ear, ear

I have just sat outside the front of the house, a place, recently, I have ceased to venture and here for your delictation is a list of what we have out there: a chicken feeder, a 1980's moped, an outboard motor, the shell of a caravan, a water tank, some corrugated iron, a loo and a massive pile of tarmac...

now you know why I don't go there...

Been a funny old weekend. All of our plans and high jinks have been scuppered by poor old Jeff's ear. He has the most awful ear infection and is now on his third visit to A & E. He has been given massive donkey drops of antibiotic and pain killers but nothing is touching it. We are now sat eagerly by the phone waiting to see if he can see an ENT person tonight. Poor thing is really struggling and has spent most of the weekend in bed.

Jack had his own trauma this week too. Jeff and John have spent the week putting in our beautiful metal fence along the river top. It looks brilliant and makes me think I am going to be shrieked at by Mr Kemp (my old headmaster) for 'going out of bounds' and 'causing a disgrace' if I venture over the top and over the line! It looks like it has been there for ever and makes the whole wooded area feel safer as the boys would have to climb through or over to get down to the river's edge now.

Poor old Jack got stuck... He was down by the river's edge helping along with the fencing as the brute force, and the mud all became too much for him - he is 50. Stuck in reverse gear he had to spend the night by the water until the neighbour arrived with his own ancient massey ferguson and pulled him out teaching us along the way how to pop an old boy of a tractor out of gear.

I have spent most of today in the woods, the sun has been shining and I cannot resist the call of the trees. Accompaning the bluebells I now have really pretty little while daisy like flowers (not been on shootgardening to identify them yet)..and the most amazing amount of midges! You come out of the woods looking like Pigpen from Peanuts with the midges this time buzzing overhead - have to find a cunning plan for the summer.

I have been bonding with Dottie and Henry through the power of stick throwing. Dottie is a strange little thing and chases the sticks and then hides them behind a particular tree at the bottom of the wood. I went to steal some sticky things back for the fun and games and she had a hoard of 21 of them. If we ever need kindling for the fire - I know where to go..

Dad's birthday is on the horizon and I am thinking about him quite a bit. I suppose this is it forever now - certain occassions will always make me miss him? I love it when I see him in the boys though - they always makes me smile...

One more look out of the front door and I spy...

a water pump, a coal skuttle, a set of metal cupboards, a 1970's rocking horse and an old fishing rod...the Generation Game for 21st century. Jeffer's has the chin!!!

All happy (J just gone to another hospital so him too I hope)