Blocks, Muck and Pink Skies
Posted: Friday, 24 August 2007 |
Well as Hermit has already said it was a Beautiful Day in the islands on Wednesday.
Mr B had an electrical job which kept him busy and It was my day off from the shop. The sun was shining the skies were blue and the Hooch was ready with his ball to spend the day in his favourite place the beach.
Alas his dreams were shattered, instead I entered the barn fired up the cement mixer and made my first batch of muck. Hooch has a strange aversion to the wheelbarrow and whenever we get it out he bounds around trying to bite the front wheel. When you have a large amount of cement in it driving is hampered by the 10 stone dog. The wall needed to be raised level with the rest of the roof and that meant climbing a ladder with concrete blocks and buckets of mortar. I usually leave the blocks to Mr B and I normally concentrate on the rebuilding of the dry stone sections. But today I was ready for the task.
I spent several hours mixing and laying the blocks making sure that it was level. Mr B came home for lunch and we stopped and sat in the sun eating our sandwiches. Hooch by this time was snoring loudly on the grass and all the cats were sunning themselves on various walls. The 2 acre field was cut the other day and the golden grass laying in lines looked bonny.
Theres not a better place to be than in Orkney on a good day.
As Mr B had finished all the electrical work for the day we decided to treat ourselves and took the dog to Ness for a swim. I couldn't beleive that the beach was empty. We returned back home via the shop for a refreshing ice cream.
All in all it was a glorious day and the sunset wasn't that bad either.
Mr B had an electrical job which kept him busy and It was my day off from the shop. The sun was shining the skies were blue and the Hooch was ready with his ball to spend the day in his favourite place the beach.
Alas his dreams were shattered, instead I entered the barn fired up the cement mixer and made my first batch of muck. Hooch has a strange aversion to the wheelbarrow and whenever we get it out he bounds around trying to bite the front wheel. When you have a large amount of cement in it driving is hampered by the 10 stone dog. The wall needed to be raised level with the rest of the roof and that meant climbing a ladder with concrete blocks and buckets of mortar. I usually leave the blocks to Mr B and I normally concentrate on the rebuilding of the dry stone sections. But today I was ready for the task.
I spent several hours mixing and laying the blocks making sure that it was level. Mr B came home for lunch and we stopped and sat in the sun eating our sandwiches. Hooch by this time was snoring loudly on the grass and all the cats were sunning themselves on various walls. The 2 acre field was cut the other day and the golden grass laying in lines looked bonny.
Theres not a better place to be than in Orkney on a good day.
As Mr B had finished all the electrical work for the day we decided to treat ourselves and took the dog to Ness for a swim. I couldn't beleive that the beach was empty. We returned back home via the shop for a refreshing ice cream.
All in all it was a glorious day and the sunset wasn't that bad either.
Comments
Goodness, Barebraes, Hulk and you are really hard workers. Yes, you deserved a break. In fact, you deserve the weekend (at least part of it!) off. Isn't it too dangerous to do heavy building work alone? Oh, by the way, what does the sign on the window say?
mjc from NM,USA
The sunset is a beauty and the blockwork's pretty good too...what does the notice in the window say? Beware of the Dog probably...
Flying Cat from spec-ulating
'Beware of the Dog Enter at own risk' I think?
Duncan from Brum
Yes Duncan thats what it says. And if you want to be licked to Death then thats exactly what you have to do. The Postman doesn't like getting out of the van for fear of a slobber down his regulation trousers
Barebraes from Shapinsay
Some posties would pay for it!!
Flying Cat from eying up a trouserleg
As TWS seems to be taking a break, I shall ask for him, FC: up which trouser leg?! # By the way, wife and I are flying off to the cottage in southern Indiana on Wednesday, returnig Monday: some fifteen boxes of daylilies and irises were sent over last weekend, and they will need to be bedded soon. In fact, some plants could not be dug on time, and we are taking two duffel-bags of additional plant materials with us. Hopefully, the security folks at the airport won't get paranoid and impound the shipment. Our village neighbors who like many mid-westerners think gardening is having a wonderful lawn are in for a shock. I would not be surprised to see them line up to say hello, and gawk: to be fair, the villagers being what they are (and as they know my wife, a native), they are as likely to get right down to it and help us bed the daylilies and irises, or to bring us consumables.
mjc from NM,USA
Bedding plants. A bit like bedding wimmin but harder on the back...
Flying Cat from Cheshire Grin
Harder on whos back FC
Barebraes from Shapinsay
Depends who's where...
Flying Cat from a missionary position
Exhausted, that's what I was. It was hard work, but quite enjoyable.
mjc from NM,USA
I'm sorry you're exhausted mjc, but that's what bedding hundreds of little beauties does to a chap...so I'm told.
Flying Cat from Rolling Acres
Quite a few of them were still green, and I bedded them first, but ultimately I got to others which looked rather worn out. Priorities, priorities ... # I expect half of them to die out anyway. Drought and sloppy watering, absence of personal oversight, etc. Oh well: a clean slate would not be so bad.
mjc from NM,USA
...and here was me picturing a slightly e.s.n. guy in raggedy blue dungarees, straw hat and bare feet watering the absentee mr&mrsmjc's own Rolling Acres in absentia...
Flying Cat from in a wrong state
Its a pity that you can't send us some pics mjc perhaps you could have a nice word with the kind lady from IBHQ
Barebraes from Shapinsay
Nah, Barebraes, but thanks. I'd rather be incognito, part of the ib wall paper. For the moment anyway.
mjc from NM,USA
FC, it's daylilies etc that need watering, not cotton, for singing Dixie aloud. Pass the boiled peanuts.
mjc from NM,USA
We moved here in September 05 and have met many good friends. What more could you want from life.
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