Sunday 5th October 2014

Saturday.

You know when yo promise to do things, and then the day rolls round when you have to make good on those promises? Well, not quite under duress, but, you know, when you could be doing other still like going out taking shots, when the weekend ahead is just work, work and more work, well, it kinda crushes you. And then, when you get down to it, and you see the progress, it kinda spurs you on to do more. It does.

Well, as the house in now, all but done, and the scaffold and builders have gone, we were left with what seemed like two tons of dust all around and inside. As well as the front garden under yet more dust, and really we needed yo sort it out, and having a nice looking house now, we decided that now was the time to sort it out.

But first there is the weekly trip to Tesco, fill up on life's essentials and the suchlike, including fresh supplies of beer, cider and cat food. All the main food groups. Back home for breakfast, I had the usual all butter croissants, Jools had almond. And then it was into the garden!

We had spent a couple of days sifting through the stones in the front garden, saving the (fairly) expensive blue slate chips we bought when we moved in. Now we had to remove all the other stones, gravel and earth that was on top of the membrane, and move it all to the skip so it could be taken away on Monday. So, we swept, dug, and removed bucket after bucket after bucket, carrying it to the skip and doing it over and over again. THe morning passed, but in time we got into a routine, and by one it was all cleared, well for the most part. And we could sit down for lunch and decide that after all consideration we should take the afternoon off and relax. This was in part to the heavy rain forecast by the boffins at the BBC, and so gave me a chance to lay on the sofa and listen to the football.

Two o'clock came, and there was no rain, but the skies darkened until rain did begin to fall, the first real rainfall we have had for over a month. I had mowed the lawn that morning too, and scattered the last of the lawn feed on the barest parts, so the rain would do that good. As well as the freshly revealed earth, which was breathing without the covering of the membrane and stone for the first time in maybe a decade. All in all there is something wonderful about sitting on the sofa, nursing a cuppa, listening to the radio whilst the rain hammers down outside. I don't know, it feels like October when it is like that.

Heck, it got so chilly the heating got put on, just to pump round as my Dad would say. Lovely.

Sadly, despite sitting top of the Football League, Norwich struggled to keep up with Rotherham, indeed falling a goal down early in the second half, and only managing to get a goal back in the final minutes, and then not finding the winner. All a bit disappointing to only get one point from 6 from the two home games this week, but somehow we are still top.

I cooked breadcrumbed pork slices, fresh sweetcorn and fried and slied jacket spuds. A meal of champions. Or at least those top of the league.

Outside the rain cleared and the moon, now over half full again shone silver on the autumnal landscape.