10 Jul 2017

Bump

8

As in “Down to Earth with a…”

Re-entry into normal life after a holiday is seldom easy, though it is always lovely to be at home with the cats again. This time round, though, we seem to have hit a dozen domestic obstacles and have been completely derailed.

First there was the plague of flies. Yuck. Neither we nor the cooncil’s pest controller could find the source, so it is assumed that something must have died under the floorboards, or in one or other of the invisible nooks and crannies that an old house harbours, and we basically have to tough it out with traps etc until the something is all used up and the flies move on.

But then in dealing with the flies, we managed to break the bathroom blind, so we have to sort that out too. And when the blind came crashing to the floor, revealing the state of the window behind, we also realised we would have to do some decorating before installing anything new. Still, it is the right season for decorating – and for being blindless – since the evenings are long and light, so we made a start.

And promptly came down with a virus. S went first, which at least allowed me time to fulfil some teaching commitments last week, but I then lost the weekend in a fevered daze and am only just vertical again today. Meanwhile, the decorating remains in limbo, as do the cats, since they must be kept out of areas treated with fly poison…

I think I am ready for another holiday, to be honest!

“Bump” was posted by Cally on 10 July 2017 at https://callybooker.co.uk

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8 Responses

  1. Catherine Freeland
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    If you have a nest in the chimney….I’m sure you know what I was about to say. I have experienced similar in the past – not flies, but a dreadful smell! You’ve been in ‘Jane’ country (our Highland Guild secretary)! In Tain for supplies this afternoon, it was warm and sunny, for an hour at least, and quite a shock too to be peeling layers off. Alas, this evening, the gloom has returned, brightened only by the saucer-like flowers of the first evening primrose to burst forth. Hope you feel better quickly….

  2. Betty Bell
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    I feel you pain ……….. Far away, on the other side of the planet, we’re fighting wee ants. They’ve been a minor issue for years, but last year the multitudes decided to colonize our little plot, inside and out. The Pest Control lady has been persistent, so perhaps … so far they’ve avoided the pottery and weaving studio in the basement (go figure). My kitchen has never been so clean, and the upstairs bathroom shines. I’m considering eating outside until the weather drives us back in. Thanks for the pictures. I still hope to see Scotland someday, and this reinforces my desire … enjoying a sunny day in Puget Sound.

    • Cally
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      Oh, that sounds horrible. Poor you. I’d be inclined to eat outdoors as well, if weather permitted! It is funny how one’s attitude is affected by the difference between ‘a few’ and ‘a multitude’ – I am used to the wildlife one finds in and around an old building, but this takes it to another level altogether!

  3. Sandra Rude
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    Here’s hoping that ‘real life’ settles down to a dull roar soon. It is totally unfair to have to endure illness right after the holiday ends, but better than during the holiday!

    • Cally
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      That’s very true, Sandra! At least we had full enjoyment of our time away.

  4. Kathleen L Metzger
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    Not sure what to do for flies,. Ants despise cayenne. I sprinkled it across the base of the house & atop their mounds nearby. In 20 minutes the whole colony would march away as fast as their legs could carry them. Be sure to apply across doorways.