Doing the garden,digging the weeds...

Alfred & Chester - in said garden.





Garden - Dogs are still there.







Well those stinky drains were a mystery.

The drains were unblocked, but the smell came back, then it went again and it has not returned since.

I have a perverse theory about a fried battery in the van.

Yesterday we did some weeding. Realising that the house will remain only semi-habitable for the next few months, we've embarked on a program of garden maintenance, in order to at laest have somewhere pleasant to live during the summer.

It's going to be a long, hot summer here in Duffield.

We've still not got all the planning permission approved, but once that happens we can move on with structural surveys and the like. Then there'll just be the minor problem of getting some money to help implement the project.

This ole credit crunch has come at the wrong time for us.

Tomorrow we're off to Bristol for a few days to look after my ancient father and then we're going to Gill and Sam's for two days before moving oin to Todmorden for the Tod walk. All of this time we'll have the dogs in tow. One of them (Alfie) attempted suicide this morning by plunging into the full and fast flowing Derwent.
He was struggling to pull himself up the bank. I was about to plunge in (up to my waist probably), when a supreme effort by the dirty brown dog fetched him up on the bank. He'd completely forgotten the incident within 30 seconds.

Stinky drains

There was an awful smell pervading the motorhome and the link corridor to the house.
On investigation, I discovered that one of the drains was blocked on the drive.

Well, this was ideal - not only are we living in sub-zero temeratures in a supersize kennel, but now we have a supersize pong to contend with.

Anyway, the call was made to a drain clearance Company and the drain was duly cleared. Unfortunately he could not manually rod the drain (too exposed to the public), so he had to use his power jet and the cost was therefore about 160 quid instead of 50. Still, worth it for his generator being switched on for 10 minutes.

This was all on Friday. Come saturday and the smell re-appeared, but it seems to have gone for good now. What's happening?

It's now monday morning - Rita's off to see Ben, Lisa and Jamie in Bury St Edmunds.
First though we've got to sort a few things with regards to properties. This includes the cleaning of Jackson Street, prior to putting it up for sale.
Selling Jacko will give us some money. Having some money means we can start this renovation for real.

That will be good.

He's terrorised the chickens, terrorised the rabbits and terrorised the children..

Chester has now firmly established himself in Duffield.

Amongst all the genteel folk and well behaved canines, he has managed to pomote a raid on a remote cottage whilst out on a walk. His prime objective was to retrieve a football - anyone who knows this dog will understand his prediliction for the round ball.

He managed this on our first pass of the cottage.I took the ball from him and was able to return it, relatively undamaged, to the garden. On the return trip he sprinted away from me whilst still 100 metres from the building and disappeared into the undergrowth that led to the garden.

Two minutes later he emerged, proudly carrying a size 5 punctured football in his jaws.

Behind him was a very prim and proper lady, marching purposefully up the hill towards me.

"Would you please put your dog on a lead - he has terrorised the rabbits, terrorised the cickens and terrorised the children"

"Sorry" I say. I put the lead on Chester. He removes the wolfs head that he has been wearing for the past five minutes and we trudge home.

Chester likes Duffield.

Been here a month now - still cold

Pic 1: Fitted kitchen

Pic 2: Executive lounge

pic 3: Presidents suite

This has got to be easier than writing a diary.

So, armed with experience of deilvering daily bulletins from far flung places, we now are in the process of creating a less frequent than daily bulletin which outlines progress on our move to Duffield. Ok , come back - it's more than that!

Look, you can follow the progress of the renovation of the property (which may happen one day if someone dumps a load of dosh on us). You can hear all about the two adopted labradors who are contriving to turn the place into an even bigger dump than it is. (...repetition of word dump....).

Hear all about our early struggles in Arctic temperatures as March and April refuse to throw off the vestiges of winter.

Oh..and extra, extra, read all about it -
"Life in the Kennel".
"Humans live like dogs!".
"It's a dogs life!!".
"DOGMAN !!!".
"Barking Mad!!"

Just read the Duffield Scene , all these lurid headlines are soon to appear.

A little taster of where we have moved to is contained in these pictures.