storms and mulled wine

18.8.2010
How do I cope with this? The wind is howling around the donga and it shakes like a leaf with each buffeting blast. It is as un-nerving as being on a jet when you pass through turbulence. More annoying it also blows right through the donga so there is nowhere to escape. It is blowing through the sheds too, so our tools and stuff are getting wet and the animals are miserable.

We have three sheep in the shed, two with twin lambs and one with triplets. I suppose however bad it is in there, it is better than being outside in the paddock. I have bedded the animals down with fresh straw and loaded up their hay racks to make them as comfortable as possible. For the first time ever Edd and I are wearing coats and scarves indoors. At lunch time the plumber had still not arrived so we evacuated and spent most of the afternoon in Bo’s restaurant. She stoked up the fire and after two glasses of stout and a pie we began to feel slightly more human.

Tonight Edd has gone off to choir and I have mulled some wine and am taking regular doses as a survival tactic. Nothing seems to have progressed with the house plans , but why? Is Al not bothered about us, have he and Doug conflicting ideas about the engineering? Is his rating engineer incompetent? The annoying thing about not being in control is that I do not have the information needed to find out and I will have to be very assertive to get it. I could just employ new “experts “ in hopes they would come up with the needed stuff but that would mean paying everything double and yet more waiting.

It would be a good time just to draw up anchor and depart for warmer climes but the sheep are lambing and the goats are due any moment so that idea is out. What is this about Mars too? Is it really going to appear the same size as the moon by the end of August? Mars , the God of war! I kind of have the “oh sh**” feeling.

The mulled wine is starting to take affect and the stinging in my unthawing fingers has gone. Tonight’s plan consists of having a warm shower and retreating into bed , I don’t think I will bother with a meal.