When in doubt, weed

Chris came over today to set up the broadband system for our computer. Took ages, but we had a lovely catch up. And almost caught the small mouse that was making a continual dash to the fireplace. It skittled rather beautifully over the floor and made a dash for the wine rack. We never managed to catch the small creature, but it did make hanging onto the help desk department more entertaining. No wireless access alas, but at least a cable works.

The mice had set up on the house last month. I stupidly left a packet of pistachios out. And they found them and gorged on them and then seemed to send a message to all the other tiny mice in the area. In no time there must have been about six in the house. One of them had even installed itself in the grating of the fireplace. It has a glass door, luckily, but I did see it poking its little face out one evening. They are small. But persistent and have To Be Attended To.

Life, meanwhile, is getting busy. Lynn and her parents visited; it’s a great walk for them ; we picked piles of jostaberries for a crumble and had a tour. Bernard came up to measure for the TV cables and give me advice on what plugs and wires to buy for his big changeover of all the switches in the house. A visit from M. Viallet to get the locked door open in the living room. He drilled and hauled and it’s open at last. He will come over on Friday night to attach the new lock.

Calls to new builders, the new electrician, and a few to David to update him on progress. And the visit from Chris.  I finished the painting of all walls, sorted the bathroom (new shower curtain, unscrewed yet more endless aimless screws in the walls, painted, scrubbed and generally made it very presentable) and cleaned the house. With mouse patrol you have to be vigilant. I managed to find a chocolate that I served to Chris nibbled and half devoured in no time. No more random placing of food on the counters. These little creatures are brazen. Or very hungry.

I even had time this afternoon to keep weeding the courtyard. I will have to think about strategy. There is wonderful gravel on the ground (it is very useful in being about to hear people coming); but it is thin in places. I know it is expensive to top up. But perhaps it will be needed. Or put down a better weed proof fabric underneath first. We shall see. I did manage to get a bit enthusiastic in my task of grabbing plants and lobbing them into the wheelbarrow. And naturally didn’t watch out before I grabbed a handful of stinging nettle. Ouch. But it was the only one. All the rest of the weeds are of the less painful and not even resilient variety. And it looks lovely now that I have done almost the entire courtyard.  And as I type this I have just noticed there is something missing out there. No tocking of the toads in the water troughs. Odd, have they gone? Or have I become impervious to the din? Perhaps my weeding around the pools have disturbed them. One less issue off the list. The mouse eradication is more than enough for now.