After my shaky start, yesterday turned out to be a lovely sunny day. Dolly and I spent much of it sitting out on the catio. Well, she sits and I stand. I need to find a little slimline bench to sitting purposes, to keep just outside the kitchen door where the sun will catch it.
It may sound a strange thing to say but we’d be having a grand summer if it were not for the rain of recent weeks. It’s been mild, mostly, and the air pleasant and warm. Strangely, the humidity has been at tolerable levels though it may be that my lack of physical activity helps me to ignore it.
It’s rather as if there’s a summer there, lurking behind the trees, waiting for a fine day, ready to come out and play at a moment’s notice. Listen carefully and you can hear the slow song it sings, even on a wet day.
People say we’ve had no summer again this year. I have a better memory than that, and keep the sunny days as fresh in my memory as possible, topping up with each succeeding fine period, no matter how short.
A wet summer is still a summer.
My immediate neighbour, who feeds the wild birds with vigour, maintaining several feeders and sprinkling seed on the ground for them, says he’s much troubled with rats. [What's that expression the kids use these days? Something along the lines of: "Well, duh!" as I observe it.] I suggested that he put poison down in pipes, which he’s already started to do. He also agreed that the rubbish he’s allowed to accumulate around his house is akin to putting up a ‘Rats Welcome Here’ sign, and he’s promised to have his son come over and clear it away.
I hate rats. Can’t stand ‘em.
So now, although there’s no sign of rats in or around our house, I shall have to consider any weaknesses here, disposing of dry goods that aren’t in sealed containers, and being scrupulously clean all around. I can’t do anything about the garage or the lofts, so Graham will have to investigate and correct any problems there.
I shall acquire some rat poison next time I go shopping, and a few plastic drainpipes in which to place it. And a pair of tongs to retrieve any corpses that appear over this side. It’s a thing I’ve done before and I don’t think I’ll need to call in professional help, though I’ll not hesitate if need be. The problem with using professionals is that they are obliged to report sources of infestation to the local council, who will promptly send operatives round to knock on doors. That tends to make you unpopular with your neighbours.
Being a responsible householder is a never-ending task.
