Friday 24th July - the story so far;

1This morning the front garden looked like this;

But by 9am it looked like this;

The mound was from digging out the soakaway in the middle of the grass area at the back (I can't, in all conscience, call it a 'lawn'), and finishing off the foundation for the extension, and digging out the foundation for the retaining wall around the patio. 

I stood and admired the skill and delicacy of the man operating the great grabbing jaws on his lorry, picking up the earth and rubble and swinging it round without leaving a trace in its path. 

Here's how the extension looks now;

This is the extension from the side. The new side door from the kitchen will be where that coffee cup (with the broken handle? It was fine when I handed it to them!!) sits on the wall.

The hole on the other side of the wall is where they have begun to dig out around the current manhole access for the drains. On Monday they will put in the new cover, outside the extension, and they told us it would be a good idea to plan  to make 'alternative arrangements for using  the loo on Tuesday or Wednesday for a few hours, perhaps you could go out for the day or something?'   Hint taken... I certainly don't fancy using their portaloo!

I thought I had taken another picture showing the patio area... it's too dark now so I'll do that tomorrow. 

Getting through the mechanical jungle to water the plants at the bottom is like some kind of crazy aptitude test, but we achieved it.

....

It usually takes me three attempts to get a new knitted square for the collaboration going... this time appears to be no different. It might be third time lucky... the first half dozen rows look ok. And it's such a straightforward pattern too!

....

Two 'wins' today;

I took an oxygen cylinder for a little 10 minute walk, just a few houses up the street and back. It was so hot I couldn't manage to walk far without pausing for breath, but it was pleasant to look at the flowers in people's front gardens and see the bees almost beside themselves with ecstasy over the flowers of what I think was a yellow buddleia.

and

 I spent some time playing the piano today, the first time in days weeks. Scales to start with... they are so deeply embedded in my memory now that they are easy to play, but it took some time before my fingers started moving properly with the notes sounding together. Then Debussy's 'Little Shepherd' which I'm currently teaching, and revisiting (in VERY slow motion!) the gigue from the French Suite in G major by Bach. I think it must have been about 1973 when I learned it! It's a terrific romp. I love the way the opening tune is thrown about from one hand to the other.

Here's Andras Schiff;