Journal Tues 16th September

Morning all. Loads to do today before our first visitor (hi Kel), arrives tomorrow. Her bed is pretty much made and the room is cleaned and ready. Just need to move the air bed that we haven’t used since we moved house and we blew it up yesterday to check it was ok. Seems fine. The trials of loving an elderly dog means lots of washing of dog beds and blankets due to Sheldon (or Oscar Piss-torius as he is sometimes referred these days), and prolonged days of rain mean nothing is drying, so I’ve got a lot of general washing to do. This is not helped by my husbands “winecident” over the weekend. Bringing a glass of wine up to bed (red obviously), and putting it on his bedside cabinet, Freya let out a sudden yelp, like she’s been stung by something. Being wasp averse, (the whole can of Fanta/Chitty chatty bang bang castle thing), he grabbed the duvet and shook it, in case there was anything lurking. He just managed to catch the corner of the glass which pirouetted like a prima ballerina and turned the room into an episode of Crime Junkie. Floor, duvet, pillows, bottom sheet and mattress topper all had to come off. Luckily for him the mattress topper was getting retired anyway because the stitching had come away but still. There had been a previous “no red by the bed” embargo from a similar incident some years back, the rule has now been reinstated.

In other news, it seems we have an actual hornets nest. Asian hornets as well, not ideal. We have a small area where ivy has gotten into the fascia boards on the front of the gite. Craig noticed them going in and out yesterday. I can only assume this is a new thing, because we both spent 2 hours stacking the wood delivery there last week and noticed nothing. Off I went armed with the trusty shoots 4 mtrs, ghostbusters style hornet spray. Couple of blasts into the hole and a number of disgruntled beasts flew out and there was a great deal of noise. I read the can and it said sunset was the best time for attack because more of them will be in the nest, so I went out again later, no activity and it was quiet. I shot another blast into the hole and so much noise. They make a racket when the spray has done its work, so I can only assume this is a good sign. A few fled again, but like when I sprayed the grapevine, the minute they get it on them (if they can) they bolt. I have half a can left and I’ll go see if theres any activity today. Will go buy some more. We had 2 hornet nests in the eaves when the roofers came to do the guttering and we had no idea, I think with a year as prolific as this one has been for fruit, it’s highly likely they’re now starting to look for places to over winter. I’ll be vigilant.

TTFN,

V x

“Create a highly detailed, high-resolution image of a homeowner confronting a hornet’s nest on the side of a house. The scene should capture a woman in casual attire, holding a can of hornet spray with a focused expression, surrounded by ivy-covered fascia boards. The background should depict a tranquil evening setting with warm, golden sunset light casting soft shadows, creating a sense of urgency yet calmness. Ensure sharp focus on the woman and the nest, emphasizing details like the hornets and the ivy. Use a realistic style that conveys the tension of the moment”.