A Year Ago

Photo copyright: Maggie May

A year or so ago, my husband and son were underpinning the kitchen and searching for rat runs because we had nests of them up in the kitchen roof in a place where we could not get to them at all. We had nothing but problems from the start. Just at the wrong time it started to snow and then Sam hurt his arm through all that digging. Everything was held up.

Eventually the underpinning was finished and because there didn't seem to be any sign of rats whatsoever, even though we had been assured by Pest Control that they were coming from underground, in late Spring we had scaffolding put all over the garden and a tin canopy spread across the kitchen roof to protect it from the elements while the roof was taken off. The rat run was then discovered, chewed electrics repaired and a new kitchen roof was reconstructed. The source of the problem had been found.

The interior of the kitchen took months to finish and the house was really cluttered as we had everything stored in boxes.

All this caused great stress to me. It was very difficult to cook and keep anything clean.

I often think back to those times and think what a near squeak we had with all that commotion going on. You see, I didn't know about my cancer then. Think what a disaster it would have been if I'd have had to start chemotherapy with all that disruption around me. Unthinkable.

I suppose that is one of the things to be really thankful for.... that the kitchen was in a reasonable state before I knew about what was in store for me.

Seems when we get over one problem in our family, that we are instantly met by another and this is how it has been for years. One thing after another.

I just want to thank all the readers who have been supporting me with thoughts and prayers during my time in need. You will probably never realise just how much you have been helping me. EVERYONE. Just by being there and putting up with me when I have nothing to say about normal life apart from my recent experiences of chemotherapy, wigs and anything else associated with cancer.

There are several ladies though who have been supporting me with email, thoughts and prayers and through comments on my blog. They are the ones who have been down a similar route and who have encouraged me, given me information and urged me on.

Seeing their bravery through their own cancer has helped me to battle my own.

I just want to mention some of them who are now over their treatment and getting on with their lives.

One such person is Bernie whose blog is called On My Own. She lives in Canada and apart from emailing me with words of encouragement, she has even sent me a great little parcel of goodies from across the pond. I thought that was really kind of her and I was so thrilled.

Janine from Sniffles and Smiles lives in the USA and has been a tremendous prayer supporter and always remembers to email me when I seem to need it most, even though she is an extremely busy lady and has had to take time out recently, to catch up with other commitments. She told me a very useful tip..... that if I drank plenty of water while having chemotherapy I wouldn't feel sick. There is a lot of truth in that and I take bottles of water with me and drink all the time I am having the treatment.

Brenda whose blog is Brenda's Blog from Paraguay has recently completed her chemotherapy and describes fully her apprehension about living with the stress of waiting for scan results every six months. I can imagine myself being in the same position eventually. She leaves me useful comments and I find her posts helpful too.

Iota, sometimes known as guineapigmum whose blog is called Not Wrong Just Different is a British mum with a family who transported to USA. She sought me out when she read about my problem and left comments on some of my posts. She has completed chemotherapy for a similar type of cancer to me and her hair is on its way to growing back, though she feels the process is very slow. I have found reading her experiences very helpful and her bravery and determination encouraging.

Renee from Circling my Head who has been battling cancer bravely for along time. She is cheerful in spite of that and I do admire her strong but accepting attitude. She has always something positive to say.

I must not forget my sister in law, Maria, who doesn't believe in blogging but who is always just at the end of the phone when I need support even though she is often in great pain herself. She had chemotherapy years ago so can empathise.

Ann from Retired and Crazy has recently lost her husband but as he went through chemotherapy a few years ago, she knows what it is like and has empathy with me. We both started blogging around the same time and I found her very helpful when I was getting launched into writing my first posts. I stole many friends from her blog roll!

I must not forget my husband, Harry, who has been battling prostate cancer for years and has recently not had good news about his own health. He has been very supportive, especially when I was housebound during the snow and he risked his neck on the ice to do shopping for me. He was more devastated to hear of my illness than when he heard about his own bad news.

I know when I am ill next week with Chemo 3, he will look after me and be there for me, even though he is not in good shape himself.

There are many other people who have been there for me commenting and urging me on and laughing at things with me and I just want to say.

THANKS!

Is there any one left in Bloggesphere who hasn't read my brother, Eddie Bluelight's Sunday Roast Interview (number 100) with a person that so many bloggers still miss? Non other than David Mcmahon, the Melbourne journalist, writer of best selling books and professional photographer? If it has escaped your notice, then pop over to see what it is all about. He had so many Followers that it would be impossible to tell all of them about the interview that they would probably be very interested in reading.

