Heart attack

Thursday, September 08, 2016

Stupendous September

It's turning out to be an exceptionally warm September- so far. As I write this, the sun is out. The last few days it's been unseasonably warm, particularly at night. Clammy, rather than merely warm. I think this is what's termed an 'Indian Summer.' But I don't understand where the term comes from. Having now 'Googled' the term, it appears that a so-called Indian Summer should be in October or November. Usually, after we've had a frost. We certainly haven't had any frost.  It's thought to have come from American Indians rather than from the continent of India. But there appears to be no actual known history of the term. 

As a result of the exceptional weather we've had, it would look as if we're in for a bumper harvest of blackberries all along the Redway behind Eaglestone, where I always manage to harvest these berries (see later blog posts.) In a couple of days no doubt I've been out there collecting them.

We were due to have smart meters installed yesterday. We had a letter from our gas and electricity suppliers, Utility Warehouse. I rang as soon as I received the letter. It was going to be free, but when the workmen came yesterday morning it turned out that they wouldn't be able to install the meters because whoever put in the old meters didn't allow enough space in the hole which was drilled between the outside cupboard where the gas meter is and the electric meter which is on the wall just inside and opposite the meter cupboard, so this can't be done safely. We could let our landlord know about this and get him to sort it out (no way am I ringing him. I'd rather not let him get involved as he will use 'a friend' to do the work and no doubt cause more problems in an attempt to cut costs. I think it's best left alone, thinking about it now.)

Being so warm, particularly at night, we have to have to have the windows open. As a result, you can hear all sorts of noises. If a dog barks outside, this often sets our two dogs off barking. Late last night we kept hearing a really odd sound, not unlike a sort of siren. But was it? And where was it? Was it at the prison? Had a prisoner escaped? Or had someone absconded from the Campbell Centre, which is within the hospital grounds, which is just behind us in Eaglestone? It's a so-called 'secure unit' for mental patients. If you walk past, as we often do if we go to the hospital (it's easier to walk through along the Redway, rather than drive there and pay to use the carpark.) you walk quickly past. There's a high fence, chain-link, or what you call it, with lots of closed-circuit television cameras. Anyway, this odd sound was somewhat eerie. Or was it some factory somewhere? Who knows. We certainly couldn't think of anything else during the night. Also, people riding motorbikes along the Redway. They should be doing that as it's for bicycles without engines. I have rung the police about this on several occasions, but by the time they got here the cyclists would be gone. I have seen these people, riding those mini motorbikes. Could be nasty if they ran into a person walking along minding their own business. Probably got no insurance either

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