Confessions of a serial mower - "humming along" nicely

Well it was meant to be a quiet "me time" sort of day today. A leisurely shower, blow dry hair, paint nails, a bit of exfoliation - maybe a blog - you know the sort of thing.
GOH had to leave at some ungodly hour to visit a stud farm and farmhouse in Wiltshire he had designed last year and which is now complete. He has gone to do the "snagging" list as they call it - the little, we hope, bits and pieces that are not quite right or not finished to the clients satisfaction. A sum of money is retained at the end of a contract for six months or so, and is released to the builder when this final inspection is carried out and any work outstanding is finished. I went down there when the stud had an open day last autumn and was really quite impressed. "I wish you wouldn't act so surprised when you see the finished article" says GOH, "it doesn't give the right impression". He has been a designer for some 40 years now, man and boy, but I am still impressed when I see his finished work. I have to learn a new way of showing how proud of him I am! Surprised is not a good look!! It frightens the clients!
He is a very talented architect though I say so myself and has designed many buildings all over the country. He specializes mainly in schools and buildings associated with them such as sports halls and swimming pools. He designed and actually constructed by himself one of the first barn conversions in Suffolk, in another life, before Mousie. As such, he is quite sought after and even though he is now 60, he loves every day of his job, though the planning bureaucracy does wear him and the practice down. It is this proper job as I call it that allows us to live here and farm, without his income we could not afford the mortgage. Plain fact.

Anyway, was just settling down for a relaxing day on my own, when two builders turn up on the doorstep wanting to start the concrete floors in the barn. You remember, the ones dug out by the gravedigger. So clutching the shower towel round me I have to find the car keys to move my car and the trannie van. Can't find the van keys so have to ring GOH who is now with said client. He is not amused and I get short shrift but now know where the keys are! The hum of the mixer permeates the house as the floors get laid. It is not going to be a peaceful day I can tell.

Another knock on the door, by now my hair is at least dry. It is the fertilizer man for the lawns - you know my pride and joy - and as it has rained could he spread the organic lawn feed today. He also wants to chat and talk about the neighbours up the road and I just want to get dressed. It is now 9.15 a.m. Another hum permeates the house - the smell, and I mean stink, from the organic chicken manure lawn feed pellets!! It would seem that the last time he used this fertilizer I was away on holiday, so never noticed, and "the smell usually goes go in about 3 days, providing it rains"! Oh, that's alright then! Now have to shut all the windows and the back door.

The ducks and ducklings by this time have heard me and are also on the door step demanding their breakfast. I look down and there is more organic fertilizer on my step, this time it is fresh and in natural form. Lavender anyone?