Morning Rain

As I write this blog post it's raining. (7.30 a.m.) Not very heavily, but certainly enough to refresh the grass around here. There's a certain amount of water running down the side of the road at the front of the house which I could see when I was in the bathroom having a shave this morning with the window open. Someone just walked past with an umbrella up, so it must be of a certain level to need to use an umbrella. I means I won't be taking Alfie out for his, by now, routine walk around Eaglestone Park, which he won't think too much of. I can always take him that bit later when it's stopped. I just hope it soaks the ground sufficiently to revive the grass around here. At the rear of the house the grass is looking somewhat shrivelled and brown, large areas have more or less given up, so a sudden soaking should do the trick. A lot of the Gridroads around Milton Keynes are looking decidedly patching and brown. 

We were going shopping on Tuesday morning and had intended going to Morrison's at Westcroft. . Carol was driving and we went along Chaffron Way but couldn't get through due to the road being closed off, most probably because they are gradually resurfacing the Gridroads, which in places are in a real need of this sort of work, but it was annoying and we weren't given sufficient warning in advance so we ended up going to Morrison's newer store near the railway station.

I spent some time on Monday and Tuesday morning tidying up the garden at the front of the house, using the Ozito cordless grass trimmer (not actually a Strimmer because it doesn't use the plastic fishing line that an actual Strimmer has, but a similar plastic blade like the lawnmower, which is better because you don't have to keep stopping to pull out the fishing line which keeps on breaking with a Strimmer.) As this machine is cordless it makes things easier when you don't have to connect it to the mains electricity supply with a cable connected to a power point. You just have to remember to keep the battery pack charged. I managed to cut the grass which has grown in the flower bed in front of the kitchen window (if you can really call it a flowerbed as it hasn't ever had any flowers in it, except a few pathetic spring bulbs which appear each Spring.) and then I hooked the cut grass out with the rake we got in The Range the other day. I got the mower out of the shed and used this to cut the lawn at the front of the house, although the grass wasn't really long enough, it's got very scruffy and most of the growth is tusky and tough weeks, giving rise to yellow flowers a bit like dandelions, but which I have an idea are actually called coltsfoot, but I may be wrong. Does it really matter? Our landlord's wife, who visited us the other Sunday, only had one comment about the house, not having done an actual house inspection, and that was 'have you cut the grass?' which is why I'd made this effort with the front of the house, as I imagine, when they'd drawn up in their car, they'd noticed how scruffy things were looking. I also had to hack down the saplings (no doubt they're called that, otherwise the tree-like plants which seem to spring up at the front of the house as well as in the back garden. They always appear along the left-side fence as well as under the lounge window.) I used the loppers to cut it all back and the  put the bits in the green Wheelybin. I've also managed to clear some of the weeds and grass that come up between the concrete slabs at the front of the house which is swept up and put in the Wheely bin as well as the brambles which put out runners all over the slabs and since cut down it all looks somewhat tidier and should now be easier to keep clear, but there is still more to be done to keep it clear. The Wheely bin isn't really large enough for this operation and is soon filled and then put out at the edge of the garden at the roadside, on a Wednesday so that the dustmen can take it to be emptied. So it's a limitation as to how much you can actually manage to trim each week.

I took Alfie out for his walk when the rain held off. It was actually drizzly as we crossed the road into the walkway down into Eaglestone Park. Alfie is generally a good complaint little dog. If he runs off and I call he almost always comes back to me. But as we got round to the open green leading to the shops he ran ahead of me and I couldn't see where he'd gone as there was another bend in the path and some brambles in the way. He ran towards the lady who has the two little chihuahua dogs we've met on a couple of occasions. When I called he just would not come back to me. Then I saw another lady with a Great Dane and Alfie ran away when he saw this dog. He doesn't usually run away from dogs, more likely he will run towards them and run in circles around them, attempting to make friends, which most large dogs don't like or are so stunned by his behaviour, he moves so quickly they haven't got a chance to respond, but this time he ran away. I wasn't sure whether the Great Dane scared him because I was further back on the path and could see, but it was odd that he'd run off.

