Miserable Emma

Mirinda worked from home today. She really loves the new space and is taking full advantage of it. She also had the pleasure of chatting with Builder Dave when he turned up (I was up the shops).

I’m not 100% sure why Dave turned up but we managed to discuss the final few things. More importantly, he told Mirinda how much he loved our extension. He said it was one of the best he’s built. He feels the finished product is beautiful and perfect. In fact he was full of praise for Mirinda’s prowess. As you’d expect.

If he had intended to paint the outside of the Bee Window, he was well out of luck given the weather. Which reminds me, September just gone was most probably the driest September since records began (in 1910). In fact, we only received 20% of the normal September rainfall this year. The irony is that August was one of the wettest and we’ve had an awful lot of rain this year in general.

According to the Met Office, September 2014 “…was also the driest calendar month for the UK since August 1995.” That’s extraordinary. Though the change of month has made a major difference. Today the rain was pretty intense.

Unfortunately, the steps leading off the terrace become an extension of the water feature whenever it rains and it rained a lot today. Mirinda rather likes it and wishes she’d thought of doing it originally. Personally, I’ll be really glad when the aggregate is completed and the rain just runs off. Though, if the rain keeps up, it might not be until next September.

My reasons for wishing completion are simple. Firstly, it will look better and secondly, Emma will stop using the top one as a paddling pool. Given her youthful, perfectly formed but ridiculously tiny legs, she manages to get quite wet. Add to that the fact that she then enjoys a jolly good mud bath in the slush that was once grass and you have a mud (rather than caramel) coloured cocker-poo.

It was for this reason that Emma had her first bath today. She wasn’t impressed. Just like Carmen and Day-z, the idea of splashing about in puddles, lakes and streams is like reaching spiritual enlightenment. It’s quite the opposite when the stream becomes a waterfall and it’s being directed by me.

Not that keen

Okay, I know the photo isn’t very good but I only had my phone and she wouldn’t stay still for very long. Still, the misery is pretty obvious. She wasn’t very happy.

In fact, she was like a deranged, drenched ferret, trying desperately to part company with the sink. Fortunately, her youthful, perfectly formed but ridiculously tiny legs, came to my rescue. She couldn’t quite manage to get out of the sink until I lifted her out.

Speaking of baths…Day-z had a bad rash a while ago and we were given some medicated shampoo for her. It required being put on, left for 15 minutes then having it rinsed off. Given we were all over the place, this was quite difficult. Even so, the few doses we did manage to apply, worked a treat.

Her rash has returned and she spends far too much time in discomfort so I went down to the vet and asked if I could have a fresh bottle. Then, successfully grasping the bottle of miracle gloop, I gave her the business. I have to do it twice a week so she’s in for another on Thursday. I’m betting she won’t be pleased.