Rain at last

Bugs invaded the old laptop last week-end so took it up to the local computer shop. Resident boffin wasn't in but his wife said she'd get him to look into it and perform a clean-up operation if necessary. Faced with the prospect of being without a computer for a week or two, I casually enquired about the various laptops on display. Walked out with a brand new HP item costing €399. Really wanted an Apple but the one they had cost €999. Spent the last few days trying to figure out how the damned thing works. Somehow, and I'm not sure how, I've managed to get set up and online. Haven't a clue what 'Windows 7' is but it seems to operate completely differently to whatever system is in the old laptop. All very confusing. As is this French layout keyboard. Totally different to an Anglais one.

Anyway, been a funny old week. Started off sunny (come to think of it, it's been blistering hot for about a month now) and ended up rainy. Mind you, we've needed that rain. Scorched earth out here. Been sploshing about six buckets of water an evening on all the new green things that Georgie planted when she visited over Easter. Now, after all that rain, I suppose they'll be swamped by fast growing weeds. More work for this caretaker gardener.

Rain arrived on Wednesday night. Big storm at around 2am. Thunder and lightning. Didn't wake me up but the dogs did. Both hyperventilating and scared stiff. Sprocket (who kips on my pit) ripped my arm with his panicky scratching. Burrowed under my chest for shelter. Jock would have done the same if his legs were long enough to spring onto the bed. But they're not. So I left him to fend for himself in his pit on the floor. Storm lasted for about three hours. Eventually nodded off.

Woke up to sunshine and a mid-morning dogwalk. Splashing through puddles and breathing marvellously fresh air. Bit of a shock when I spotted a viper about six feet away out in the woods. Slithered off under a fallen tree. Sprock spotted it too but I grabbed his collar. Close shave. Then saw a bunch of swallows chasing and dive bombing a sparrow hawk. A brilliant sight. Then came across a herd of cattle newly parked in a field of fresh grass. Loads of new calves so I put Sprock on his lead. Jock, as usual, went off to investigate (unlike Sprock, he has no fear of cattle so doesn't bark at them). Cows immediately formed a ring around their calves while the matriarch cow bellowed a warning and gave a little charge. Jock high-tailed it outa there. The lone bull did nothing. Guess he knows who's really the boss. Later, during our night time walk around the garden, I almost tripped over a big hedgehog. Must have been out drinking rain and dew off the grass. Probably his (or her) first drink for ages. Surprisingly, Sprock merely gave it a cursory sniff. Must be calming down in his old age. Had Jock seen it, there would have been bedlam. Barks his head off at hedgehogs. Not good late at night.

Shall now attempt to load up a couple of photos. Not particularly interesting ones but at least I'll discover if this new system works. Or not.