Dave put in the last ornamental brick on the side of the wall we hope to finish this autumn, and I continued round the corner, building up towards the pillar. I can’t go higher than 9 courses until I know where the first ornamental brick will go on that side, so I’ll do another section next time.

This is my bit
And here is Dave’s
Sorry the pictures only show the small sections we were working on. Next time, Dave will go back to building the pillar and I’ll fill in between the bit he was doing today and the pillar at the end of the wall. After that, there are a couple of final courses to do along most of the wall, and then we can finish with the capping. We need to do that before the frosty weather, as if we leave it over the winter it’ll have to all be protected from winter frosts and rain getting into and damaging the unprotected brickwork.

Feeling quite cheery and cookery-minded this morning, I decided to make a cake. Of course, Dave watches his waistline (well, as do all the girls too, trim and fit as he is) so I made a fat-free sponge cake; a swiss roll to be filled with homemade strawberry jam. I’d just put the sugar in a bowl and cracked into it several eggs when Weeza arrived. We hadn’t known she was coming this morning, so it was a lovely surprise. I’d just made myself a pot of coffee so poured her a cup and then went back to my cake.

After we’d finished bricklaying, I made tea in my best teapot and took it out to the lawn with the cake, which Dave judged to be quite edible. Certainly, the bantams were quite happy with their slice and wiped their beaks neatly afterwards on the grass.

This evening, I babysat next door while Al and Dilly were at the bee society. The phone rang. It was the heating engineer who’s been installing the new boiler at the downstairs London flat. He and the tenant have fallen out somewhat and he wanted to get his point of view over to me. When I came home, I had an email from my tenant. I feel a bit helpless and could only say soothing things all round, but it has driven me to chocolate. Two squares. Yes, you heard me – two entire squares.

When I go to have a bath, I shall light a soothing scented candle.

I’ve got a horrid feeling that I or the Sage will have to go and see to it ourselves.