Full working day, cleaning my Jaguar, drives and garages of the cement dust from recent swimming pool and building works with the help of Daniel and his friends and enjoying two large meals and also some toasted tea cakes all on the day of the hugely-popular London Marathon as Geoffrey Howe crudely threatens more attacks on Libya
Stayed up late last night watching a rather good film and so was quite tired this morning. Normal routine and then down to a glorious fried breakfast that I only allow myself once a week. The rain was falling heavily and so I settled down to my Observer for most of the morning, reading it from cover to cover. Later, I went outside and gathered Daniel with me to wash the Jaguar at last. It had been white with cement dust etc and we hosed it down, shampooed it, hosed it once again, before leathering it with clean water to remove the marks. Then, to protect it, necessitated clearing out both garages, moving the fence ponds and other things to the inner one, taking wooden posts etc down to the shed, and then sweeping and cleaning them both out. A beautiful lunch of the best roast beef that Diana had ever cooked and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. After the boys (Gary and Steve came to visit today) had helped some more after lunch, I let them take the boats out on the river.
The weather had brightened up, with the rain giving way to sunny intervals and a warm breeze that soon dried most of the gardens out. Debbie was joined by Amie and they played outside with Della and the Di brought my afternoon tea out and we sat together on the bench whilst I drank it. Later, I finished the garages, sorted out some 3”x3” poles and started planning the base for the workshop that I am going to move. A merry throng to tea of toasted tea cakes and toast and then I cleared up outside the outer garage, by clearing out the surface drain trap by hand and then swept several bucketful’s of limestone dust from the outer drive. In at dusk after a good working day and I hope for fine weather this week to continue the outside improvements. On the other hand, bad weather would allow me to catch up on a mountain of paperwork! The ducks laid 11 eggs this morning, one for each of them, and now two pairs of doves are incubating their eggs and I am in hopes of some chicks. Comments today by Sir Geoffrey Howe that the US may make another strike from British bases, if Europe does not agree tougher measures against the Libyans, which is a poor form of blackmail. Thousands protested outside US air bases today and many were arrested. Reporters were allowed to see more of the damage from US bombs today and there were claims that the Americans used more planes and made more attacks than had been revealed. Britons have been evacuated from West Beirut to a safer part of the city. As more young children are attacked by sex killers, police from many countries are meeting to throw light on at least 15 unsolved crimes. 18-19,000 runners took part in the London Marathon, which is now the world’s biggest event of its kind. After today’s sun and showers, tomorrow is forecast to be more rainy.