Water, Water Everywhere (But Not A Drop to Drink)

The cute cats mostly wearing lupins and chive flowers. Thought I’d start with something cheery to lull you into a false sense of security…because…

…yesterday, I experienced a sudden bout of vertigo-like symptoms. Nausea, sickness, boiling hot, immense tiredness and the room spinning around like one of those crazy, vomit-inducing tea-cup waltzers at the fairground. I’d been okay all day but by five o’clock in the afternoon, as I was cooking dinner, I was feeling rough. Very rough indeed. 

I took myself off to bed, safe in the knowledge I’d cooked Andy’s dinner, and my last Will and Testament was up-to-date, and the next thing I knew it was 9 p.m. The spinning had stopped, the nausea had abated. I came downstairs, had a little bite to eat, drank loads of water and ginger tea, and was back to bed by 11 p.m feeling a bit drained. I missed my usual evening shower, thinking I’d have one in the morning instead. 

Wrong! This morning, we had no water. Typical, given it threw it down with rain yesterday. Of course, the torrential rain meant the water-butts had been replenished so I’ve been filling up a watering can with which to flush the loo #blitzspirit. I went to the supermarket at the crack of opening time to buy drinking water and wet wipes. There was very little bottled water available, presumably because we’ve just experienced a heat wave and people have been buying more than usual, although why they don’t drink tap water beats me because it’s perfectly nice around these parts. 

Anyway, I purchased two packs of small bottles of water because that’s all there was, and a couple of packs of wet wipes for hand ‘n’ face washing purposes, and washing other parts I might need to on account of me not being able to shower. No flies are following me as yet, so I think I’m okay. But I did give myself an extra dose of Yardley bluebell spray, just in case. Lord Malarkey is okay because he’s got a swim ‘n’ gym membership so has just been for a swim (not gym) and used the shower and toilet facilities. 

The current update from the water company is that the problem has been caused by a burst pipe. As I write, there is a flurry of activity just up the road in the field opposite us - diggers, men in high-vis jackets and safety hats etc - so I am assuming that repairs are underway. It does make one realise how fortunate we are to live in this country where a steady, clean water supply is taken for granted as part of civilised society. 

In other news, Mrs Swallow laid five eggs. The babies, if there were any, have been unusually quiet and I was beginning to worry that the nest had proved unviable on account of the heatwave, but we’ve just taken a quick photo and can see what looks like four grumpy babies. They have pin feathers so must have hatched a good week ago, about the same time as the first batch hatched last year. Hurrah for that, then! 

Today, the forecast was for HEAVY RAIN ALL DAY. Ha! It’s been dry and sunny, a bit windy and I’m thinking I might install my own weather station by the back door, consisting of a pine cone and strand of seaweed because I reckon it’d be a darn sight more reliable than the BBC or Meteorological Office attempts at forecasting. 

There are strange gurglings happening in the water pipes now, so I’m off to investigate…