Alfie got a bit of a soaking in the drizzle, not too much, but the wetting made his coat go all crinkly and wavy which always happens when he gets wet. Once we were in the house he tried to dry himself by rubbing under the over-lapping cushions on the sofa in the sitting room and upstairs he rubbed along the bannister rails which makes an odd sort of noise.

The sun has now come out (9.45 A.M.) so perhaps the day will turn out a good deal sunnier than expected.

A Tropical Heatwave

I just have to sing the song 'Heatwave' from some musical or other, or 'Too Darn Hot' from perhaps the best-ever musical, 'Kiss Me Kate.' It's because we're enjoying a heatwave at the moment. I love it warm and sunny, but it's been far too hot. With a heart condition I have to be careful in sunshine. It can be quite dangerous. Likewise, Carol, with her health condition. Having been on chemotherapy for over six months too much sunshine can be just as dangerous for her as it can be for me. I don't want to complain about the warm weather. We don't get much decent weather as it is, and considering what we've had to go through during the past year.

It's been a really hot and sticky few nights. Even with the window open in the bedroom and an electric fan on at full blast, it's been rather difficult to sleep. Then you get extraneous sounds coming into the house, adding to further difficulties sleeping. It gets light early, the dawn chorus. Boy, can those little critters half sing? I don't think they sleep. A real racket. No wonder I wake up early in the summer months.

I've continued with the clearing of the brambles and other overgrown plantlife in our garden, such as it is. I did some more work on it early this morning, as it was over-cast at around 7.30. I was determined to get more done as a lot of the stuff I managed to grub out and cut back had gone in our Wheely bin and the rubbish is collected on a Wednesday morning. I had to bring it through the house as we don't have a side gate which would obviously make life easier. The space where the gate should be had to be blocked up when the fence was repaired and it would cost at least £150 to have a new gate put in. Our lovely landlord wouldn't spend out on having this done, I am sure. But it would make our lives easier if we could just push the bin round to the front of the house for collection by the Council workmen. I'm not sure whether they take this every week. I have a feeling it's only taken every fortnight because when I put it out a couple of weeks ago it was either forgotten or ignored by the Council workmen. I have no idea when it's supposed to be taken. But it was taken and emptied early this morning. Which means I can now fill it up again. With more garden waste.

I've been looking for new shoes. I went on line as I wanted something like a trainer but made of leather. Also, with substantial soles, so I don't feel gravel or whatever through them. On using Google I went on the Sports Direct site and found some Sketchers, a lightweight sort of shoe with a more substantial sole. When we went to Waterperry Gardens the other week, no sooner had we parked the car and were walking towards the entrance, across gravel, I could feel the gravel through the soles of my current pair of Adidas trainers. Not good. They are still in good condition. Since I was at school I have always kept shoes I own and wear clean. I use treatment to keep them waterproof and make sure they are polished or at least wiped clean. I don't suppose today's children have to worry about their shoes being cleaned like I did when I was at school. They should do. Having a sort of sense of personal pride should surely be instilled into the younger generation.

I digress. Never mind. Anyway, as I say, I found what I wanted on the Sports Direct website. I could have bought them through the website, but really wanted to try them on. Which you obviously can't do from a website. I could have bought them and tried them on, not liked them, for whatever reason and then had to send them back, which I didn't fancy doing. So on Monday we drove to the retail park at Bletchley and had a look at their vast selection. I found what I was looking for and then tried them on. A very helpful lady assistant got me the second shoe (a size 10 1/2, which I found to be slightly too large. I take a 10. When she came back with the size 10 pair I tried them on and they were perfect, so I decided to buy them, together with a shoe-care kit comprising special 'rain and stain' protector as well as instant cleaning spray.

We went to Frost's garden centre in Woburn Sands this morning. Carol had another scan this afternoon at the hospital and couldn't eat after 2 p.m. We had lattes and really fantastic scones, jam and cream. These scones are larger and far tastier than the average and are to be recommended. Also had a quick browse before we went home.

