12.07.2023 Lay those slabs! Again!

 ~o~

 Wednesday 12th 15C/61F Dark grey, heavy overcast and raining. The worst of the weather is supposed to have passed over by now. Cloudburst warning until 10am. Then some rain around lunch time. Up at 5.45 after dredging up more memories from the bottomless pit of despair.

 I shall have an early walk to check on the earthworks. Then head for the museum in the car. 

 7.30 Returned from my walk. Still a very dark overcast. Fortunately the rain stayed away for the duration. 

 The excavator driver is forming a channel in the imported subsoil. Presumably to contain the demolition rubble. To stop it rolling off the raised platform and contaminating the original, marshy field. 

 Thanks to the firmer surface, I was able to walk down the new drive to find the drainage stream. It now disappears into a large, black, corrugated, plastic pipe. Given the recent rain I must assume the pipe has the necessary capacity to safely channel the stream away. 

 Years ago the field used to flood regularly. This was probably due to a lack of maintenance of the banks of the stream. Plant material would block the flow and cover the perforated, domed, drain cover after rain. 

 The place name of the hamlet refers to a pond which no longer exists in any size worth noting. Though the marsh part of the name is still relevant. My wife did her best to add the oaks also referred to in the name. She loved long leafed, fastigiate red oaks. Fastigiate means narrow or columnar growth.

 14.30 21C/71F. Having driven to the museum it rained at times. I started off by wheelbarrowing loads of weeds to the compost heaps. Then bringing sand to an excavation. A short interlude followed making up beds for the original farm workers. As part of a display in a small room within the barn. It was commonplace for farm workers to sleep near the animals they tended.

 Then I moved onto laying more of the large and heavy, concrete slabs. Returning after lunch to lay even more slabs. I shopped on the way home. Then had a well earned nap. My back and shoulders are now reminding me of a hard day at the office! 

 Dinner was a salad with tuna but no potatoes. I am rediscovering flavour. Free of the disguise of salad cream.

~o~

11.07.2023 Nothing to see here.

 ~o~

 Tuesday 11th 67F [8.00am]  Lots of cloud but quite bright and very breezy from the SE. More weird, surrealistic dreams. Completely fictitious neighbourhood, houses, details and people. 

61,000, mostly older people, died in European heatwaves last year. Yet the advertising bureau/news media talks endlessly about the deaths of single "personalities." As if this was a huge tragedy for mankind. Presumably the 61,000 deaths did not contain one, single pop "star" or elderly film star? Otherwise they would not sell any advertising. 

 The elderly are easily expendable. Since it reduces the heavy burden on the health services and pensions. They provide little or no productivity or taxable income. The savings will be added to the trillions supporting oil production and exploration. Mass euthanasia without the headlines. Without the constant battles through the courts over every, single, assisted suicide. A license to print money. Except for the lawyers.

  Just a short walk to take a few more snaps of the earthworks. Steady progress is being made despite the recent, heavy rain. Demolition rubble is now being brought in by the huge lorries. They may want a firmer, drier, top surface. Without the problems associated with sticky mud. Caused by the rain on the vast quantities of subsoil imported so far. 

 I rode into the village for some vital shopping. Only 10km. I was in no hurry. So put the bike in Sport mode and tootled effortlessly along at 80rpm.  No problem passing manual cyclists at twice their speed. The high street was full of dust from cars and lorries driving over sand. Put down prior to road resurfacing.

 I need to go to a post office to hand in a letter. The forecast shows potential thundery showers. With my area on the southern tip of the rain on the radar. It is getting quite windy. Suggesting a shower might be imminent. Tomorrow's weather looks dire again. Cloudbursts and thunder! I'd better go to the museum in the car.

 16.30 26C/79F. Another ride to the next village after the nearest. 22km. It was a headwind going. Tailwind coming back. Sport mode going. Tour mode coming back. Turbo mode on the long drag up from the bottom of the village. I looked in the charity shop and rode home again.  Though I did post my letter. In the nearest village. What a silly person!

 Dinner was poached eggs on toast. One yolk was broken in the egg.

~o~

10.07.2023 Thunder and cloudbursts.

 ~o~

Monday 10th 64F. Dark grey overcast and occasionally breezy. Rain, with possible, thundery cloudbursts this morning until after lunch. I have had the opposing windows slightly ajar overnight. In the hope of dragging down the temperatures upstairs. 27C/80F last night. 24C/76F this morning. 

 It took quite a while to get to sleep. The usual circular memories about my wife. Then I remember having vivid dreams. Which were utterly trivial and meaningless. Bed at 12.30. Up at 6.15. I shall be dozing or napping again. 

 The laundry situation just got much worse. I should do the laundry when it is sunny. Not escape from reality on my e-bike. Oh, wait. I don't like reality! Never did.

 10.10 Still no walk because of the rain. A cloudburst, thunder and nearby flashes of lightning with much louder thunder after ten minutes. It looks, judging from the DMI radar, as if it will continue until well after 12.00. 

 13.30 Still heavily overcast. It has rained more or less heavily all morning. Carbuncle Pond's water level has risen considerably. Though it has gained nothing in beauty. If it overflows we may get a TV presenter to stand in front of it and wave its arms about. AI robot style. 

 The sun came out mid afternoon. So I had to open the greenhouse doors to avoid overheating.

 22.00 15C/61F. I had to use up the chicken and mushrooms. So went with chips and the rest of the Heinz beans. I washed up while it was cooking. I could say I did it all with one hand but I'd be lying. A lazy day, doing little else than sitting at the computer. Or watching TV this evening. I can now answer questions on missing Egyptian pyramids and AI warfare.

~o~