Boy has a mow then it’s sooty ‘n sweep show
NEVER have I seen such growth and greenness within the space of a week.
The warmth coupled with some heavy downpours has meant that Reuben, 12, had to get busy fettling up an old lawnmower that he was given.
It had been left in a garage and the wires had been gnawed by a rodent of some type.
The original idea was that he would put the lawnmower’s small engine into a go-kart chassis that he’s got.
Unfortunately for Reuben the grass around the picnic benches and farmhouse was sufficiently untidy for the lawnmower to be recommissioned.
He duly mended it and spent the week shoving it around some pretty bumpy ground. Usually all mowing duties are undertaken by the sheep, but the downside is that they also feel the need to fertilise the grass too. Not always ideal when I am busy waitressing between the tables of our summer cafe and thus not wearing wellies! For a while now we’ve had a problem with an open fire in the living room. Some fire bricks and cement had loosened and smoke was curling up the side and filling the room.
Rather like the Olympic torch it never really goes out – warming the house, heating the water and drying the washing. But in order for it to be repaired and the chimney to be swept, it needed to be cold.
Clive got the brushes up the chimney, the soot dropped into the grate then, feeling pleased with himself, he swept up the mess, put the brushes outside and hoovered up the dust.
Unfortunately, Sidney and Annas found the brushes and were busy amusing themselves, Dick Van Dyke style, waving them around and getting very dirty in the process.
I wasn’t amused and gave Clive a few black looks myself before whisking the children off to the shower.
By the time they were clean and I was back downstairs the vacuum cleaner was outside the front door, smouldering. Evidently the soot wasn’t as cool as he thought.
I think I’ll just get the chimney sweep to come next time.