Despite the temperatures and lack of water, the plants in the courtyard are doing well. Here, for example, is the chili corner.
These plants prefer to be in the shade, so they are huddled in the northwest-facing corner beneath the vine. Also faring well are the two roses and some unnamed things, and even the bougainvillea has started resprouting. That thing is a law unto itself, and, I think, objects to being in a pot, even though the pot is large. The one in our neighbour’s garden is planted in the ground and has just about taken over their house, so we’ll not be doing that.
I have a book day planned today. Writing one this morning (or part of one), collecting another from the post office later, and reading one this afternoon. At the same time, I shall water the aforementioned garden, get the washing done, do my old person’s exercise routine and have a shower, all in the few hours when the mains water is coming in, so we start the weekend at midday with a full tank. I’ve said before how much water one person uses, even when being careful, and it’s scary. If it were just the two of us, a 500 ltr tank would last roughly four days if we did no washing and had only one shower each during that time. That’s something like 75 litres a day per person, which sounds like a lot, but you’d be surprised how quickly it goes. Currently, we have three people using the same 500 ltrs, and when we next have a bank holiday weekend we could be in an interesting situation. It’s possible that we’d fill the tank on the Friday, but not have any more water until the Wednesday, which would mean being on half rations. Naturally we do what we can. For example: use a large bowl in the shower to collect water to use in the WC, fill buckets on water day for garden and WC functions, buy in more bottled water for the kettle, only wash up once per day, run the shower only to get wet and wash off, none of this luxuriating nonsense, and only then if going to work with the public (Neil).
As usual, I have no idea where that little chat came from. Just mulling over my thoughts and getting excited because it’s a water day, I suppose. Well, it’s also 05.46, the cicadas have started already, as have the sparrows and the cockerels that never stop. I have a collection of Baroque music playing on my speaker, and a wonderfully empty page with the heading Chapter Eighteen to see me through until it’s time for the water-based chores to begin.
