Sunday 2 June 2024

A slow moving day today. Don’t know what’s happening with the weather, but it is overcast and 15c. After a lazy breakfast and lots of video calls to family and friends, we decide to light the fire. This was a good choice, because it has remained overcast and cool all day.

Flashy busied himself with charging the battery in the hybrid Peugeot. I don’t know why, as it only gives 60kms from a 9.5 hour charge! A bit more random poisoning of weeds with Roundup and swatting 39 flies in the house and depandance. Yes, I count them. At least there are fly swats in most rooms. Flashy is keen to buy some fly traps, as he has great success with these in Cairns. Stand by for more details.

Monday 3 June 2024

Today is “P” Day. The pool man comes and recommissions the pool from its winter sleep into sparkling summer water. Well, at least that’s the theory. This is of course, very similar to what Fred used to do to our pools, so Flashy feels quietly confidant that he can engage in French, use hand signals and good old Google translate with the pool guy and that the very old system of chlorination – they’re still using chlorine tablets! Sacre bleu! Will be OK.

First hurdle is that the pool guy wants a coffee. OK, an espresso coming up monsieur. He rolls a fag, has his coffee and we begin. Now, all is good until the power blows to the entire property. He however, is not fazed. We locate a dodgy circuit breaker and move on. Chlorine level – zero. Ph is 6. Umm.. That’s like acid. Grumble, put in alki by the bucket load and test again. Bang. Power out again. Phone the boss, take photos and then he pulls the whole circuit board to pieces, tightens all screws and has another go. We eventually get the pool vacuumed, shock chlorinated, algae treated, filter on. A quick backwash, filter back on, heat pump set at 27c. Just above freezing, I reckon. Alligator copper ion unit on. Bang! There goes the power again. 

In the end, between lots of Google translate, we turn off the heat and Aligator and work with 48 hours continuous filtering, after which god old Flashy will scrub and vacuum, set said filter to automatique, and take a sample in for analysis. Piece of piss, really.

Luckily, Lady P has headed off solo to get her Prolia injection. Only room for one supervisor on the pool job. She also heads into Saintes for a scale ruler and who knows, she may come home with another dress or even shoes!

Modern equipment

Mix this with break fluid and as the SAS say - BOOM!

One of the power boards