We decided to drive to the hospital for Carol's scan appointment. We could have walked, but, as it was so hot, it seemed a better idea to go in the car. On getting in the car, which had been standing on the drive all day in the full force of the sun, we discovered it to be extremely hot, rather like sitting in an oven (not that either of us has done such a thing.) I had an idea it wasn't as hot as the previous day, which was supposed to have been the hottest day this year, according to the weather forecast on BBC Breakfast this morning. Anyway, we drove round to the hospital and then had to park outside the scanning department which fortunately has several dedicated parking spaces for patients. I wasn't over-pleased that we had to park on a sloping piece of tarmac, so trusted that Carol had successfully applied the car's brakes, otherwise the car would have rolled forward and crashed through the scanning unit's glass facade. The unit was running approximately 20 minutes late. No reason given, but at least the staff on reception apologised. No doubt this was due to patients being bought in from the hospital wards to be scanned. Carol was soon taken off to be scanned and I was left to read the magazines in the waiting area. It was hot in the waiting area, but the staff closed the blinds and the place soon cooled down. About 45 minutes later Carol returned, the scan having been done, and she had to sit for 15 further minutes as she had a cannula in her arm. They put some sort of dye into the patient's arm (possibly radioactive? I don't know.) and eventually it was taken out by the nurse and we returned home, having had to make a somewhat difficult reverse out of the parking space outside the unit.

A Sunny Day (or not)

It's bright and sunny this morning (Thursday). Just hope it doesn't pour with rain after I've put washing out on the line. It's quite gusty so the washing should dry quickly. The garden still needs lots doing to it, cutting back the brambles at the bottom of the garden. They are incredibly tough to cut through and really cut into your hands with their thorns, so I use gloves.I've put the bits I've managed to cut into our one and only wheely bin. It's not really big enough for all the garden waste I'm putting into it We only get the wheely bins emptied once every two weeks which is making things more difficult, slow and steady. We don't have a side gate which we could use to take the bin round to the front of the house.  I have to take the bin through the house and out through the front door. Not exactly convenient, but how else is it to be taken out for the bin men? What gate we have was sealed up when the fence was repaired. It's really up to our landlord to spend out and have a new gate installed, but he's not going to spend out on anything he doesn't want to. So the bin remains in the garden (Garden? What garden?) 

We went to the Council offices yesterday as we're going to have to apply for benefits. There's really no choice as Carol has been off work for almost a year. I managed to park outside the offices, not too difficult, and payed the £2 required for an hour. Going in to the reception area, it's all changed since we last were here, must be at least 8-10 years ago. All bright paintwork and large photographs of places in Milton Keynes. A bit like the set for a breakfast television show. Low desks in sort of pastel shades. The lady on the reception desk (not a desk. More like a tiny IKEA coffee table. Nowhere for her to sit.) standing and welcoming people as they came in. Took our request for a form to start the application process. They don't have paper forms, it would seem. To get a reduction of Council Tax we need a reference number. We are given a ticket with a number on it and have to wait in the waiting area. Lots of people waiting and coming and going. Our number shows up on the digital screens, in the 'Triage' section. Other people seem to get called by the computerised voice, one in particular called several times, but no takers. We are eventually called by the female computer voice and we go to 'Desk Number 2.' Each desk has a red digital read-out. When we get there we have to prove our identity so I have to go back to the car to get my wallet and return to show my Driving Licence as well as Carol's. Which means the lady on the desk can get into the data-bank and she gives us the reference number we require on a small slip of paper which I store in my wallet for later use.

We return to the reception area where there is a row of three computers on desks and start the process of making our application. The application goes well enough, but by 2 o'clock I realise I'm going to have to put another £2 worth of parking ticket on the car, but, as I have no change, I go to the NatWest next door (fortunately our bank.) and take out £10 and then go inside to get change from one of the tellers. I then return to the car and pay the required sum into the machine and put the ticket inside the car's windscreen and the return to Carol who is continuing to fill in the on-line application.

