck. So that the "investor" will simply go away. So that the property can then be summarily demolished and the garden cleared. To put everybody out of their misery. Of the last, many, intolerable years. And counting. 

 The perfect economic crime! The council won't do anything. The right is on the side of the "property investor." So, that those who work around the clock to pay their mortgages. Paid handsomely to have their own properties maintained and improved. Not to mention paying the generous salaries of the council officers, via their rates. The occupants who surround the "investment property" are utterly screwed! The same pattern is repeated across several villages and hamlets. All caused by the same "property investor." He has cost numerous residents an absolute fortune. 

 Meanwhile, back at the hovel: Thanks to the projecting hedge. It was impossible to see the fast approaching traffic. Now, finally, we can see them. Even if they cannot see us. As we hesitantly emerge from an apparently solid hedge. On a sharp, completely blind bend. 

 I was completely breathless before I even reached the road. Equally so on the way back. Somehow I dodged the speeding traffic. Though I had donned an old, high-viz jacket. In anticipation of potential phone abusers.

 Dinner proved to be almost as dangerous. As remote hedge trimming. I aimed for poached eggs and was completely successful. They emerged from their hot bath in a perfection of form and viscosity. Even if I say so myself. 

 The true harm only arose. When I sandwiched this wonderful pair, of true culinary pearls, in toasted rolls. Then settled into my armchair to watch Netflix. Only moments later I was to discover the magical ability of egg yolk. To cling to moustaches, beards, jumpers and cargo trousers. In no particular order. Except by descent under the effects of local gravity. Now I will always wonder if the use of a knife and fork. Would have avoided the splatter radius.

 

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