Tuesday 23 May 2023
We have friends staying and, of course, something isn’t working. This time, a new one, the WiFi isn’t working. We had a power cut of a few seconds. Usually, when that happens – and it hasn’t been often – the server just starts up and all is okay. This time, it wasn’t okay. So we are without any kind of phone or data signal (apart from the landline). We can’t even Google what to do.
Yesterday, I did an array of things, from work to housework. I even gave my car a quick clean, using water from the hot tub – still have spring-drying-up paranoia as it hasn’t been raining and the stream in the garden is very quiet, as is the river at the bottom of the drive. In the time it took to give my car a cursory wash (I ignored the wheels, wheel hubs and didn’t bother scrubbing at the dead flies and other more marked areas), three birds (probably the swallows that are constantly swooping around) pooed on the car. As I was cleaning it. Three. My car-washing, rare though it is, has never been sabotaged in that way before, not even one mid-wash bird poo. I imagine this morning it will be covered in more bird poo, but at least the layer of dust is gone for now.
Chris picked Annie and Tony up from Lockerbie last night at around 18:15 and drove straight back. Annie and I went round the garden and put the SD cards back in the wildlife cameras. It was a lovely warm, still evening, though a lot of those pollen-looking insects hovering around.
In the morning, I drove out to Hawick for food, diesel and to stock up on photo hooks and nails. On the way back, I saw some black bugs, quite a lot of them, flying in large packs. When I got home and walked across the bridge to shut the gate, a very buzzy thing tried to make its way into my ear. I have a suspicion that means the midges and other bity buzzy flying things are regrouping and preparing their attack. This, unsurprisingly, does not feel me with joy.
As with quite a few friends who have stayed, or hopefully will stay, we are spending more time with them than ever before. Annie, Tony, Chris and I have only spent a maximum of a few hours together before. It’s been lovely sitting around chatting, none of us having to rush off. I also find it lovely seeing friends in this environment, so different to the places we’ve met before. I think the quietness makes us all slow down a bit. I appreciate – not just in the context of having friends round – the sense of peacefulness making it easier not to be so time-fixated. I’ve been a rusher-abouter for a while now and slowing down is definitely one of many positives about being out here.