'allo 'allo

Image credit: Unknown
Hello Friends,

I'm back in cyberspace again - actually, I've been online for a few days but have been so mesmerized by the Wikileaks 'Cablegate' drama I've neglected to do anything else, like compose blog posts ...


The weather in the North during October and most of November was unbearable - even my emergency lighting system wilted in the heat.

I'm not sure whether it's age taking it's toll or the result of global warming but this year the temperatures seemed to affect me more than ever before.

The intense heat and drab, dry environment was depressing at times, the whole world seem cruel and hostile to the existence of life.

It was extremely difficult motivating myself to do any building and I didn't complete half of the work I could have.


I did manage to complete the last section of the East wall.

It was difficult because of the height - the scaffolding in the pic above is seven feet high but not even that was high enough to finish the last few rocks ... as you can see I had to work whilst standing balanced on an upturned plastic crate perched on the unsteady scaffold plank.


I'm glad that the high rock-work is completed - I'm getting too old for monkeying about like this and am not as sure-footed as I used to be.

For the first time since starting building ten years ago, I dropped a big rock - I momentarily lost concentration and pulled out a wedge holding the rock and it fell to the ground, narrowly missing my feet on the scaffold and the window - luckily there were no animals below but I was so rattled by this incident that I had to sit down for a few minutes in order to regain my composure.


As I said, it was stinking hot all the time I was home. On some days clouds would appear and at times I could smell rain in the distance but nothing fell near me.

Amazingly, as I was grouting the last rock in the wall, it started raining - the hole was fixed and for the next few days it pelted down, making the world feel a friendly place again ...


I'm back in the desert now where one would expect searing temperatures but that's not the case ... being 80ks from the coast the air is quite cool and I have to wear a jacket in the evenings - I'm not complaining though ...

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