Firstly, thank you for the messages. I’m okay, I’m guessing that I’ve had what I assume is Writer’s block. I just haven’t had the inclination to write anything. I wondered if it was just Winter blues or me feeling down. Or some such thing. A few things have happened, I’ve done a bit more to the door and of course, there’s plenty more of my story to tell you about, so there’s no shortage of what to write about.
With Winter, the days are shorter, colder and wetter. I try and get something done most days, even if it’s just one thing. I then knock up a bit of scram before relaxing with the burner blazing away. By which time I have lost all intentions of writing. In truth, I’m also fed up with the ‘front room’ looking like a shed, so arguably, there’s also a bit of depression to add to the mix.
Anyway, not to worry, it will all work out in time and it will all be worth it. I know this, if only from the experience of how far the build has come thus far.
What hasn’t helped is the number of people who have let me down. For example, I have had two people say that they will do some welding for me, neither have turned up. If they did not want to help me, why say that they will? I have more respect for somebody who is honest and says that they don’t want to help me for whatever reason. I have now resigned myself to trying to raise the money to buy a welder and learn to do it myself. In the meantime, I will have to work around what I need making. Another bloke went off with a bolt saying that he would get new made. Not only has it not happened, but I am now a specific bolt down, along with the one that was damaged in the first place, which means that I have to source new. I was also told that I would have some leaflets printed. It never happened. (While I think of it, do you know anyone who could print leaflets? Please give me a shout if you can help, I can then explain what I would like. Thanks.)
On the other hand, other people are incredibly kind and generous. The balance of life; where there’s a Yin, there’s a Yang. Here, I want to mention a lovely lady called Dawn. She has been kind from the start. She turned up one day shortly after I had put the ad. on the internet looking for ways to earn a few pennies.* She had no work that she could offer me, so gave me some money, anyway! She mentioned that she was a seamstress and said that she would repair a coat for me. She also put me on to a bloke who works for a shed construction company that has loads of offcuts, etc. One day, she appeared with a wonderful roast dinner, complete with apple pie and custard, all home-made. She also took my coat and returned the very next day with the repairs done!
One day a woman stopped by. She said she was a Witch and could I make her a wand. I explained that being a Wizard does not make me a maker of wands. I told her to go into the woods where the Wood Elves would put one in her way if she asked them.
Fly tipping is something of an issue around here. One day a van, much like mine, pulled up in front of me. I didn’t take any notice until I realised that one of the occupants was looking, apparently seeing if I was home. I popped my head out the door at which point the man told me that they were rearranging the load. Then they moved on - minus a fridge-freezer. I informed the Council who arranged to dispose of it within a couple of days. Less than a week later a carcass of a settee appeared on the corner behind me. I again called the Council. This time the person I spoke to complained that I was calling them and even dissed me saying, “Oh you’re that man living in the caravan there.” Over a month later it was eventually removed.
When I heard that there was going to be another ‘lockdown’ I was really looking forward to the peace. Well, I don’t know what happened to it, but no-one appears to be taking any notice of it. The police snooped around on the first evening. That was it. Though it’s not been as busy as it was when I first got here, there is still plenty of activity. Even as I write this this evening, there are kids in the car park to the recreation field letting off fireworks. The cats, by the way, seem oblivious to the racket.
I had long since spotted some tree trunks that had been cut from I presume, a fallen tree blocking the path by the woods. I had by now used up the tree trunk I had brought home way back in early Spring,** so it was time to organise getting those trunks home. Now, as usual with me, they were not little trunks from a young tree. No, these were proper trunks a foot thick! Far too heavy for me alone. I enlisted the help of the boys. I took my chainsaw with me to reduce the length of those that were too heavy to remove and Michael took his Land Rover to a point as close as could be gained to where the trunks sat. We found that the boys could drag two hefty lengths with rope tied around the trunks. Other lengths were able to be carried.
About a week later some trees across the road from me were being pruned. A bloke came over and asked if I would like the logs. He didn’t have to ask twice. I spent an hour ferrying the logs from the pile on the bank home. A few mornings later, the tree surgeon appeared with a few more logs. That’s me sorted for a bit!
One evening, a van was dropped off by a recovery truck a few yards along from me. I walked by the next morning on my way to the woods to forage. I noticed the damage and that the number plate was Romanian. The nearside front wheel was facing entirely the wrong way. “Oh dear.”, I thought, “That’s serious.” Later that afternoon, the van driver knocked and asked to borrow a couple of logs. An hour or so later as he and his co-driver walked by. I asked him if he needed anything. They were off to buy tools. I told him that I had all the tools that he would need and that he could borrow them. Apparently, the wishbone had broke and the parts were on the way. That evening when the repairs had been completed and test drive proved safe, they returned my tools and presented me with a McD meal. I put on my most grateful face and thanked them. It was disposed of safely. However, they did also give me a tenner.
Tony at Dom’s (www.domsfoodmission.com) dropped by a couple of times with a food parcel despite my not having asked for one which was a lovely surprise. A lovely Asian lady; Filipino looking, gave me some rose hip jam she had made. Another woman bought me a load of chocolate and biscuits. Then one morning, a large duvet had been left on the table outside. Most recently, I was given some mince pies.
That reminds me that the Christians will be having their glutton-infused festival they call Christmas very soon. This year I will stand a pretty good chance of not having to hear any of that grotesque music, see the intense light pollution that adorns the council estates as the chavs try to outdo each other with their garish designs or hear those words, ‘Merry Christmas’, etc. uttered. ‘The season of good will to all men’? What about the rest of the year? Why not good will to all, always!? It’s insulting and grotesque. It’s nothing more than a celebration of Greed. I usually am polite and thank people for their sentiment and respectfully explain that I am not a Christian and therefore do not observe their festival.
I will of course acknowledge the festival of the Yuletide Solstice and the Full Moon following.
May your coming year bring you your Heart’s Desire. Bless you.
Anyway, there’s some stuff about the door to tell you. I’ll do that in the next relevant post.
The Council popped by to ask me to move my table off of the pathway as some-one had complained that it blocked their right of way! No problem. I simply moved it into the road between my caravan and the truck. Problem solved.
*see entries Buying wood & Thank you
**see entry Pasta sauce