Back to routine

Great day after a short night.

As I "mentioned" in yesterdays Blip, Wednesday night didn't get much sleep and last night I couldn't even try to sleep. My thoughts were only about what was happening with my two ex-roommates. At 6:45, about the time the nursing staff did the wake up routine, I eventually went to bed but at 8:00 Luna woke me, so got up and with sun shining didn't feel like going back. Did manage to get up to date on posting my Blips but need to catch up on other journals.

At 9:00 I tried a number I had found on the web hoping it might be the wife of the "victim" roommate. Luck on my side, she recognised my voice straight away before I had the chance to say who I was. She had just got off the phone to her husband and the great news, there was peace all night and she was convinced it was due to my words (she had witnessed one of my more conciliatory sermons yesterday). But the very best news, the results of his opeation showed he was negative for a new cancer outbreak - he had prostrate cancer about 10 years ago. So huge relief and joy all round. She gave me his mobile number but he seems to keep it switched off except when he phones home, so all my attempts failed. I will sleep well tonight though.

With October ending with record temperatures, got down to some swimming pool cleaning - No - we haven't used it for weeks, I was preparing it for the winter close down! It's not been THAT warm!

Checked out the bees, have some concerns about the condensation and have to get some help on possible solutions.

Then MrB suddenly turned up with his latest toy. An Eicher 3726SA, vineyard tractor but a power packet. I forgot to ask but think built around 1983 and with 54HP and 4WD. It will soon be equipped with an industrial front loader. Think it would be ideal for us! Jealous!

Worse still, hanging on the back was my old muck spreader, gleaming like a factory new trailer. He has done a superb job, converting it into a lovely practical sized one-axle trailer, especailly useful in the forest. Well done MrB looks really good and you are rightly very proud of it.

On Angie's provocation, MrB kindly offered to pull out my old and grim looking two-axle tipper trailer, still loaded with logs I collected in the spring and needing cutting & splitting. The trailer is much longer than his and it really showed why a one-axle is so much better for tight forest work. The unusual and new combination of small tractor with power steering and a two-axle trailer made reversing around a 90° corner quite a challenge. With a bit of practice it's OK but if you only do it once every 5 years, you get so frustrated. My one time "farming " godfather Sepp Ort who could reverse such a trailer blindfold in to a garage with 3" space each side, told me two rules - lowest gear and minimal movement of the steering. Easier said than done.

Thanks MrB for showing me the wonderful pair and bringing in my trailer. Now need to get the logs done and can then over the winter, try getting my trailer usable although it won't ever look as good as his work.

Angie had had a good ride out with Rosie and the dogs, Rosie going well, Flash too but I picked him up at the half way point and we then managed a first. Angie had to ride qute a stretch on the road due to the fallen trees blocking the forest track and Luna isn't yet 101% road safe, so she rode to the start of the track maybe 300m from the house, phoned me and using a simple whistle I let off 4 or 5 blasts (too far to hear my voice/shouts and no sight) and incredibly she left the girls and galloped home. Had never even practiced anything like it. Quite extraordinary.

At the end of a lovely sunny day, warm for the time of year and getting warmer the nsxt two days (around 20°C) came in for a quick sauna and a combined delicious evening meal; Angie meat & sauce, I (Delia Smith's method -never fails) rice and a first for us, delicious grilled aubergines and sweet peppers from the garden (with bought onions & garlic). Should also have added one of the courgettes but they were planned for stuffing tomorrow. I can't believe simply the sliced vegetables thrown on a grill pan with a few spoons of olive oil could taste so good - not a single added or subtracted ingredient - no salt, pepper, herbs, dewatering or anything else.

So a great day - if routine was like this every day.......Tomorrow a bank holiday in Bavaria so shops closed and no trucks on the road and probably no tractors being a religious day, families tending to all meet to visit the family graves.