Making a Start

Robbie kept his promise and made a start on the hedge. I got home from work to find Robbie outside with the hedge cutter, but he wasn't cutting the hedge, he was leaning on the Micra chatting on to a colleague - about trains! I think my presence spurred him into action and he cut the front part of the hedge. Now I need to get the hedge at the side if the drive sorted because it is gradually edging across the drive leaving making it increasingly difficult to park the Galaxy on the drive. That will have to wait for a few days because Robbie's arm went dead after cutting the hedge so we will have to let it get back to normal. I can do the lower parts of the hedge but I am not very tall and I can't manage a ladder and a hedge cutter together.

So it looks as if we are going out on the train tomorrow. He said that the people he talks to on his train journeys to Birmingham think he is mad to spend his free time going on a long train journey just to come back again, but I guess it keeps him out of trouble!

A Promise

Robbie is not really into gardening, after all why waste time on gardening when you could be playing trains! This year seems even worse than previous years, possibly because his only incentive to work in the front garden has gone; our very attractive neighbour has moved, so he has no reason to hover in the garden hoping to see her. The gardening situation is now desperate, the hedge is threatening to swallow the house and it is almost impossible to walk up the front path because the hedge is closing the the gap. I have to walk up the path sideways and the postman carries a machete! Robbie keeps telling me that he will get around to it, but so far I haven't seen any action. I can't use the hedge cutter because it is still lacking an electric cable since the last time Robbie cut through it and anyway I find them too heavy to hold up for very long. I have two different pairs of shears, I bought one pair especially to cut the hedge but Robbie has squirreled them away and I cant find them, I keep asking and he keeps promising to get them but I'm still waiting! Anyway I spoke to him about it again this morning and he promised to get the shears for me. I extracted another promise too, he says that he still has a working hedge trimmer and that he will make a start on the hedge. I wanted a Magnus Magnusson type promise 'I've started so I'll finish' but he only promised to 'make a start' so to add a bit of incentive I have agreed to go on a train with him on Saturday if he does a good job.

High Speed Chase

When Robbie got home yesterday he was very keen to tell me about a link that his cousin Wendy in USA had sent him. It enabled Robbie to guide the cursor and view the road where Wendy lives. It isn't like google earth where you are looking down on the houses from above, it is as if you are driving along the street and you can look at all the houses. Robbie doesn't drive, and he wasn't very good at virtual 'driving' with the cursor either, one minute we were looking at Wendy's house then suddenly we went speeding off down the road into the next road, and the next - we were practically in the next state before he released the cursor! It is an amazing link and it was really interesting to experience, it was like being able to walk down a road in a country that you have never visited. Well, actually with Robbie in the driving seat it was more like playing The Simpsons Road Rage game, but you know what I mean. Robbie said he would look again later when he had more time, I think he wanted to practice his 'driving' skills in private.

I am rather glad there is not a similar site that allows people to have quite such a close look at our house, the front hedge needs cutting and the hedge cutter is still out of action after Robbie last escapade - he cut through the electric cable! We have a gardening weekend planned, Robbie plans to restore order to the back garden and I need to tidy up at the front. I think we will avoid the electrical gadgets for the garden as far as possible!

Slightly Singed Green Fingers

Robbie is not an experienced gardener, but last year he willingly ventured out to the front garden armed with the hedge cutter. I had shown him how to use a circuit breaker, but shortly afterwards I realised that Robbie wasn't using the equipment safely. Words were exchanged, the white flag of surrender was waved and Robbie returned to his venture appropriately protected. Seconds later there was a bang and Robbie was on the floor looking stunned. He had, as predicted, cut straight through the cable. He suffered a bruised bottom and dented dignity, but thankfully he was otherwise unscathed.