Well, we all know that Saturday evening the lock-down bombshell hit us and I'm not going to say anything about that as it's just too depressing to think about.
But my Saturday didn't start well either when I discovered the drains were blocked. And I mean BLOCKED. I think a grandchild must have flushed a whole loo roll down. That's the joy of grandchildren now big enough to go to the loo on their own but still young enough to get in a muddle with the toilet roll!
It took me over an hour and all the draining rods and lots of effort to get it sorted. I've never been so glad to hear that gurgling noise that means the blockage is nearly free. Several buckets of water hurled down with force and it was finally sorted.............I'm thinking about moving to somewhere on mains drains!
I had to deliver a birthday card on Saturday and then my sister had invited me round for a coffee so on the way home I stopped at the Hairdresser/garden shop/cafe/gift shop place in their village to look at the Christmas decoration displays.
Apologies for the blurry photos - still have problems holding phone camera still..........but you get the general idea.
Some beautiful things but I spent nothing.
Home to an afternoon of watching the finish of the Six Nations Rugby - held over from March. Outside the wind whistled round the house and the rain lashed down and it was half dark by 3pm..
Back Tomorrow
Sue
So glad it was only blocked drains - I was surprised by the lack of post, and hoped it was just busy-ness and nothing serious. The weather has been foul here too. I just pulled back the curtains and saw our next door neighbours' fancy new garden furniture, with all the posh covers blown off and strewn across the grass. We've lost a fence panel too.
ReplyDeleteI've not missed a post as I always have Sunday off.
DeleteAnnoying about the fence panel - certainly windy overnight here, haven't looked for damage here yet
We are on Day 10 of lockdown in Wales. It hasn't been too bad, there have been no shortages of anything as far as I've seen. It was easier in the summer as we could spend more time in the garden. Stay safe everyone.
ReplyDeleteWe live rurally in Carms and have our groceries delivered - only shortages are the cheese I order regularly and they never seem to have enough of!
DeleteDon’t forget you can still meet with the household in your bubble , indoors and out and can stay overnight. Both in this current lockdown and afterwards. Just double checked for my sister. Unfortunately doesn’t help us much:(
ReplyDeleteSo sad that it will be even longer until you see your newest family member again.
DeleteI'm glad my oldest grandson and his mum came to stay last week
Did the sun not come out late afternoon? It did here. Happy days, just turn off the tv news times and enjoy.
ReplyDeleteNo meet up for coffee in November after all - I'm having trouble feeling upbeat this time.
DeleteDay 10 of Welsh Fire Break {aka lockdown} and I have no choice but to go out as prescriptions to collect and our bank closes from today until mid Dec for essential maintenance. Lost myself in six Hallmark style movies over the weekend, not my usual thing but oh, so glad I did it.
ReplyDeleteSorry about the drains, you are lucky you could do it yourself.
The Christmas films from the US are a bit corny but good for company when alone.
DeleteThink I pulled a muscle unblocking the drains!
Sue, you don't want mains drains trust me. That means other people can block them up for you as well. In Havant we were the lowest point on the street drain which meant that when it all backed up, it came out the drain opening in our backyard. YUCK. I, the Tigger, sat and watched F use the power washer with the drain-clearing attachment to try to clear it all. The back wash of human waste was pretty disgusting but that didn't stop me tip-toeing through it to get a closer look at what she was doing wading around in all that filth. We think it was a disposable nappy that came out before it all flowed away again. It might have been there for quite a long time because we'd had years of intermittent drain back-ups before the major disaster, and none afterwards. So enjoy your personalized rural drainage system. xxx Mr T
ReplyDeletePS F made me take a bath after that, about which I was none too pleased.
You might be right about the drains, at least I know how to solve the problem here whereas on mains it could be an invisible problem
DeleteFlushing a toilet roll through the loo is never a good idea especially not in lockdown time when rolls are so precious. Sorry I had to laugh.
ReplyDeleteWe will have our PM press conference tomorrow, so better invest in some of those life depending articles today. Take care and remember one day it will be all over.
Yes get those toilet rolls now before the shelves are empty!
DeleteI well remember the blocked loos when my two were little and when I was little, Mum had a rule for me an my brothers regarding how many sheets for a wee and how many for a poo. For years afterwards I felt guilty when I broke that rule!
ReplyDeleteLovely photos - I would have been tempted beyond breaking point, I am totally sure. he place looks very familiar. Where is it, please? Anywhere near Bury St Edmunds?
xx
3 for a Pee - 4 for anything more!!
DeleteNo not the Christmas barn at Rougham, this is just a small gift shop 4 villages away
DeleteSorry about the toilet worries pleased it is sorted.
ReplyDeleteI had a nice surprise yesterday my GS he made a surprise visit and just has I was making a cuppa for us my D and GD came, I am lucky by kitchen is big so we could distance each other the youngsters are so careful.
Hope you had no damage in the strong winds, still very strong but the sun is shinning and I Songbirds to entertain me this morning via Zoom.
Hazel c uk 🌈🌈🌈
How good for your family visiting before lockdown.
DeleteNo gale damage thank goodness
Never a pleasant job. A friend of mine lived in a tied cottage, with dreadful drainage and was always having to rod it but didn't dare complain unless she lost her job!
ReplyDeleteIt was the worst blockage since I've been alone -and hard work to clear but at least I know how to do it
DeleteThe downside for sure of having your own septic tank. Rods are a very necessary item to have in the country, mine have seen lots of use over the years especially in one house where the main toilet pipe had a detour round a corner before it left the house!!
ReplyDeleteAt least it only took time and energy to clear it, I guess some people have to pay good money!
DeleteMy daughter had a 'COWBOY' plumber in who did an illegal connection from her sink to the toilet. We used to be there at least once a month to unblock the down pipe. The boys were rationed to 3 sheets of loo roll until we did a permanent repair.
ReplyDeleteHope you get toilet drain fixed soon. No fun! One way to help photos not be blurry is good your breath while taking the shot. Pretty items in first 📷. Schools have been opened a bit more here in Oregon,which is a good thing. More cases of the virus but life moves on. Have a blessed week.
ReplyDeleteCan't believe it's nearly Christmas such lovely things to buy glad you got your drain unblocked
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about the drain problem. That is certainly one of the biggest headaches! We had a bad problem a few weeks ago that we were unable to fix ourselves. Normally we can work on it and get it cleared but not this time. It was very expensive to have someone come out on the spot like that but we had to have the use of our bathroom!
ReplyDeleteAll the Christmas decorations are beautiful and you did well to come away with out buying anything. I can walk away more easily now because I am more concerned about reducing what I have instead of adding to it!
Very impressed with your wonderful 'can do' attitude. It's always a good feeling when you can do it without calling in the cavalry! Just coming out of months of lockdown here in southern Australia, very hard by yourself but best wishes, I think we have been lucky here as most people have had a very neighborly caring attitude and stuck with it and community transmission is almost zero, so hoping this continues so we can have some sort of 'normal' Christmas. Take care, thinking of you in Britain.
ReplyDeleteI love going to craft sales. It is a good place to get ideas. Getting ideas is free!
ReplyDeleteNot fun with the blockage, but hurrah for getting it sorted!
ReplyDeleteHope you didn't do any damage to yourself unblocking those drains, what an awful job to have to face alone.
ReplyDeleteThat little shop looks amazing with all its Xmas goodies. Hopefully your lock-down won't last too long and you will be able to meet up with family for Xmas. Take care, Mxx
Lovely Christmas displays. I think I might have been hard pressed not to spend a little bit.
ReplyDeleteGlad you managed to get the toilet working again.
God bless.