I didn't do a tap ...

... of work on the house today. Just recently, as you know, I've been in great demand. If it's not Rosemarie after my services, it's Marianne. But today it was Bill who rang up. I can't think what I have done to be so popular. It isn't like me.

Anyway, Bill had to go to St Etienne or thereabouts this afternoon to pick up a dog. It's a long way and he wasn't sure of the route and so he asked me if I would go with him. And it was a long way too - 6 or 7 hours all told there and back (it was actually half-an-hour beyond St Etienne) in the glorious sunshine. Still, a nice drive out for a change.

This morning though, I was on the website again, except for 10 minutes when I was having a blazing row with someone from the electricity company. She wanted to check the pylon but she couldn't approach it because there are too many brambles and nettles and so on in the way. She had a right old go at me about it and I patiently said nothing until she finished, when I told her that the land out here is actually the property of the commune, not me, and I would be grateful if she would moderate her language when she spoke to me, remove herself from my presence, and go to see the mayor and use the same offensive terms to him. It really was quite an animated discussion and she won't be back here in a hurry when I'm around.

Apart from that, I've been dealing with the European Paper Mountain this evening and making enormous progress. I won't know myself at this rate.