Marty

That reminded me of a line from the following song: When the men on the chessboard get up and tell you where to go And you've just had some kind of mushroom, and your mind is moving low Go ask Alice, I think she'll know

And here's one specially for Val...

No. It's just being renovated. The speed I work it may not even be finished by the time things get back to normal...

You'll have to wait until the current ban on social gathering has been lifted...

I have a pan of beef curry cooking on the hob. One of the essential ingredients to that is mushroom. In the morning, after it has cooled, I shall divide it between five or so one-person plastic containers and pop all but one of them into the freezer. Quick meals for the nights I don't feel like cooking meals from scratch. I intend doing something similar tomorrow evening - but make bolognese instead of curry. (Have to find some way to use up the rest of those delicious champignons )

Congratulation to all!

Home made spaghetti bolognese for dinner this evening.

Hi Page. Leaking gutter (eave run) at front of house repaired yesterday. Loft ladder installation started yesterday and finished today (needs architrave fitting around the sides eventually). Gutter along back of house cleaned out today. (There was a mini forest growing out of it. ) Whilst my builder was busy with those jobs, I self isolated in the rear garden doing more tidying up.

Scream away, Albert. We're all here for you.

You be careful out there, Val.

G'day, young Albert.

Morning, Gary Morning, Val Careful you don't put your back out with all that stretching.

Morning, clo! Somewhat overcast here, with occasional drizzle.But mild enough for late March.

Albert! 😮 Stop with the spoilers!!!

Good morning, everyone!

Viruses do not recognise borders.

Morning all. My builder contacted me yesterday evening. He's hoping to come round this afternoon and fix the leaking gutter, and install lead flashing at the bottom of some of the roof slates to make sure the rainwater actually goes into the gutter. Hopefully that will stop the leaks that have been allowing water into the front of the house over the front door. He's also going to clean the forest that's growing out of the gutter at the rear of the house. I got some loft ladders delivered whilst I was away, so he has said he will install those for me as well if he has time. Once I have proper access to the attic space, I shall be able to arrange attic insulation, which should leave the house less expensive to keep warm. There should be a generous grant available to help pay for that job. I also want the builder to clear some weeds (which I think may include at least one sapling) from one of the chimneys, and to check the flashing and capping on both chimneys. That won't be done today though as the builder will have to arrange the hire of a cherry picker to make working at that height safer for him. I had half expected he may have put this work off until the panic concerning covid-19 had settled down, but he tells me work like this is just the sort of work he can do these days. Working at the top of a ladder means he won't be interacting with other people, so it will be basically the same as self-isolating. And when he is inside the house fitting the loft ladder, I intend to be outside doing some work in the back garden.

Hi, Page

And you keep well as well, my friend.

Cheers, Val

I arrived back at Dublin Port around 5:30 yesterday evening, after spending nine days in England. Although I took all sensible precautions whilst over there, including only touching elbows with my six siblings (instead of the big hugs we would usually exchange) when we met up at my mum's grave on St Patrick's Day to celebrate what would have been her 98th birthday, I certainly expected to be met by health officials at Dublin Port, or at the very least to have been given literature warning me of the dangers of me possibly bringing the virus into the country with me. But no such thing happened. I drove my car off the ferry and out of the ferry port and onto the streets of Dublin with not a single sign of security whatsoever. Back in 2001, during the foot and mouth outbreak, I was questioned by veterinary officials when I arrived at Dublin Port, who wanted to know if I had been on any farmland whilst in Britain and, when I said I hadn't, I still had to drive my car slowly through a disinfectant bath before being allowed to leave the Port. But it seems like the authorities here in Ireland just aren't really all that serious about stopping the spread of covid-19... 😮 Or maybe they don't class human lives as being as important as the lives of farm animals...? Anyway, I'm back home now, and will be self isolating for the next 14 days.

Happy equinox, everyone! Wherever you may be in the world.

With a bit of luck the local authorities will only insist you self-isolate for 14 days, and not have you exterminated in the national interest....