Mark's pipedream

I started my day in a way that would be unconventional in the UK. I hopped over the balcony and onto an adjoining flat roof to clean the solar panels before the sun got onto them. The battery level has been flashing red, indicating 'low' ever since we arrived.  We have not been hammering the appliances but there are several other reasons why this may be: firstly, there was a possibility that dust was stopping them from working efficiently, secondly, they work better at temperatures much lower than 38 C and thirdly, our builder had been running a cement mixer the previous week. I don't mind heights unless there is a possibility I can fall. As I had to stand closer to the edge than I would have liked, I soon broke into a sweat. But the panels were lovely and clean after I had finished! Once finished I cleaned the back of the frames with the remainder of the water and noticed a wasps' nest just about to spring into action for the day. How stupid not to have checked for this before I began. I disturbed a nest last year and these bad boys can pack a punch! The thought of being atttacked on the roof by some feisty wasps played briefly through my mind! Thanking my lucky stars, the wasp spray came to the rescue and, several minutes later I was on my way down to breakfast, bearing a bunch of grapes freshly picked from the vine that wraps around the balcony railings. Whilst I had been on the roof there were some agreeable noises coming from below. I had picked some of the almonds that had ripened early the night before and I could hear  Mark breaking them with a hammer. So it was freshly picked grapes and almonds on the muesli! We are chuffed that there are still some citrus fruits, although they are falling rapidly, so we are getting fresh orange / grapefruit juice at the moment

Whilst I was on the roof, Mark had also been planing an ancient rustic door whose frame had moved slightly and was sticking. It is now really pukka. This called from a bit of impromptu James Taylor - handyman, of course!

Our trip to town today consisted of buying irrigation equipment to upgrade the irrigation system (goteo). We had drawn a plan the night before and had a good idea of how many joints, taps, elbows, T's would be needed and the width of pipe to get the pressure and flow to the plants on 'water day'. We returned in our workhorse car laden with irrigation equipment which included 500m of pipe!

The pipedream project will continue to keep us occupied tomorrow, as well as receiving a delivery from the removals lorry. Never a dull moment! Later this evening I checked the solar battery level and it is now reading amber. It is humbling to be reminded now and again of the impact of using electrical appliances.

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