A Mixed Bag!

I had a lie in this morning…6.30am, that hour makes all the difference! Back from walking Pépe, and coffee drunk, it was time to work, I started by building a couple more courses of Pépe\’s kennel, then Marcela appeared and it was time for breakfast.

After breakfast,  the sun cracking the flags, we decided it was time to start burning the pile of cut down trees and trimmings, lying in the garden, I wanted to keep it small, so it would remain under control, and Marcela suggested we use the \’Sancocho\’ pit, alongside the BBQ, but could we get the fire to remain lit, in the end I said we should do it in the garden, as there was a light breeze, as a result we had the rubbish burnt in double quick time.

I helped Marcela remove the swimming pool cover, so she could start her regular maintenance, and have a dip. However the sky was changing, we could see the clouds gathering, and later rumbles of thunder in the distance.

Then I started digging around the area of the septic tanks, the ground was solid and full of brick and rubble, which we intend to pick out, but it will take time, the idea being that when we have finished digging, cleaning and levelling, we will seed it with grass.

At some point this morning, I am not sure quite when, I pulled a muscle in my calf, and the pain got steadily worse, until I could hardly walk, so I ended up going for a shower, and rubbing some gel into my leg, it didn\’t make a hapeth of difference, so later  Marcela rubbed some other gel on my calf, and I had a siesta, when I woke, my leg was a bit easier, it is still difficult to walk, but the pain has subsided.

Marcela heard me about and called me to help replace the pool cover, the sky was black, and we were obviously in for a storm. Ten minutes later the sky opened, the thunder cracked and rattled everything about, and there was a deluge, thank goodness I wasn\’t out on the bike, or even the car. Unlike most tropical storms this continued for over an hour, we later heard on the news that the Hypermarket we use in Niquia, had had to close part of the store due to flooding…through the roof! Not that it came as much of a surprise, they rush around with mops and buckets if we have normal rain, I think it is time for them to spend a bit on maintenance.

Marcela has had a message from Umberto, to say that he wants the car at his yard for 7am in the morning to fit the tow bar, hasn\’t the man heard of sleep?! initially we thought we would pass a couple of hours away in town, but he then said it wouldn\’t be ready until 3pm, I haven\’t a clue why it takes eight hours to fit a tow bar and electrics, but he said if we wanted the car before, we would have to postpone until next week, so Marcela is going to drag herself out of bed, and take the car, weather permitting I will follow on the bike, and collect her.