Thursday 13th August 2020 Day 143
6.45 I think that was the most uncomfortably hot night so far and I am glad it is over.
Along with the water problem yesterday, all my power went half way through the evening. I assumed that would be general too but it appeared it was something to do just with my supply. A trip switch went in the fuse box (is that what you call the big casing with all the switches?). Anyway, this was just after I sat down for the first time at nine pm. I flicked the switch back again and heard the phones ping back on and the lights return. I came back downstairs and reset the television, sat down and off it all went again! This happened three times before it eventually settled. Laugh??
8.30 After a proper shower and hair wash and running water much appreciated after yesterday, I arrive downstairs and wander straight into the garden, with possibly in my mind, the fish that got on top of the netting so early yesterday. No fish on netting but my prize huge blue and orange carp was lying on
it’s side gasping in the water where the little stream brings the filtered water through and several other fish around him looked in as bad a way. I turned the hose on quickly and sprayed water onto the pond and then looked up on the internet where they said to spray the water high because it is the drops that fall down to the water that bring more oxygen. I fixed the hose to the back of a chair and started spraying, with little hope of saving them to be honest. After fifteen minutes I went back and they were all swimming around calmly again. I really hope we get a good rain storm in the night.
10.00 Poor Audrey didn’t get a walk yesterday, a rare occurrence, so we will go for a good long one today to make up for it, no ball throwing though because it is still quite hot for running about. We do a big circuit and come back through the woods. There has been no one about so far but suddenly Audrey straightens up and pretends she is a Pointer, staring ahead of her, stock still. Then into sight comes a man walking on his own without a dog. She runs up to him and he lifts his arms in the air as if in submission but she was only saying hello and comes straight back to me when I call. We are on a narrow part of the path and he just keeps walking forwards so I step out of the way and he walks silently past. I felt a bit spooked but we carried on until we met him again coming back up another path. This time I decided we would go back to the car. Those woods can feel very lonely sometimes.
12.00 I’m getting a sandwich ready and towels etc to go down to Pevensey with Wendy and Ken and their daughter and grandson for a couple of hours. The weather does look a bit ‘iffy’ and we are to expect rain and possibly storms but it is very warm still. I end up waiting for a while before I leave because a sudden heavy shower happens but it doesn’t last so I set off. When I get there, I discover them all looking a bit damp and dishevelled because just as they got far enough away from the car, the rain descended upon them. Now it is brightening up a bit, so we take the risk. I haven’t seen their grandson for a while. He is eighteen months and looks me up and down very gravely and when I play peep bo with him, he looks at me as if I am mad. Very grounding, little ones! It got better later.
A large black cloud settled itself over our heads so we made makeshift shelters from a picnic rug, an umbrella and a wind break. So, when the rain came we managed to stay fairly dry. I couldn’t leave without a paddle so I went and dipped my toes in and found it so incredibly warm that I just had to go for a quick dip. Apart from the colour of the water, I could have been swimming in the warm waters off Banana beach in Skiathos!