Getting Ready for our Visitor...

What is it that they say?  The path to hell is paved with good intentions...  we must be destined to burn when our time comes because we went to bed last night intending to have a leisurely lie-in before giving the house a 'good bottoming'.  Having been woken early two days in a row I was so looking forward to waking when I was ready.  This was just never going to happen as Angela's builders, who have been conspicuous by their absence, pitched up and started work at around 7.15am complete with cement mixer and grinder - deep deep joy - they had bloody well better not disturb Debra too much next week but I kind of know what is going to happen.

I had a day that was reminiscent of our final days in the married quarters - cleaning things that don't normally get a clean - I don't know why we feel we have to make so much of an effort when we have visitors but it is a constant battle here with dust, dust and cat hairs.  At the same time it is rather cathartic knowing that your house is beautifully clean - Mum would be so proud of me, and Mrs Pamment!!  At least this cooker didn't need industrial strength stripper to get it to look clean but that is because I cook most things in the microwave on combi!  Now there's something I can't do without so when this one gives up the ghost I will just have to get another.  Mum is absolutely convinced that cooking in the microwave has seriously reduced their electricity bills.

John worked his way through his to-do list which included sorting out electricity for the conservatory so that we can have a bit more light in there which should please Dad but leaves us with no excuse as to why we keep losing at crib!

Whilst he did all the tricky man jobs I put the first coat of eggshell on the door frame - the termite door frame as it is now called, the only trouble is in the current weather conditions the paint dries so quickly it becomes quite awkward and as always I got it all over me.  Irrespective of all this the door looks so much better now it has been repaired and repainted.  You did a good job John (as always).

It was about 3.00pm before we actually ticked off the last job and sat down to watch a bit of Wimbledon.  We finished off the remainder of the coronation chicken with lime pickle and it was equally as good the second time round.

Hot and sticky I decided to go for a late afternoon swim and was joined by John.  At 85 degrees it was blissful.  When I got out John decided to top up and dump the hot water from the pipe which runs round the garden.  I was just handing him the hose when I heard something in the field and suddenly saw a whip snake to rival the one we had seen at the Smeaton's Thursday night.  These big black snakes are harmless but it took me by surprise as it appeared to be making for our garden so I called John who saw it disappearing into the stones below our boundary at about MAC II.  We wanted to try and keep Chivers away from it because (a) it wasn't doing any harm and Chivers would have worried it senseless and (b) Chivers gets over excited by these sorts of things and then gets all stressy and hyperventilates. John used a pokey stick to try and flush it out from the stones but after quite some time we declared it a waste of time and that it was probably miles away by now and gave up.

We went indoors to sample the barbeque pulled pork that I had made which was declared a real success - at €3 a kilo for a hunk of pure meat with no fat it cannot be bad and cooked long and slow in the slow cooker it was moist and full of flavour almost like it had been hickory smoked.

I went outside to just take a look over the field and water my plants.  I was just about to turn the tap on the hose which is field-side when I came face to face with the black whip snake!  Bloody hell it frightened me!  I called for John and the next thing we knew was that Chivers was up and over the fence and staring intently into a green bush under the tree - he would not be moved and his tail was flicking in a strange way so we guessed that the snake must have been hiding under the bush - we stood watching for some time and nothing moved so we guessed that it must have slithered off so we were just about to go indoors when it broke for cover with Chivers in hot pursuit - Chivers is quick but Kaa was a damn sight quicker and disappeared into the green area.

Chivers scoured and scoured the field looking for Kaa but he never reappeared so psyched up and in hunting mode Chivers turned his attention to beating up his little sister.  Mum's neighbours gave us the cat gym when our two were little tackers and apart from Minnie using it as a scratching post in the morning they rarely use it together so it was good to see them playing with no snake in sight!!  I can just imagine that one or both of them will be out tonight searching the green area and what is the betting that they come in a collar down???  John was going to check the green area for the ones they lost this week but he isn't going to do so without boots on and long trousers and possibly tucked into socks or with lacky bands round his ankles - you can never be too careful!!

We are watching Murray at Wimbledon but our loyalties are split because he is playing Baghdatis and Baghdatis is Cypriot so in effect we are in a win win situation!!