Two themed day today. Bit of work stuff this morning. Have been writing a very interesting article (obvs) on CLI Authentication and will finish that off. Then this pm I’ve said I will clear the garage out.
Clearing the garage is no small task really. In theory it involves emptying the garage, chucking a few bits and then replacing everything more tidily. Not sure an afternoon is enough but we shall see. Today is the only day the weather will allow me to do it. It’s golf on Thursday, the other non rainy day in the forecast. Also I don’t have my car right now as it is getting a slight scrape to the paintwork addressed so if I need to nip down to B&Q or similar I won’t be able to.
The slight scrape occurred whilst reversing into an impossibly small gateway at our rented cottage in the Isle of Man. Won’t do that again in a hurry, probs, maybs. Off to the IoM again a week on Saturday as foot passengers. The Steam Packet wanted silly money to take the car on Saturday sailing. That’s what you get when dealing with a monopoly. As it happens my dear sister Sue will already be over with her car and can pick us up from the ferry terminal.
We will be travelling light, for once. There is already a kitchen sink in the house in Peel. I quite like the idea. Footloose and fancy free, ish. Not really done that since I was a student. September will be similar except we are taking the Defender to France, with the kitchen sink no doubt, because we can.
Outside the shed it feels autumnal. Plenty of red apples on the tree, runner bean crop in full flow. The blackberry picking has been very successful. They’ve just started to come through and all the rain we have had has resulted in large juicy berries. We will be picking most nights this week, Thursday apart when I’ll be playing golf. The freezer will need filling to get us through the winter.
Nothing quite like THG’s blackberry and apple crumble with Ambrosia Devon custard. Hot crumble, cold custard. Custard is a dish best served cold. A pudding that brings light to the darkest winter months.
As I clear out the garage I will be picking out my camping gear for next week’s expedition to the Eisteddfod in Pen Llyn. I have booked a caravan pitch with electric hookup at the Cae Mawr campsite. My small Berghaus tent might look a bit incongruous amongst the monstrosities that are caravans but it will do me. We have no spare campervans and in any case it makes a lot more sense to drive over in a luxury Land Rover than in a fifty year old campervan.
The electric hookup will keep my coolbox running, power the phone charger and the teppanyaki grill that I will be using to cook breakfast. Seems right really. My tent is a three man tent which really means it is perfect for one person. The inner is lined in black so that the early sunrise doesn’t wake you up at the wrong time, ie before 9am 🙂Truth be told I am an early riser.
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It’s three pm and I’ve downed tools where the garage is concerned. Much progress made but still more to do. It’s already a lot tidier. I need to stick some more brackets on the walls so that I can hang stuff up out of the way. For example we have three or four spare golf bags and clubs. These do get used very occasionally when the lads are home on holiday so they do want keeping. There’s also a camp bed. Again not often used and so wants sticking out of the way somewhere.
My camping gear is starting to come together. RAB 4 seasons down sleeping back dug out of the cupboard. Essential for the unpredictable wilds of Pwllheli. I figured I might take a flagpole with me as well. Put up my Manx flag (salutes).