It seems so obvious that the Council are attempting to run the benefits department with very few staff. The lady on the reception seemed to be doing the job of at least three people, attempting to help those with their on-line application as well as signing in new people as they entered reception. Usually they would have several people behind a reception desk. Also, no doubt they are trying to cut down on paper if you apply on line. Which a good idea because if you fill in a paper form that information has to be transferred onto a computer at some stage in which case another team of people would be required, so to have that information fed directly onto a computer system must surely save money in not having to employ more staff to do the job.

All the effort to do the application at the Council offices was a waste of time because there was so much information we needed which we didn't have with us. So we went home and did the application on our own laptop.

We went to the oncology department at around 10.45. The actual time we were supposed to be there was 11.20, but Carol wasn't seen until 11.35. She was having the pump removed and this was the last time, after the completion of the 12th chemotherapy cycle. 

Freezing Sunday Morning

Sunday morning I had to scrape ice off the car windscreen. It is a good deal easier with the new Renault as it has a good heating system which melts off any ice fairly rapidly and also I found an ice scraper which came to light when I was tidying the house the other morning. It might have started of freezing, but as the morning progressed the sun came out and it was quite pleasant, but still a chill in the air. The sort of weather where you need a coat or jacket on of some sort.

I woke up in the middle of the night and heard the rain outside. It sounded as if someone had switched on the shower in the bathroom. It went on for some time. I was expecting there to be flooding in the road outside but there didn't seem to be any sign of flooding when I looked in the morning.

I went out to the car the other morning and discovered a laminated notice had appeared near our wheely bin. It was headed 'Woughton Community Council' and stated that it's an offence to put your rubbish out too early and if you are caught, it can be classed as fly-tipping and you'll incur a fine. Oh come on, this is just another way to wring more cash out of people. So, please tell me this, how are we supposed to deal with plastic bin bags of rubbish, when you might not be at home in the morning that the Council dustmen come to collect it and you need to put it out the previous evening? Are you therefore going to become a criminal and given a fine for being efficient and effective with your time? It seems you can't do right by doing the right thing. Just bureaucracy gone mad. There is also another problem with putting your rubbish out in bin bags (black for general refuse and pink for stuff to be recycled.) and that's the problem caused by cats, birds and possibly other wildlife, which can get into the bags and take the remains of chicken bones out and peck around in it. On one occasion I saw a couple of crows who had got into our black bin bags when I'd put the rubbish out one Wednesday morning and stolen the remains of our Sunday chicken and were fighting over the bones in he street. Also, if the bags are torn open (quite easy because they are so flimsy, particularly the pink bags provided by the Council.) and litter is released from the bags and strewn all over the grass at the front of the house and the road. The Council workers seem reluctant to pick it up. Why on earth don't the Council provide us with two wheely bins (currently you can only use the green wheely bin for garden refuse and are supposed to move it to the road-side on refuse-collecting day for the workmen to deal with.) It would be better to have a second larger bin provided so you put all your bin bags, black and pink, which would prevent birds and other wildlife getting into the bags and also mean you could put your rubbish out earlier and therefore not get fined for so-called fly tipping. We're supposed to put our bags of rubbish out on a Wednesday, before 7 a.m. The thing is, some weeks they come early, almost dead on 7.30, but then on other weeks they don't turn up until 2 p.m. or even later. You can't win. So, does the fact that your rubbish is left out for hours and hours on a Wednesday still get classed as 'Fly-tipping?' Just a stupid technicality to class it as that if it's BEFORE 7 a.m. on a Wednesday. Then, why do the pink bags have to be so flimsy? They tear easily and come on a roll. At first you'd be excused if you thought the roll was just a single piece of plastic sheet, but in actual fact it's two layers and you have to separate these layers, a difficult enough job, and then you have to tear off each individual bag. Then, if you're not careful, you can puncture this bag with whatever you place within it, just a sharp piece of plastic or cardboard. The Council delivers a roll of pink recycling bags once a year, but if you run out before the end of the year, you have to go to the Council offices to receive get another roll. The black bags are no longer provided by the Council, so you are expected to buy your own. If it saves the Council money, then I have no problem with this, so I buy them when I'm in Sainsbury's or any other supermarket.

