Sorry about yesterday. Helen, who is nothing if not energetic, rang my doctor up and told him my hip was deteriorating. He ordered a same-day x-ray and in the afternoon we went to a near-by hospital and I had that. (Now what, you well may ask?)  But that meant nap-less-ness and by the time we got back from the hospital I was capable of no more than sipping some soup and heading for a very early bed. The doctor will have the results early next week, I was told.

 

Helen had a long session with the neighbours in Kirkmichael on Monday and doesn’t seem to be getting much of anywhere. Here is a picture of our driveway.

 The strip of land to the left, along which the figure in the red jacket is proceeding, is the one in question, which we have offered to buy. It’s useless to man or beast. The ditch is invisible beyond it, further to the left. The neighbours’ house – which is rarely occupied, it might be noted, and only roughly furnished, Helen says – is out of sight and above, further to the left. On the right is the sheep field, which belongs to a family trust, not to our neighbour himself.

 

All Helen and David are asking for is the right to clear the ditch when necessary. The neighbour’s demands are, I think, outrageous: David and Helen to supply, plant and maintain twenty Douglas firs along a new fence in the sheep field; the neighbour to have a right of first refusal if we ever sell our house. I think Helen and David will soon consult a lawyer.  A good country lawyer will try to avoid actual legal action between neighbours, but I think we’ve gone far enough along the path of accommodation and it is time (as several of you suggest) to see if the threat, at least, of action could achieve results.

 

Meanwhile the knitting progresses. I am now picking up stitches for the borders around the centre of the shawl. It’s a bitch of a job, and I am struggling.

 

It is a comfort in all this to have Wordle to turn to. I thought today’s word was rather difficult. I got it in three – my starters did most of the work. For several happy hours I thought I might be the only three. Thomas needed four. Five for Ketki, Rachel, Mark and Roger. Six for Theo. But Alexander, blast him, posted a matching three when the afternoon was well advanced.