Having had the place for a number of years now, maintenance work aswell as improvement work comes into play. Keith arranged for the exterior timber work to be revarnished and a new septic tank was installed (the original one was a massive bodge job and had collapsed). Headway has been made on the slow process of pointing the interior walls and is now mostly done (there has been a lot of wall to point). It improves the look but also seals the property from the elements. It's an important task that should have been done by now in truth.
As the place is left unoccupied for long periods, the locals like to move in and occupy if they can. I've got protection from human squatters in the form of security cameras, strong locks, a diligent neighbour and Keith makes regular inspections. Oh, plus, there's nothing worth nicking in the place for the effort involved (speculative intruders take note). None of the above prevents smaller mammals from gaining entry. Byalkas I've mentioned in my wildlife post. Rats can gain a foothold, which sounds awful but they just scurry around in the cavities and don't do too much damage. Getting rid of them is important though. More poison.
All these little critters are annoying more than anything else but over time, holes in walls get bigger and I've lost a good number of roof tiles from their industry in my absence. So pointing and roof repairs are both improving and important maintenance tasks that require increasing levels of attention.
Keith also planted some vines this year. My hope is that a bit of greenery will soften to look of the place and offer a sense of maturity. I also plumped for a table variety rather than wine. The chances of my being there the week of harvest is slim and hanging around to do something with the harvest less likely still. If I do happen to be there when the table grapes are ready, I can at least eat them on the spot. I also went for white, rather than red. Red berry drop on the floor will stain, white won't (you see? the old cranial synapses do still fire occasionally) Over time, I'll get some herbs going and some other stuff that requires no regular attention.
The other noticeable thing is, the plumbing and electrics have been pretty reliable over the past few years. The odd burst pipe in the winter but that's to be expected. I overload the electrics from time to time but a quick trip to the hazardous junction box in the street sorts that out in short order.
In summary, working while I'm there has now become a choice rather than a matter of survival. Which means visits are now stress free and easy to enjoy. The price is the lost sense of achievement from those earlier trips. The pattern now seems to be, if I'm there on my own I'll relax, if I'm there in company, I'll graft. Either way, I'm happy.
This picture captures my mood for the majority of the year pretty well.
Late summer walnuts encased in their natural husky state. Bet you didn't know walnuts on the tree looked like that did you?
Local taxi firm gearing up for a busy Saturday night.
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