A Day Off

A rare and longed for thing!

"Good-oh", I thought,"I'll be able to really get stuck into sorting out the woodpile."

You may be thinking, perhaps with some justification, that I really should get out more...

However, the "Pippin" woodpile is a true wonder to behold.

It's more of a wooden stockade constructed out of super-annuated 8 foot long posts scrounged from the vineyard.

It currently contains not only about 3 tons of seasoned wood, but also three 20 litre jerry cans, a workmate, an old bucket full of rusty spanners, a 20" bronze propeller and about 80" of stainless steel propshaft, the engine and gearbox from a 1948 Alvis TA14, another complete cylinder head for same, a wheelbarrow and our 'new' garden furniture.

This, then, is no ordinary woodpile.

What makes it all the more special is the fact that due to the careful use of advanced 'stealth' technology, NO-ONE knows it's there!

Except Jackie, of course.

No stealth technology yet devised will dip below my beloved's radar, especially, (as in the case of the Alvis engine, the boat prop, and all those other toys that a chap just has to buy because they are 'a bargain' or are 'bound to come in handy one day'...)if it means spending money that should rightfully be dedicated to the overdraft, or silly luxuries, like food....

Anyway, my blissful day of sorting through my acquired junk was soon scuppered. A BIG SHOP was called for, followed by a trip to the re-cycling centre.

I brightened at the prospect of the latter, as you never know what the chaps at the dump will have put to one side to sell for beer money......

We did the shopping, and later, as we pulled out of the re-cycling place, Jackie espied a travel-worn wooden trunk in the Articles For Sale section near the gate, intimating she rather liked the look of it.......

We don't have a lot of built-in storage on Pippin, so these boxes are ideal.

I did a passable imitation of a greyhound out of the trap (albeit in a podgy, mid-forties, thinning-hair sort of style) and whipped it out from under the nose of another interested party for a tenner.

Result!!

I forgot all about the wood-pile. After all, we'd just acquired another piece of junk to restore!

After a quick lunch, I set to massaging various soothing unguents into the wood, to very good effect. Jackie, meanwhile, was hard at work with Sugar Soap and scrubbing brush getting all the worn-out finish off of the set of four 'Free to a good home" wooden garden furniture chairs and table she had recently rescued from the end of someone's drive.

She then remembered she had to go to her bro's party in London, and disappeared off at about 6.30. Hmmmmmmm...

I dutifully painted one of the chairs and the table with linseed oil, (watched by James and Amy who sat on the non-sticky chairs to keep me company). They then very kindly cooked me a lovely pasta supper before zooming off to watch "Have I Got News For You" or some-such on their telly-box.

Day off?

I am KNACKERED!!!!!!!!

And I've got another one tomorrrow.........