I’d expected to have been carrying on with my painting this morning, but they’d had several loads of sawdust delivered to cover up the bare, barren patches around the grounds + campsite. It was tedious work again, but it was certainly a real job – that couldn’t be denied. I’d done one of the areas by lunchtime – the stuff had more or less been dumped in a big heap or 2 in each place, + had to be spread out over the whole area – but at lunchtime it suddenly appeared that they were in a desperate hurry to get various jobs done. I volunteered Val to lend a hand, + Gordon said sure. I spread the sawdust out over the front lawn – lawn is a considerable misnomer, since there is as yet no grass – in the afternoon, while Val took over my job of picnic-table painter. They also erected the pub sign at long last. It’s the official opening tomorrow you see, so there’s a big rush on to have everything looking spick + span. Gordon even thought of ringing up the Lodge, the hostel in town, to ask for more workers, but fortunately he soon forgot that idea – there’s quite enough of us round competing for jobs as it is. Knocked off at 4.30 for a quick clean-up, then off to work again.
Yet another deadly quiet night – fortunately I’d brought my book along this time, a collection of short stories. I think I’ve read it before, that’s the trouble. We cleared up pretty early – we generally do when there’s no-one about, + then I decided to call in at the pub on the way home, + have a jug. I don’t know why I bothered really, since I didn’t really enjoy it, so I drank it down (+ up) + came home. Met a pom sitting in the kitchen, reading. He was called Keith, seemed like quite an interesting + friendly bloke, so I chatted with him for a while before climbing the zig-zag path to the garage.
Work again, and apparently to my taste, being a variety of jobs that I can tackle, without feeling worn down by tedium. Usual concern about other workers coming in and taking “my” job. Good to be meeting someone new about whom I am not instantly judgmental – that happens a lot – only to have to rein in my poor opinion at a later date – that’s the trouble with a diary recording immediate, initial impressions.
Leave a Reply