Panic Stations.

After a night of rain (more about that in a mo') the morning was slightly hazy with a cold breeze blowing off the sea and low clouds over the mountains. By the afternoon we were back to Borthbados though the wind still had a bit of a bite to it.

The rain!!. yesterday evening I'd given up trying to get to sleep due to Peter's snoring and had taken myself off to the sitting room. I'd started watching tv when all of a sudden I heard water flowing. I went to check the kitchen as it's not unusual for Peter to leave the tap on because of his arthritis. But no, water was sploshing out of the kitchen ceiling light onto the floor. I quickly stuck a bucket underneath and woke Peter up. Short of turning off the mains we couldn't turn off the kitchen light circuit because despite being asked the electrician hadn't labelled the numerous switches in the fuse box. Not very helpful. I sorted out a bigger tub for the water to drip into and placed towels around to catch the splashes. Then we noticed the water coming through along the joins of the ceiling plasterboards and even down one wall. That had me worrying that the ceiling might come down so I covered up the kitchen cupboards and floor with dust sheets. Peter sent the builder a text and he promised to come over in the morning. Peter went back to sleep but I knew I wouldn't sleep so stayed up until nearly 4.00 emptying the bucket several times and putting another tub under the next drip that appeared. I slept for a few hours leaving me with interesting pink rimmed eyes today. 

The builder came over at 1.30 (I thought he should have been here at 8.00). He took off the light cover and the light bulbs (I wasn't going to let Peter do that) and then went up on the roof. Because the gutters from the main roof had been partially removed all the roof water had ended up on the flat kitchen roof and a lot of it was still there. He used my trusty vax to get rid of the water and after some prompting from Peter made some adjustments to the tarpaulin up there. It took more prompting from me to get him to agree that he or one of his lads would be over first thing to remove the tarpaulin so that the roof and the insulation have a chance to dry out before they return in the afternoon to finish off putting the boards on the roof. Really that should have all been done in one day but it was too much for just two lads. Now the builder will have to pay for the redecorating of the kitchen ceiling and for the electrician who is coming tomorrow.

Before the builder arrived I hung up some washing and saw the weeds in the back garden were getting out of control. I had a good weeding session in the hot sun getting rid of yet more cleavers and brambles that were trying to take over the rough bit and prised all the weeds out from between the slabs of the path. One bonus today was this lovely white foxglove. I'd left it thinking it would be an ordinary purple one but instead it was a garden variety. There are some more fxglove seedlings and a few plants around which I shall keep and see what colours they are.

The flowers in the back garden look pretty, the back garden not so much. I also need to clear out the buttercups as they will be hard to get rid of when I do sort out that side of the garden.

The rest of the afternoon has been spent sitting on the terrace, chatting to neighbours some of whom even came into the garden and watching the week-end visitors out on the water. Right now I'm waiting for Peter to return with fish and chips as the chip shop he likes (the other is not too good) re-opened last week.