Endurance training!

So much happens at Rock HQ its hard to keep up with events. For instance in the last twenty four hours the old car and van have gone to the great re cycling plant in the sky,I made our bed, spoke to the BBC about a programme they are making involving fostering (they are apparently sending me the scripts to look at, a daytime TV programme called Doctors) tried to speak to another BBC researcher about a smallholding programme they are planning and a five bar metal gate fell on Springtime nearly squashing her flat. Luckily Tracey was on hand to free the dazed and confused sheep.

Making the bed was not a simple task when it arrived wrapped up in bubblewrap and sticky tape. years of making Airfix models meant that the A5 sheet of paper containing hundreds of sketches of how to bolt G to subframe J and crossmember underhanger 19.4 x 7 was no match for me and within two hours, under Tracey's patient supervision the whole thing was assembled. There then followed a titanic battle of wills, ours versus the new mattress which refused to cooperate and go upstairs. Eventually it was beaten into submission and installed in its rightful place. The old one is currently in the conservatory, its fate uncertain. It was going to the tip as it was so uncomfortable to sleep on it forced its replacement. I found this hard to accept as it is a very expensive make, the one with the hippo and duck label where they both sleep peacefully without the hippo ending up with the duck as a badge on its jimmers. As we battled to get the old one downstairs I found a very interesting label which basically translated to "this way up" meaning for the last year Tracey and I have been sleeping with it upside down which might explain why it was like sleeping on a metal grid. The right way up at the bottom of the stairs and it was back to being supremely comfortable.

It was Ben's last day with us until sometime in December (he is going somewhere very dangerous beginning with the letter A, they make nice rugs) so I took the day off to spend some time with him. After running through several options for the day we settled on some endurance training.

This entailed setting off at a brisk pace across the ridge, with heavy packs and two Bernese Mountain Dogs as company, in the summer rain. Once at The Whetstone we climbed onto it and began drinking whiskey. Task over we managed to make it to a pub where we introduced the locals to the largest border collies they had ever seen and continued our endurance training by trying all the beers. It being a real ale pub there was a lot to choose from and after two and half hours of serious hard work we emerged into the sunlight and walked back to HQ. This took longer than it should thanks to several seemingly good idea detours and an encounter with one of the local militia who wanted a chat to break the monotony of his day.

By the time Ben and I were on the top of our hill it was almost tea time and after a final whiskey we set off down the insanely steep North Face Gully, disturbing a large dog fox sneaking up on our smallholding in the process and getting home just five minutes before Tracey did. A quick shower and we were all off to the pub, how we managed to fit into Tom's car without bursting it at the seams is as big a surprise as how the poor cars suspension managed our combined weight but soon we were at The Harp dining on the best steak a human being can find.

Goodbyes were saved until five this morning when Ben donned his uniform and prepared to leave. It was hard not to get emotional about him leaving but as we agreed a long time ago, there really is no point worrying. He loves his job and whatever he does he will do it well. All of us are immensely proud of him and we all look forward to him coming home safely.