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Very eventful day starting with more time in the garden with Della, continuing with a fine Sunday lunch on our best china shared with Daniel and his two lucky friends before they embarked on a cruise upon Daniel’s boat Aquabean whilst I met Marilyn to talk about the history of The Haylings and then hear news of the official French government confession for the Greenpeace ship sinking and of the acute and widespread chaos and casualties caused by the Mexican earthquakes; the worst tale of which was the 700 crushed as a seven storey hospital collapses
A slow start, but presently to a fine fried breakfast in our Sunday tradition. I had weighed myself yesterday and found my weight under 13 ½ stone and so, provided I can avoid too many snack meals, I should stay thus lighter. Then to wash my hair, shave and dress so as to go out to make a start to the day. A warm and sunny morning at the start of what turned out to be a beautiful day. Diana’s mum phoned from Bar Hill to say that they had arrived back from Menorca last Friday and had found the high temperatures rather more suited to sitting and swimming rather than working. Daniella came out with me again to feed the doves and she really seems to enjoy my company these days. Later she watched me working and also joined in a game of arrow-chase with Debbie and a friend.
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The morning in the garden with Daniella and then with Daniel and Debbie to Cambridge via The Little Chef for a family lunch and there to see Hi-Fi and computer shops and to visit the reference library for garden design and have a chance meeting with former TI colleague Robin Woods as second and third earthquakes hit Mexico City with 10,000 plus dead
We slept well and then awoke to morning tea. Breakfast of toast and fruit juice and then to embark upon a mammoth reading session, coping with the last few days cascade of computer journals and plenty more national reading besides. By 8.30am I had enough and so got washed, shaved and dressed and went out to feed the doves. I took Daniella, who padded round with me and then joined me in a bit of gardening. As I finished planting the last three clematis plants and the pink potentilla out front, she played with my tools, walked round and sometimes sat at my feet, until I was finished. Eventually Diana came to find her and put her to bed and then we had some morning coffee. A very breezy day that started cool, but ended quite cloudy and mild.
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To Bedford on a day that started misty but warmed up later and to the Peacock auction to no avail before again to Willington for plants before more time on riverside plot clearance and bonfires as well and more tussling with moles as I carry on studying the history of the Haylings and we hear of the thousands killed in the Mexican Earthquake, as many by the following 20ft tidal wave as the very shocks themselves
A fair night’s sleep, but awoken once or twice by a restless Daniella. Down to breakfast and then to read the paper a little slowly. A rush to shower, shave and dress before out to the doves and ducks. Only two eggs again, but the stray pigeon is getting daily tamer, but not yet ready to be caught and its owner contacted! When all set, out with Diana and Della to Bedford, where they went shopping and I viewed the Peacock auction. Nothing of interest, but I dropped into a hardware shop on the way to meet Diana for lunch and bought a new gutter end-piece that I had been wanting for some time, a new garden water tap that will hopefully take the hose fitting and two hose junction fittings – 22mm in brass – which I hope will both connect together the riverside garden water hoses underground and allow a branch pipe as well.
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More work on my Hayling View plan and then time with Bill Clark completing our purchase of his plot and hearing more of Little Paxton’s history as thousands are feared dead in a Richter Scale 8 Mexican earthquake that hit today
Awake a little early, but unable to persuade Diana to get up to make the morning drinks until her usual time. Then the morning paper and breakfast until the family had left. Quickly washed, showered and dressed and then out to the doves, who feed hungrily. Then to the ducks, but only 2 eggs, which is a disappointment. Then to the office where I clear up the papers from yesterday’s efforts and pass over the numerous envelopes to Diana to post. Morning coffee and I help Pete assemble my new hose reel, which is a right monkey puzzle! Later this morning I start the task of mapping out the part of ‘The Hayling View’ plan that shows the back garden and need to go outside a few times to check some measurements. Although the day started cloudy with misty rain in the air, it became quite sunny and warm later on, although the barometer was dropping rapidly.