Day 63 - but day 2 under the floor

I've lost track of how many days I've done. If today's the 4th and I've done 31 and 28 days in the previous 2 months, then that must mean today was day 63.

The days are still not getting warmer.

My little toe seems to be OK and healing up nicely.

The plumber fixed our leak last night, so we have running water, as well as heat, again now. It did make me realise how much we take for granted with our running hot and cold water literally on tap, light, heat and cooked food at the flick of a switch or turn of a dial. It's all so easy and I'm so completely helpless without it.

I wonder what would happen if I was immediately transported to an environment where none of that existed, where I had to walk, or run, miles to the nearest well to get water to drink, wash or clean and where I had to build a fire from scratch to cook my food and keep warm?

Would I adapt and survive or would I just feel helpless, sorry for myself and give up?

It's been my second morning under the floorboards, this time emptying the buckets of water and also trying to remove some of the rubble that is covering the wet earth that is below. A lot more rubble removal to be done, which is quite hard due to the restricted access and the limited room to manoeuvre under the floor. Then we need to get some equipment down there to dry it all out.

An eventful few hours

Is it my imagination or is it getting a little bit colder each morning? No frost, no sun but quite a chill wind when we hit the streets at 7.15.

An eventful night and morning in the Barclay Phillips household. Nicky woke me at 1.30 a.m. to say that she could hear water leaking under our bathroom, so I had to shut off the mains water and make sure the heating didn't come on in the morning.

This morning, after we ripped up the flooring I was under the hall and bathroom, amongst the rubble, identifying leaks and strategically placing buckets while we wait for the plumber.

At least we know that we can have the heat on now, even when our water is shut off.

I did wonder when I wrote that life was good yesterday whether I was tempting fate. But then again, life is always about challenges. It's a bit like a steeplechase, one of those ones with water jumps as well as hurdles.

Oh yes, I've just remembered that I slipped and fell down our spiral staircase leading down to the kitchen when I got up to make tea this morning. I sliced open a small bit at the end of my little toe on my right foot, but at least I didn't break it, like I did in 2004 when it stuck out at 45 degrees.

And now, as I write this, the sun comes out.

Life is still good!