People going totally mad around Milton Keynes on Sunday. For some unaccountable reason Chaffron Way was closed off near the roundabout on Grafton Street, so I had to reroute and cross over towards  Child's Way, when  I was on my way to Shenley Christian Fellowship for the 9.15 service.  Traffic built up along most of the grid roads on the return journey afterwards as  I had to get something for our evening meal, so I decided to go to Morrison's near the railway station. The place piled high with 'bargains' for Black Week (or whatever it's called. Started out as just Friday, but it seems to have leaked into the following week.) Anyway, piles of toys, games, bottles of wine, Bailey's and other items. Shoppers pushing trolleys loaded up with groceries and stuff they thought they needed but probably don't. Took little time to pick up a chicken, vegetables, milk and other essentials and headed towards the checkout. It wasn't too long before I was through this and pushing the trolley back to the car. An idiot walking along with his mobile glued to his hand, not really looking what he was doing, certainly not engaged with the world around him. Got to the car and a child climbing up inside the trolley his mother was pushing. An accident waiting to happen, but I managed to negotiate this and people backing out of their parking spaces and loaded my things into the back of the car. People not really engaging with the world around them, and seemingly more intent on grabbing the latest bargain rather than being in an accident with either another car or people walking about.

Grass-Cutting and Hot Chocolate

I had put off cutting the grass for as long as possible. It was necessary to attack it at some point or other as it was beginning to get very long and if not done soon the mower wasn't going to manage. It's a right performance as you have to dig the mower out of the shed, un-tangle the cable and then run out the power cable from the house through the patio doors and plug it in near the fridge. I did around half of the grass-cutting yesterday morning and managed to complete the job this morning. I am hoping considering the weather and the fact that we will very soon be in November, that this will be the final cutting the grass will require until the Spring.

We went out for a short while. Carol's getting really fed up with being in the house all day, so we went to somewhere we haven't visited before. It's not far, within Milton Keynes and just up Chaffron Way and opposite Westcroft, where Morrison's has a branch. It's called Howe Wood and there's a café there. We've often mentioned it when we've seen the sign from the road but never visited. A real surprise awaited us as we drove into the carpark. The café is in the visitor centre and is called 'The Grumpy Cook.' I can't think why as the staff there are anything but grumpy. In fact I'd go as far as saying they're very pleasant. We ordered hot chocolate with marshmallows and had a large slice of coffee and walnut cake which we shared and then decided we wanted sausage rolls which we took home. They had a problem getting the card reader to work, so we couldn't pay using my debit card. Something about it not connecting but I don't know what is was exactly but we went back and had a second go and this time it worked.

Our neighbour on the other side has been cutting their hedge. It had got somewhat over-grown. She's an elderly lady and couldn't possibly do this work herself. The hedge is high and I imagine, because it's a laurel hedge (well, from looking at it I imagine it is as it has large shiny leaves which look like laurel.) It was certainly out of control and was in definite need of trimming. Her son had got someone in to do a lot of the trimming and there was a great pile of cuttings all over their drive-way (or, at least, their half of the parking space which we share.) Over the past few days our half of the driveway had been taken over by a large metal skip. I imagined it was there to take all the remaining hedge trimmings (the first batch had been removed by the man who did the first 'trim' of the hedge, but I don't know how he disposed of the bits of hedge, probably took it to the tidy-tip in his car.

Marion's son (our neighbour) came round to ask it we'd like our frontage trimmed up, as there a few rather nasty bits of tree that grow up near our front door which need the ocassional trim. I said I'd be pleased for him do it as the bits could go in his skip. The same in the rear garden, but I can cut them down and put them over the fence at the back. If we had a working side-gate at the rear of our house it would be easy enough to bring in a wheely bin and put the stuff in that, but our mean landlord won't pay to have it replaced, so I've no alternative method of removing garden waste other than shove it over the back fence.

The clocks changed this weekend. I can never remember if it's forward or backward. I know someone said that they 'spring forward' in April, which is spring- as a season, so it must be backwards in autumn. I have real problems adjusting my digital watch. It's difficult to get the thing set to an hour backward. I don't like it particularly when the clocks change as we have longer, darker days and I'm not a fan of winter.