Leaf blowing

I spent a veritable chunk of yesterday handling a leaf blower, a tremendously fun device that turns the chore of raking leaves into a whirlwind of excitement. It is perhaps not the most effective way to tidy an area, but I am happy to sacrifice effectiveness for fun when I can.

The reason for this gardening related activity (and it has been a while since a gardening related topic has featured) is that a large party is planned for Saturday, at an outdoor location, and as the venue has not really been tidied in around a year, a large amount of forest has landed on it. So some sweeping and blowing has been required. I also spent some time wiring up some speakers and resurrecting an ancient amplifier, as well as testing various lights, none of which actually worked. A trip to a lighting store is now planned to ensure the party has all the requisite ingredients. In good news at least, the three bubble machines are working.

Our host, a great friend of mine from the early mists of time, was tremendously impressed by our work ethic. Well, I say our. For some reason playing with a leaf blower and messing around with speaker wires didn’t totally qualify as work. He was more impressed I believe by the Amazonian qualities of Vera, who spent a very long time sweeping various tree suspended platforms with a broom. So long in fact, that she managed to break the broom. I live in fear of a woman who can snap a broom handle in two as if it were kindling. Slight fear of one’s other half is, no doubt, a healthy quality for a sustainable relationship.

This is all taking place in the wonderful back drop of the English country side, just outside the city of Oxford, a town which we will be visiting later on today, to ogle at the marvels of the colleges, to wander around the intelligent feeling Bodleian library, and even perhaps to delve into some of the many rather fine pubs. A more full update on that will follow, perhaps even with pictures and possible travel related information. Even though I have received feedback recently that I have been focusing too much on the travel tales and too little on the tales of drinking. You can be a tough audience sometimes folks. I will try to please you all. More to follow on our adventures in Oxford, the tree based party and life, as it flows on by.