What I did

on my holidays

during the heatwave. Before I begin, let me say that it was getting too much by day six. The heat had built up inside the house so that it became impossible to sleep without the aid of a fan and fountain. 

During the first few days, I kept the house cool with the usual close the windows and curtains/blinds on the sunny side of the house (the front until about noon, then, the back until after dark).

 

I decided to catch up with my gardening journals (weekly log and physic garden notes

As the days passed, I began to water the plants in pots, and newly planted ones in the garden, twice a day. I think I may have overdone it. First the Echinacea's leaves began to turn black, then its stems. It was obviously dying. Then the Lemon Balm began to do the same. I tried transplanting the Echinacea into a sunnier part of the plot, after removing most of the waterlogged compost from its roots. Nothing worked. By Thursday both plants were dead. I didn't dare leave them in the soil and cut them right down, in case they had developed rot.

On Wednesday, the gardening team JFK arrived to install the picket fence that is meant to keep Alf confined to the yard until he has completed his toilet needs. The men worked throughout the heat and I was concerned for their health.

Unfortunately, shortly after this photo was taken, Alf worked out how to open the gate. I need a bolt the replace the catch.

The fence is cunningly designed so that the back of the new shed can be painted without any problem. The sentry box shed is light enough to move for painting purposes.

The strip of garden adjacent to the new shed is for Kitchen Pots, including the tomatoes and strawberries for next year. 

By Thursday, I was feeling very unwell. The house was too hot and the only thing that worked to keep my temperature down was to sit beneath damp towels beside a fan. My lungs were in a bad way and my BP was over the upper limit. I was used to Eamonn's help when things were this bad. In France, he would book into a hotel with air-conditioning. At home, he would provide me with drinks and food so that I could just rest; or we would go for a long drive to somewhere cool, with the air conditioning on full. 

I knew I would soon have to call for medical assistance if the heat-wave didn't break.. Driving was out of the question. I wasn't fit to drive. I thought of getting an air conditioner for the house but couldn't find one that could be delivered within 24 hours. I decided to buy a new powerful fan, reasoning that, just like when you wash the car, the ordering of a fan might be enough to encourage the storms to pass over. 

They did. I told Alf the plants didn't need any more water after the downpours we've had, but he didn't hear me - selective deafness set in early.

My BP is coming down but the lungs are no better. The humidity is still high. If the weather stays cool for a few more days, I will be able to take some exercise (that isn't housework - washing the floors this morning nearly killed me) and that always helps the breathing.

The rain brings out the beautiful colours on the slate terrace. Unfortunately, it is becoming dangerous. I have already fallen twice. The terrace needs replacing with something more durable. It won't be as pretty - I've already over-spent on the garden budget. It does need doing before winter; as does the side gate, which not longer closes easily and is beginning to rot at the bottom. 

It never rains but it pours.