afternoon I’m going over to see Chris, she gave her kids a message, to give to our kids, to give to me’ They both laughed at the silliness of it all.
‘That sounds really complicated-like the secret service or something.’
‘I know, but it works. Until we get the phone in it’s a good system. Anyway, she asked me over to look at their place when they called here. She thought I’d forgotten, so I sent a message, and she sent back…’
‘Okay, okay, don’t start all that she knows, that I know, that she knows stuff, again,’ Mike said laughingly, ‘I’m off, see how their getting on with the tunnels and I’ve got to get some work done before any more M.I.5 messages come in.’ Mike got up from the table, gave Jan a cheerful peck on the cheek, and off he went.
As Mike strolled back to the tunnel field, as they all now called it, he was reminded of the phrase, ‘’what is this life if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare.” Indeed he had found little time to stop still for long. The cleaning up operations, putting up the glasshouse and a host of other chores had kept them very busy indeed. Time seemed to, well, just disappear out here. Strange stuff, time, it either drags it’s feet or runs like a hare.
Back in the tunnel field the erectors were hard at it.
‘Should be finished by four’ o’ clock Mr Jones.’
‘Great. I’m going to make a start on the first one. Strip the turf off before I start the tilling, if that’s okay with you, I won’t be in your way will I?’
‘No, that’s fine, enjoy yourself.’
‘I don’t know about that,’ Mike laughed.
He worked until the failing light called a halt to his labours and he headed back to the house. The sky was clear and it seemed to Mike that an early frost was on its way, and back in the house the children and Jan were complaining of the cold.
‘Okay folks time to light a fire in the living room, our first real fire at last.’ He had already gathered quite a large heap of old timbers and fallen branches in the cleaning up operations. They had been cut and stacked in the barn to keep dry and they were now ready for that long promised blazing open fire in the large old fireplace.
‘Have we got any paper Jan, old newspapers or something?’
‘I don’ t know, there must be some somewhere. There could be some in the packing boxes. We’ ll have to start buying the local paper every week.’
‘Yeah, we should get it anyway, just to find out what’s going around here.’ Mike said, crossing the room to the remaining unpacked boxes, and rummaging amongst the contents.
‘It’s okay Jan, I’ve found some. Right then, lets see what we can do.’ Mike busied himself putting the paper and sticks in the grate and lighting up. The dry paper and sticks erupted into fingers of flame and he began adding heavier wood and soon the conflagration was clawing its way up the huge chimney.
‘Cor, it’s a big fire, Dad,’ David said a little apprehensively, not used to seeing a fire indoors.
‘It’s great isn’t it, all this heat?’ Mike said with great satisfaction, showing his hands to the fire and rubbing them gleefully.
‘Come and look at this, Jan,’ Mike called out to Jan in the kitchen. She came in still wiping a plate with a tea towel.
‘Lovely, that should warm us up a bit. But what’s that roaring noise.’
‘It’s okay it’s just the fire.’
‘Seems to be getting louder and a bit smelly.’
Suddenly lumps of burning tarry soot began falling into the hearth.
‘Damn, I think the chimney’s on fire,’ Mike looked startled and disappointed that his fire raising had gone so wrong.
‘Oh mum I’m frightened,’ Mandy whimpered, and ran to Jan.
David seemed to be enjoying the spectacle. But never the less moved away from the inferno. The roaring noise was increasing and more stuff was falling into the hearth and spilling out onto the stone flagged floor. Blackie the puss had also decided it would be prudent
‘That sounds really complicated-like the secret service or something.’
‘I know, but it works. Until we get the phone in it’s a good system. Anyway, she asked me over to look at their place when they called here. She thought I’d forgotten, so I sent a message, and she sent back…’
‘Okay, okay, don’t start all that she knows, that I know, that she knows stuff, again,’ Mike said laughingly, ‘I’m off, see how their getting on with the tunnels and I’ve got to get some work done before any more M.I.5 messages come in.’ Mike got up from the table, gave Jan a cheerful peck on the cheek, and off he went.
As Mike strolled back to the tunnel field, as they all now called it, he was reminded of the phrase, ‘’what is this life if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare.” Indeed he had found little time to stop still for long. The cleaning up operations, putting up the glasshouse and a host of other chores had kept them very busy indeed. Time seemed to, well, just disappear out here. Strange stuff, time, it either drags it’s feet or runs like a hare.
Back in the tunnel field the erectors were hard at it.
‘Should be finished by four’ o’ clock Mr Jones.’
‘Great. I’m going to make a start on the first one. Strip the turf off before I start the tilling, if that’s okay with you, I won’t be in your way will I?’
‘No, that’s fine, enjoy yourself.’
‘I don’t know about that,’ Mike laughed.
He worked until the failing light called a halt to his labours and he headed back to the house. The sky was clear and it seemed to Mike that an early frost was on its way, and back in the house the children and Jan were complaining of the cold.
‘Okay folks time to light a fire in the living room, our first real fire at last.’ He had already gathered quite a large heap of old timbers and fallen branches in the cleaning up operations. They had been cut and stacked in the barn to keep dry and they were now ready for that long promised blazing open fire in the large old fireplace.
‘Have we got any paper Jan, old newspapers or something?’
‘I don’ t know, there must be some somewhere. There could be some in the packing boxes. We’ ll have to start buying the local paper every week.’
‘Yeah, we should get it anyway, just to find out what’s going around here.’ Mike said, crossing the room to the remaining unpacked boxes, and rummaging amongst the contents.
‘It’s okay Jan, I’ve found some. Right then, lets see what we can do.’ Mike busied himself putting the paper and sticks in the grate and lighting up. The dry paper and sticks erupted into fingers of flame and he began adding heavier wood and soon the conflagration was clawing its way up the huge chimney.
‘Cor, it’s a big fire, Dad,’ David said a little apprehensively, not used to seeing a fire indoors.
‘It’s great isn’t it, all this heat?’ Mike said with great satisfaction, showing his hands to the fire and rubbing them gleefully.
‘Come and look at this, Jan,’ Mike called out to Jan in the kitchen. She came in still wiping a plate with a tea towel.
‘Lovely, that should warm us up a bit. But what’s that roaring noise.’
‘It’s okay it’s just the fire.’
‘Seems to be getting louder and a bit smelly.’
Suddenly lumps of burning tarry soot began falling into the hearth.
‘Damn, I think the chimney’s on fire,’ Mike looked startled and disappointed that his fire raising had gone so wrong.
‘Oh mum I’m frightened,’ Mandy whimpered, and ran to Jan.
David seemed to be enjoying the spectacle. But never the less moved away from the inferno. The roaring noise was increasing and more stuff was falling into the hearth and spilling out onto the stone flagged floor. Blackie the puss had also decided it would be prudent
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