I hope that you all ...

... had a Happy Star Wars Day. Yes, May the Fourth be with you.

For me, it started early and I've no idea why but I was awake long before the alarm clock, and after a bad night as well where I didn't sleep too much (teach me to crash out in the early evening). And after breakfast I spent some more time on the computer and my Newfoundland web pages.

Following that I went to move all of the stuff that's on the edge of the public highway. The ancient rotavator and the Honda scooter, those I moved with no trouble. The old cement mixer - the wheels on that were seized thanks to Claude tipping a load of cement all over them and not cleaning it off. And so in the end I had both wheels off, cleaned them up, greased the spindles and reassembled everything. And now it moves around quite easily.

After lunch I went to move the ride-on lawnmower but that was stuck in drive and there was no way to free it all off. In the end I dismantled all of the drive train and now that moves freely as well.

So with all of that out of the way it was time to move the Cortina. After many trials and tribulations I managed to start it, but this blasted clutch won't free off. In the end I chained the car to a tree and started it in gear to see if the sudden jolt would free the clutch. I comsidered two possibilities - that the sunframe would rip out of the chassis mounts, or that the sudden jolt would pull down the tree.

Of course, I didn't count upon the chain snapping, did I?

In the end I moved the car by hand-winching it about 50 yards and at 4 feet per pull it took forever - it was just before 19:00 when I knocked off.

Tomorrow I need to go to the bank in Pionsat and so when that is done I'll be in a position to winch the old caravan body out of the barn. If I can get it round the corner and down the hill on my own I shall burn it and then I can get the Cortina inside and put the Escort across the doorway where I can dismantle it at my leisure.