The Doors

Photos are copyright of Maggie May

I was inspired to take these photos after seeing David Mcmahon's regular posts called The Doors on Authorblog (usually published on a Thursday). As far as I can tell, this is not linked to any meme or to anybody else.

I have found myself looking at unusual doors myself, now that my interest has been aroused and could not resist publishing these photos of the doors to the local Bristol indoor market.

However, I have been thinking lately of the symbolic opening and closing of doors in a person's life.

It seems that when one door closes another opens in life, so we are told. However, I have had lots of problems lately and it has not been a good year for our family concerning our house.

I think our Queen Elizabeth 2nd, announced in her Christmas speech once, that one of her years had been an Annus Horribilis when everything seemed to go wrong with her families' relationships and I can say that this year has been much the same for us. Our annus horribilis has been this year.

It started with the rats chewing through wiring that resulted in having to have so much work done and the kitchen still hasn't been finished to this day.

The wiring had to be renewed by an electrician and was working fine for a few weeks.

Then I have had problems with being blocked from my own blog on a couple of occasions and have no idea why. Maybe someone can come up with an idea or explanation of what might have happened. The problem seemed to right itself after a while, I am still having difficulties visiting some blogs and the system will crash at the drop of a hat because Broadband seems to be very slow. Several days after the blogging problems, all the electrics in the house started playing up and causing chaos.

The Electricity Company were called out urgently because of a terrible noise coming from behind sockets and meter and a new meter was fitted. Apparently, the new wiring in the kitchen caused the rest of the older system to play up and kept blowing fuses on appliances. My Broadband didn't take kindly to any of this upheaval and went on strike, leaving me to be without my precious hobby....... blogging.

We were due to go to our daughter's for a short break as we hadn't had any holiday this year, because of all the repairs to the kitchen, when the electrics started to go wrong. After the emergency electricity board told us we could go away, we left the house under the supervision of a neighbour who popped in here a few times and reported that all the lights had blown.

My daughter encouraged me to ring an electrician from her home, as she could see that I was upset. It was arranged for them to come out to our house the day after I was due back to return from holiday.

So the day after coming home, after much work and several things that were not quite right being rectified, we have paid a tidy sum and been told that we might have further problems. On the other hand we might not.

I am not very good at coping with this *alright one minute but not the next.* Broadband on today but not tomorrow, lights working one day but not the next. I need security and peace of mind and my peace of mind is lacking right now.

I have taken a knock and am reaching the end of my tether and feel on edge. I am still experiencing a very slow Broadband compared to how it was before and I still cannot access some blogs because of the slowness.

So I am waiting for my door to close on this episode and for a new one to open. It better be a good one though, else I don't want to go through it.

Secret Places

Not long ago I was beside myself with worry because of the problem that I had with rodents of the largest variety, nesting in my roof cavities and the whole roof had to be taken off and rebuilt. We found five dead rats up there that had come in via a concealed hole that couldn't be seen from outside. It was a crafty way in from next door's side that nobody would have guessed was there. Once settled the squatters had chewed up insulation and nibbled through live wiring and could have caused a fire.

If you look at the first photo, you will see a new hole, discovered only last week, when the men were hacking off plaster from the inside walls. It was a grim discovery as two more dead rats were found in there, mummified. They had obviously fallen in this hole and had been in there a long time. One of them was quite a giant, the grandfather of all rats, I should think! You should have seen the teeth. I didn't take photos so you are spared seeing them. They were quickly bagged up and disposed of.

Not long ago, the back of the house looked like this, and my garden was taken over by the scaffolding and was in deep shade most of the time. It was disheartening to see the disaster that all this caused to my plants.

I am somewhat amazed at how blue the sky looked then because I can remember some bad downpours that flooded the kitchen, even though we had the scaffolding canopy over the top.

This was the strange position I found myself in when there was a new roof on top of the kitchen but the old ceiling was still in place. It had all been cleaned from above and two holes cut because of the roof windows being put in there. The men did the job slowly like this, so that I wouldn't have be roofless while it was being done, as security might have been difficult with so many of us coming and going all the time. It also prevented the mess from coming down into the kitchen, as it was all cleaned away from the top.

However after the men had cleaned and removed the ceiling, I was able to see just how much loftier and lighter it was going to be in there.

