Lock-down Day 610

Friday, 26 November

Power went out last night ... sigh ... sometime around nine. For some reason, I couldn't get to sleep, as a result. It was going on midnight, before I finally found rest ...

When I got up around eleven, for a smoke, I'm sure poor Smeagol was huddled atop the outside freezer! So many of his 'safe' and 'dry' hideaways have been demolished with all this building going on around ... but the dog hut is still there? I've been thinking of making him a nest, with cardboard and blankie.

This morning, I was not ready to get up. When the alarm went off - followed by a very insistent Mew-larm - I listened, but couldn't hear the water fountain. Dang! I got up a bit late - around six. Treated mippies to their breakfast, and got the gas bottle out. Assembled the cooker top, put the kettle on and sat down in my armchair.

A couple of minutes later, as I look down, I see the flower fountain is running ... Duh! Power had come back while I was snoozing (or maybe even before, and in my groggy state, just listening for the water fountain ... well, I could have got that wrong. After all, I listened, I didn't look. And that fountain is actually rather quiet).

Unfortunately, the last milk from last week had gone sour. Sigh ... At least everything else will be fine, now.

In the bedroom, Mini had thrown up almost her entire breakfast! It was Tuna - so, I think my theory is correct. I should eliminate fish from their diet. Or rather, from their treats.

We had a lot of rain during the night! It looks like some 10 mm! In the mornings, I just get a look, from a distance. Maybe I should mark the gauge, so that I can see how much rainfall we had, even from a distance?

News. Apparently there is one thing South Africa can produce better than any other country: new and more dangerous variants of the Coronavirus! I'm beginning to wonder why they are always discovered in South Africa? Do we have better virologists?

Back at home, the weather is threatening rain, so I grab the mower and start mowing, as fast as I can! I finished the back lawn, around the spinach & carrots and half the section by the dog hut ... then the rain was just too much!

I just sat down for a smoke and a think of what I should do now. I was thinking it would be a good time to carry on re-sharpening the lawnmower blades, when my neighbour showed up! My landlord wants to put up some plastic, where the tiles broke, to prevent any rain damage.

As they were working, the rain lessened, and I became restless. I started cleaning up around the dog hut, which had been bothering me for quite a while. Looks much better now! But, although the rain had lessened, it hadn't stopped ... and my back is soaked through and through!

Inside, change of clothes and change to another coat.

And, crazy me, I go back outside! This time, I'm tackling the pavement behind the grapevine! The weeds have grown tall and strong there, again. I didn't finish, but I did manage to clear the worst of it ...

Mippies were eager to have me within reach - they had come out into the rain, to see what their crazy mommy is doing ... In case you're wondering, I had put the geyser on, when I got home, so I knew I'd be able to have a bath. I kept an eye on the light, no power outage! So I could enjoy a hot bath, when I finally gave up ...

Smeagol showed up again, as well. He first went to eat, and then came to sit behind the Marigold, calling me. So I got up and spent some time with him. He's quite happy to have JUST my company - just me sitting or standing nearby, talking to him. But when I put him hand out to pat his head, he usually head-butts my hand - jumping up a little, to touch my hand! And after a while, he'd prefer not to be touched - which is difficult to tell, when, because I don't see the signs ... and that's when I get clawed! Today, however, Smeagol swatted without claws! He just swatted my hand away - no claws!

I went to sit on the veranda with my mippies, wondering whether I could do some more - but decided to stay in the dry. I had changed clothes again - and didn't want to get wet anymore.

We had 26 mm rain by that time - and it was still raining!

When I finally gave up, and went inside ... it stopped raining! Ah, well! I treated mippies, ate, bathed ... and then for a relatively early night ...