A day of discoveries 3 comments

Last weekend was a time of many discoveries.

Molly and Joe decided they would investigate the room at the back of the house that is currently just used to store our stock of Foussais apple juice. Having discussed it between themselves, they decided this would be their new den and set about clearing the room out.

Here’s where the discoveries began.

The Power

Firstly, we discovered that we actually have working electricity in the back room. Having poked my finger into the light fitting and felt the jolt of electricity zap up my arm, I figured that it was actually live and proved it beyond doubt by adding a bulb. There was great rejoicing from Molly and Joe as their den now had light!

The Eagles

Next came some interesting objects. Tucked in the corner of the room were two blocks, each carved with a picture of an eagle and the word “EAGLE” carved across the top.

These were both about the size and weight of a small breeze-block, but we have really no idea what they are for. At first they appeared to be a mould, but surely the writing would need to be in reverse if this were true. And why two the same? If you have any suggestions as to what these might be, do let me know!

The skeleton

Next came a rather chilling discovery – “We’ve found a skeleton!” yelled Joe. “U-oh” thought I, this could be trouble. Abandoning my spade in the front border, I ran round to the back room, already anticipating the police sealing off our house for forensic investigations.

“We think it’s a sea-horse” said Joe. All concerns about being surrounded by gendarmes for the next week melted away as I investigated the “sea-horse” skeleton. It turned out to be a poor unfortunate ex-mouse…

The play room

After Lisa mentioned to the kids that there wasanother room inside that needed clearing out, all thoughts of this ourside den were abandoned and this new potential space became a possible play-room.

Up they went to investigate the room, empty save for a tonne of muck and dust, at the top of our back stairs. After several hours of sweeping and clearing, the room actually started to reveal itself as a really good space.

And once we attacked the floorboards with a mop, we very very pleasantly surprised – this room has probably the best floor of the entire house!

The floorboards cleaned up really well and we decided that, with some work on the ceiling and a new velux window, this would be a perfect playroom, home for all the Playmobil currently strewn all over my study downstairs.

Another project for the list!

Spring has sprung a little early! 2 comments

A friend of our spotted this little fellow growing in the neighbour’s flowerbed this morning. I think someone need to mention to Mother nature that it is still only December!

One man and his (borrowed) tractor No comments yet

Cutting the grass on our 1000m² field is normally a 3-hour affair involving around 30 emptyings of the grass box and much hard work pushing the little tondeuse around. While this is sometimes quite theraputic, it certainly is more hard work than it needs to be.

Luckily for us, we have very good neighbours.

I was down in the corner of the filed last week when Marisse from across the road spotted me.

“Oh, you don’t have a tractor?” she exclaimed in disbelief.

“No, just this little lawnmower,” I said, indicating the little workhorse, “but it’s OK, it is good exercise for us!”

“Your garden is too big!” she cried, and I agreed. “Next time you must use our tractor.”

Those 7 words were some of the most welcome words I have heard for a long time.

So last week I popped over to find the tractor. Louis gave me some instructions how to work it and off I rolled. It took me a couple of attempts to get it up onto the field – slow and steady lost out to full-pelt in that little challenge – but I was soon whizzing round the field, laughing at the simplicity of it all, while trying hard to avoid badminton nets, pools and pear trees.

45 minutes. That’s all it took. A measly 45 minutes. There were still some little areas that needed the old tondeuse, but I class a 75% reduction in grass-cutting time as a huge success and leaves us much more time to enjoy ourselves.

Job’s a good ‘un