Preparing and painting my antique weather vane in time for mounting on the new chimney stack and trapping the first of Marilyn’s rabbits which have been destroying many of our young plants as Gorbachev is admired for his outgoing and adventurous press conferences and Kinnock, of Labour, surges ahead of the Tories in opinion polls after his party conference
Awake to my morning tea and sat in my chair again drinking it. My back improves a little with each day and I tried doing a few things today and keeping it moving. Down to breakfast and, it being early, washed and dressed before going out to the doves. The builders were working this morning and continued with the new chimney breast and also finished the blockwork for the internals dining room/playroom wall. The doves fed well and I managed to note down the ring number of the stray racing pigeon, a 1985 cock bird. I will try to contact the pigeon associations to try to find the owner. Then to my office meaning to do some work, but there were so many computer journals delivered this morning, and also the Economist, that it took me until 10.30am to read them all. Thirsty for coffee, I returned to the house and, after refreshment, went out to look at my weather vane. Now that the builders are pressing on with the new chimney stack, it has lent urgency to the task of preparing the vane for the honour of its erection. It has been a poor yellow and green colour since it was purchased at auction and I had a mind to paint it blue and silver in line with my coat of arms colours. Diana disagreed and asserted that weather vanes should be black and gold and, after asking a neighbour and the girls, I had to agree. But I insisted on the idea of putting my coat of arms on the ‘flag’ of the pointer – after all I am entitled to an armorial standard!
I set the whole up on the lawn by using the base from our old patio umbrella to secure it and then it was time for us all to go to collect Daniel. We found him at Readwells and went off together to the Happy Eater for our traditional Saturday lunch. This we enjoyed and all three children behaved well, which made the event more enjoyable. We dropped Daniel off at Gary Skinner’s house for the afternoon and tea and then went shopping in St Neots. I bought lots of pots of paint lacquer (2 black, 2 gold, 1 silver, blue and red), another Country magazine and then went back to Claytons to buy a dozen rabbit snares. Marilyn’s rabbits were eating our shrubs and bedding plants again this morning and, after countless complaints and appeals for her to control them, I have been forced to shock her into a sense of responsibility. There are also cats roaming around our riverside gardens and having lost a hen and two dove chicks to them this summer, I can stand these pests no longer. I think it is a poor animal ‘lover’ that allows pets to stray and kill other pets and favourite plants. A long wait planning these deeds before Diana arrived back at the car and then home. First, afternoon tea and then to start painting the weather vane. First the central sphere gold, then the compass arms and symbols black. Black also for the vertical rod on the arrow assembly and then a second coat of gold for the sphere as it was time for tea. Prawns for Debbie and I to share and I am pleased to see her enjoy them as she only eats bread and butter these days, and white at that! Out after and to put on more coats of gold and then the flag silver to take my arms tomorrow. This afternoon I set up a couple of snares in holes in my fence between two of my riverside garden plots and, as it got dark tonight, the black male of Marilyn’s marauding rodents was the first to fall for it. I tossed him in the river and removed the other snare. I shall give her the chance to control the rest now that one will have been lost, but will resume my sport if she does not respond. In after dark and having fed and put away the ducks, I settled down to my journal before switching on the TV. Hopes are fading of the rescue of the Mexican boy and it is feared that the rescue worker may have imagined the most recent signs of life. Gorbachev is finishing his French visit after his outgoing and adventurous proposals and press conferences. Tomorrow’s Observer will report the latest opinion poll, putting Neil Kinnock ahead with Labour.