The rain and wind have arrived, no doubt it is a Storm Stephanie, Hurricane Horace, Wicked Wind Wendy or Breezy Betty or some such.  All I can say is that it is wet and I don’t like it.

So.  I have a plan.  I may need a bit of a hand perhaps, which costs a lot for me to confess as I am such a controlling creature, brilliant, talented and up for and up to everything and anything.  However….this time I am chewing a lot of pencils trying for a suitable design.

My plan.  I am trying to design a contraption I can step into, with possibly pedals that are cranked so I can move along without getting my feet wet.  The cover, like a shapely umbrella will cover me and keep me dry as I pedal along, so it needs some sort of skeleton cage I think, but one I can step out of easily if an engaging smell catches my attention as I go along, or should I possibly need to avail myself of the facilities.  Oh how I wish I was friends with  Heath Robinson as I know he would design me something terrific…..oh and it needs a brake so it won’t dash off if I need to disembark.   Nothing complicated, really.

So as a result of not knowing Heath Robinson, I have decided to set up a competition as I know that is what he would encourage me to do if I did know him.  So I intend to advertise widely and wait for drawings to be submitted, and the one I choose as the winner will get a terrifically good prize!!  The winner can come here and while he/she constructs the winning design, I guarantee to manage, oversee the construction and even do all the test driving personally, with absolutely no charge, and merely ask for 60 percent of the company set up worldwide to build and market same once I have it right.  Now there is a deal nobody could afford to walk away from.

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OC was not on the doorstep this morning which was very concerning, and I was really worried (momentarily) that she had left home in a huff as I told her she could not sleep in the shepherds hut.  I was writing a very nice and loving “missing hen – reward for safe return” notice, and an even nicer obituary just in case, when she wandered round the corner of the terrace chatting amiably with her new pheasant friend – who flew off when she saw me.  Well.  I gave her a stern lecture about worrying me so much and putting me to so much extra work, I can tell you.  She walked slowly up to me and I prepared myself to be magnanimous when she apologised grovellingly but she just looked closely at me in that way she has, and pecked something out of my coat!  Then she walked off.  Huh, I thought.   

Note to self:   No worrying in future, definitely no hen corner in the shepherds hut, but I will keep the missing notice and obit on file……shame to waste the work.

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The managing of the building of the shepherds hut is turning out to be somewhat  more challenging than I had thought it would be.  In fact, it occurs to me that the whole thing resembles the cha-cha…………I am fond of that dance and watch it carefully on the telly on Saturdays when I have time and notice that since it has become famous, it has earned an extra cha, and is now called “the cha-cha-cha”.  Anyway.  The base of the dance starts with one step forward, one step back and three to the side, then one step back, one forward and three to the other side bringing you back to where you started.  Do you see the resemblance I wonder.

So on Sunday last the scalloped edging for the shepherds hut, made from lead, went on (very fetching) and the whole roof was covered with the felt.  We retired to bed exhausted but very pleased with ourselves….(step forward).  By Wednesday, the wind had torn all the felt off again and was blowing so hard that it was impossible to put the tarpaulin back over as merely lifting it threatened us all with a hairy ride to Cwmdu.  I put my health and safety hat on and firmly sent everyone home.  (Definitely step back) We were relying on the sheets of insulation to keep it dry and luckily  that pretty much worked. (Three steps to the side).    Finally yesterday the rain drew breath for a mo.  We worked hard all day to patch up the felt, nail it back on under my careful supervision, and we put some of the wriggly tin over the top.  (Careful step forward).  It was difficult to do as the rain kept calling by for another look, which meant the cover was on-off-on-off all day, but by the time we came in not only was it dark, but the roof was two thirds done!!!  (Three more cautious step to the side). The next step must be forwards according to my calculations, so I am longing for that………….could Skye and I be in for Christmas???  

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