Today I went running and completed the normal 5km on the Early Walk. The dogs were a little bouncy, one in particular, for want of an Evening Walk which would have been a bridge too far last night. I slept well but work around 03:00 for a drain-down before going back to bed. Skinny, who slept outside on the decking, got restless and kept wandering in and out, the metal rings of his chain scraping against the stanchion of the canopy. I finally gave up around 05:00, dressed and went to turn on the water heater.
Ursula was waiting at the end of the Promontory: the small tent from the preceding day had taken its backpacker to the next location. Another absent fixture was the Sea Bridle which was moored not far away for several days. No more Christmas Tree to look at. The moon is reduced to a sliver as I spotted before getting out of bed. I took Skinny for a solo walk around the Promontory then did the next with him, Obi and Fido. Luis joined Ursula for some ball-chasing but then decided to follow me as he became more tired. After the third lap, I let Fido and Skinny go so that they could have some running around time, hoping that Skinny might be too tired to run away which he was. Fido chased his ball once then concentrated on chewing it. He also decided it wasn’t worthwhile running back to the camping in search of treasure.
Ursula took three back plus Heidi after the distribution of biscuits at the Big Rock. I went the road way in order to complete my 5km course. Once back, I decided to run but did walk 1km of a slightly shorter course passing Janne who was charging off in the opposite direction. I felt I should take it easy today.
Ursula had completed her Pilates and watered the plants so went off for some breakfast while I went for a shower. I was glad of a sit-down and didn’t move much before 11:00 slipping off to sleep for a while in the process. By now I’d declared it time for some food so prepared the grapefruit which has been lurking in the fridge for some while. My bowl of slurry out of the way, I answered an email from Maria requesting knowledge of my wellbeing. I replied that I was likely to live.
Yesterday’s departure of Bella, Georgia’s boat, has meant the remodelling of all the clutter delivered and ‘stacked’ in my exit area. Most of which is now leaning against the wall of the workshop. It’s much easier to get in and out with the dogs especially now there are six. I’m also pleased to notice the gradual disappearance of the pallet seats which I stacked up in the storeroom two seasons ago. They used to be spread around the camping with cushions providing one of the most uncomfortable seating experiences I’ve encountered in a long time. So much more light comes into the storeroom too. At least there will now be much more room for other clutter.
Later on, I wandered down to return Ursula’s ‘bone china’ upon which she served the delicious stuffed tomatoes. Zanna, in charge of the bar, wanted some information about sound amplifies so I spent time looking online with her. It seemed such a laborious decision considering the magnitude of the sum in question. It’s crazy that so many resources are squandered on some projects yet others are kept on such a tight budget – new amp this year but new speakers next year. Looking at the wiring at the back of the amplifier and the selection of different speakers festooned around the bar and restaurant area, I’m surprised it sounds as good as it does. I suggested having many small speakers at low volume to give the appearance of a strong sound without the nearby cabins and tents being disturbed at nighttime. Apparently, Georgia was keen that the new device had an FM radio tuner. Does anyone listen to FM radio and are there any stations worth listening to? There are few stations that don’t broadcast over the Web.
I enjoyed a cup of tea with Ursula and Tony. Ursula read the critical reviews of Jacob Rees-Mogg’s latest book on the Victorians as Tony and I chuckled. The 700 odd copies already ‘sold’ may be found on the shelves of libraries or propping up wobbly tables before long. The reviewers were certainly very critical of his work.
The remainder of the afternoon degenerated into another short time-warp interrupted by Luis barking at some distant sound. A large, white dog is completely blocking the entrance of the awning area and Luis is snoozing behind my chair.
Skinny was left with all the others at the end of his wire rope for quite a while while I was out. It seems that his presence is now accepted by the others. Considering he was number one archenemy during the winter and frequently chased away. It’s a complete contrast to the problems with OddJob: these I consider were of my own making trying to integrate him too quickly. OddJob had a different character to Skinny who is playful and soppy but no longer allows himself to be dominated by the other dogs. He was playing with Luis this evening as I was throwing the ball using the thrower. Skinny can run much faster than Luis but seemed to tire quickly and lose interest. When he tried to obtain the ball from Luis, he’d put one of his great paws on Luis’ back then put his big mouth over Luis’ nose. Considering how aggressive Luis can be, he appeared content to put up with this behaviour without getting all hot under the collar.
Tony and Ursula have just left with Heidi. We’ve enjoyed another meal of stuffed tomatoes as there was some stuffing left over from yesterday. We have also consumed some remnants of the curry from a couple of nights back. It was the biggest meal I’ve eaten in the past few nights. Most of the dogs are inside the van Leaving Skinny and Obi outside.
The day has been the hottest of the year so far with a top temperature of 33.3℃. Even at 22:00, the temperature is still 25.3℃. Time to withdraw to my boudoir I think.
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