Tuesday 18th August 2026

It was a normal Tuesday, until about half six in the evening.

Before then, we had gone to the gym, did just half an hour as it was so hot.

It is cooler in the mornings, a little, and laying in bed seems so attractive. In fact Jools slept through the alarm until twenty past five, by which time I was dressed, fed the cats, tested and jabbed Scully, and made drinks.

Jools didn't go to the gym, as she wasn't awake enough, so I went and dis 75% of a session

Jools had her normal busy Tuesday: keep fit first, but then a breakfast with that class instead of knit and natter, then into town to the dentist.

Once she was gone, I had breakfast and a brew, then got down to the much delayed task of painting the windowsills on the living room windows.

They were green with lichen, and needed attention. We'd had the fungicide and paint for two years or more, but this time it was action.

I scrubbed the sills, let them dry after wiping down, then put two coats of pain on the two long faces.

Not perfect, but looked better.

I had a shower to celebrate.

Not much else happened through the afternoon. Jools came back home, we had a snack of cheese and crackers (no wine), then had Caprese once we had fed the cats again at five.

Jools had left to visit Jen to finalise details of their trip next year, so I stayed home, washed up and called a friend to talk about orchids.

At about half six, I saw smoke rising from the farm, and was angry at them lighting a bonfire with the ground so dry.

But it was worse than tat.

Much worse.

Three teenage boys, it seems had set light to the haystack, and it went up.

Soon flames were reaching fifty metres into the sky, thick smoke drifted into the still air.

The fire spread quickly, and having heard no sirens, I called 999. It took ten minutes for the call to be answered, but once they did, it was confirmed engines were on their way.

Smoke was rising beside their barn, which was full of cows, and next to that was the farmhouse.

The first engine arrived, followed by at least five more, and the battle started.

As darkness fell, it was contained, the barn and cows were saved, but the hedge with mature trees was cut down as it was in danger of being consumed.

As darkness fell, it was like a volcano, with the bales reduced to what looked like lava, smoked lit by the fire rose into the inky black sky.

I guess the fire was about 50m from the end of the garden, and we would have been in trouble had the wind changed direction, but it didn't.

We went to bed to the sound of the pumps on the engines, trying to cool the flames, but the farm was safe, as so were we.