FOLLOW THE WEEK OF PLEASURE or How I Survived Not Being At Work!

SATURUDAY. And so it begins. Even though I woke at the usual 0230 I sleep soundly until a strange growling causes me to stir. Gently but firmly, my elbow eases over the slumbering Mrs.Webb so that the noisy aperture is facing away from my earhole. More sleep and dawn arrives.
Stepping from the steaming shower, Sheri hands me a freshly pressed boiler suit. It's warm as I slip it on ready to begin my tasks. "There's nothing like a man in uniform." She wasps, adding "and you look nothing like a man in uniform."
My week off has begun. Whilst Sheri takes Fudge the dog for her daily walk, I take full advantage of the kitchen facilities and down bacon, beans, fried bread and two eggs easy over. With a mug of fresh coffee and my feet up the clock tells me that it's time to look lively. By the time Mrs.Webb turns the corner of the drive I'm already out there cleaning the gravel. "you missed a bit." She jokes picking up a single piece of the pea shingle. We share the laughter. The plan today? Get all the small jobs out of the way. In fact, we took a trip to town and bought a clock that had been dropped! Sheri said it would give me something to do repairing it. In the afternoon I was loose in the kitchen and made leek & poatato soup with garlic and chirizo. It was so powerful that it kept me up all night! AND SO ENDS THE FIRST DAY.
SUNDAY and we're awake early. The anticipated snow is threatening but Sheri still takes the dog out to test her new waterproof windproof trousers out. I haven't seen her since!
Because of the poor weather forecast I volunteered to be on standby overnight in case Greg has a job to get to Norwich. The snow doesn't really kick in until Monday so he's OK and the phone doesn't ring.
Meanwhile, with the garden redecorated an off-white, Mrs. Webb decides it's time to make some sun lounger covers! Very seasonal of her. As usual she's not without help. Fudge knows a comfortable spot when she see's one and is straight on the job (pic).
I'm in the garden with the spray gun. As Sheri says white is too glaring, my task is to spray it with green dye to make it look verdant. Trouble is I got the mixture wrong and the garden's now a strong shade of pink. She says it looks like it's been massacred so now I'll have to wait for the heavy overnight snow so that I can respray it.
Meanwhile, she finishes the first cover and hopes to do the next tomorrow. The dog was lucky her tail wasn't sewn in!
Tuesday morning found much of the snow gone but there had been a really hard frost which made a fantastic pattern of the roof of Sheri's car. This pic was taken about 8am and by nine it was gone. Isn't nature capable of making fabulous art? I'm sure it's been an inspiration for fabric designers. Some friends of ours have got a three piece suite covered in just the same pattern!

Having a week off at home also means I like to get in the kitchen and as yet I've not had time to try our the new halogen cooker. Sheri loves it but I've never had a test drive. Here's my dish of sweet potato, parsnip, potato and carrot roasting away. These cookers are twice as quick as an oven and cost less than half to run. They also do meatds and cakes - in fact anything! Just one tip. Put the sweet potato in half way through cooking the rest because it cooks much quicker.
Tomorrow Sheri's suggested I clean the roof tiles!
I must say it seems fortunate that I've been off whilst the weather's so bad but listening to David Webster out with the radio car it would have been fun!
We had lunch with some long standing friends yesterday (thanks) who we haven't seen for years. Fudge made herself at home as usual and seems to have recovered from the mornings ordeal. Here she is pulling a face as Sheri dqueezes her anal gland. Fudges that is! Otherwise I would have photographed Sheri !!
The week was rounded off by a very relaxing couple of days at the holiday park at Clippesby. (see two weeks back)

Here's Fudge completely kn------ered after a long play in the woodlands. Outside on the picnic table were some uninvited guests who know when there's food about! It's not surprising that this place has just won an award for its excellence. And so - back to work Monday.