34. Clip Boarding

27/11/08

I think it's been a month now. We'll be in December soon. Outside the nation will be going Christmas mad too early - shopping, decorations. I suppose I'm glad to be out of that part. Just as long as we're out in time for Christmas Day itself, I'll be happy.

We've been busy this week. No more having fun. I haven't been writing because, well, there's not much to write about. But I need to keep in the habit.

Of course we've been looking after the animals. They're doing really well. I'm a bit worried they might need more fresh stuff than I'm able to give them by hauling up weeds. I haven't got the confidence to take them out to grass yet. Shouldn't be much longer before I can put them back in more capable hands though, thank goodness.

B. agreed, reluctantly, that we should leave the houses alone for a while and focus on gardens, sheds and garages. We're working our way through one road at a time. I can't even begin to estimate how long it will take. We still haven't even finished the main street yet, never mind all the closes, crescents, avenues and courts! Still, the longer it takes, the less people we'll have offended by the time we get out.
I'm drawing up a register - house by house, street by street. While B. starts the search of the garage (if there is one) I record what's in the garden; Rhubarb patches, fruit bushes, apple trees, I've even found an asparagus bed. Of course most of them won't be useful to us till the summer, so it's something of a pointless exercise, but I feel better knowing I'm preparing for the worst. Every so often I come across a plot with a few late vegetables hanging on - we've been having winter stews most nights since we started, fortified with a tin of beans from the Spar. It's great to have fresh vegetables again.

We decided that we'd keep this search up till B. comes across something we can transmit with. Also high on the list to look out for are fuels. When the power goes off, we need to be ready, so we're listing coal, wood, batteries and hoping to find generators or solar panels. So far, no luck. We have found ladders though - one to every 3 garages. We can go up the church tower now. We could have gone up on Saturday. We just need to pick the right time.