My kitchen is still a long way from being normal again and I will have to wait for new units.

The men only ever agreed to get rid of the rats, you see, not to do a major revamp inside!

The outside is now fairly, clean looking and the scaffolding has been removed. I like the cedar wood on top that my son put up. However we decided, round the problem corner in next door's garden, to use brickwork and thick rendering and I would like to know how anything could get in there now. This is not a challenge to any rat reading this blog though!

Looking from the bedroom window upstairs the new roof looks really secure, so I am extremely pleased I decided to *risk* letting the two men in my life take on this task. I say to both of them, " Jolly well done and thank you!"

Slowly But Surely

This is the reason for my kitchen roof being torn apart in the first place! New readers please get more information here.

Have you noticed I have changed something in my blog profile?

The roof work seems to be going on for ever and the plants are struggling to survive the dense shade under the scaffolding.

Things are progressing though, and the end is in sight now. The new roof windows will provide more light in the kitchen.

This is what it looked like before the windows were put in. I am working through the photos in reverse order. Workmen's equipment can make a good study, I think.

The light and shade of the building materials can catch the eye with the sun suddenly shining on it and there are little shafts of light where you least expect to see any.

I was up the ladder at every opportunity with my camera keeping track of what was going on.

The birds have been scared away from their favourite tree where they used to spend time sheltering inside the dense branches. I am so looking forward to hearing them chatter again after this is over.

Since the work started, I have had things from the kitchen packed in boxes on the floor and there is all sorts of clutter to keep stepping over. I am at present in agony with my back problem. It seems one thing gets cleared up only for another problem to set in.

The picture below shows how things looked when the first lot of scaffolders had left.

I will be glad to get my garden back and get rid of it. Maybe in a week or so...........

Are You Squeamish?

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

My garden has been taken over by scaffolding. Most of you know that we have had renovations here on our kitchen roof.

This is the point that I put a warning on this post. If you are squeamish do not go any further.

This is the roof that has held a terrible secret for six years. The roof that has caused me so much misery, often to the point of making me despair. The cause of all the noises, the smells and the frustration of not being able to get to the source of the problem because a pitched roof was built over a flat one, making it impossible to investigate let alone do anything. The cause of rows between Harry and me. The roof that has been the reason for my feeling trapped and not even having the option of moving away from the problem. The roof that has made me feel like running away. The roof that I have blamed for ruining my life over and over again.

And this is the start of the discovery of just what it was that was making my life such a misery. This is the hole that was revealed once the fascia board was taken off the side of the roof, on my neighbour's side. There was no sign of the hole until that moment. This is only one of the holes that was found.

This is my last warning for the squeamish not to look any further.

The men had decided to cleanse the roof from the outside in and took off the tiles and felt and also the flat roof, leaving the kitchen ceiling directly under the scene above. This is what met our eyes..... rat runs. You can see the way that they have chewed up the insulation and they had also started on the wiring and had stripped several wires of their plastic outer casing. Fortunately, the wires were not touching. I hate to think what might have happened if they had been.

This was number one body that was found amongst the chewed up insulation that had obviously been used as bedding. There were five of the pesky rodent bodies hidden away at various points in the roof. No need to show them all, as after you have seen one, they all look the same!

Photostory Friday is hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek where you will find some great entries.

Wrens and Rats

I explained in my post A Happy Event that we had wrens making a nest in one of these pouches that were really only ever bought as night time retreats for birds to roost in during cold weather. As far as I know, no bird has ever been even slightly interested in them until this year, that is. Although I felt very honoured that wrens had chosen my garden to nest in, I was very disappointed as we were about to alter our kitchen roof and birds nesting would well and truly hold up our plans.

The wrens came back and forth with nesting material for a while and then disappeared for a week or so. Then they returned.

What is going on? Are they nesting or not?

I looked up details of nesting wrens on the Internet and noticed that the poor male bird builds three nests and the female chooses only one of them to lay her eggs in. The male must have made an effort to impress his missus with this nest, but she must have turned it down, as there has been no activity whatsoever for a good while.

You will be expecting an update on my rat problem. Do you remember (here) I said I wouldn't mention it until May Day! This is in honour of our name as all important decisions are made on that day in this household! May Day is also an international distress signal and I have been feeling very distressed about the rat problem, so it seemed appropriate to wait until that day.

May Day was also the day for Morris Dancing and son, Sam got up at 4 am to dance some where or other, more fool him I say! But I looked after the grandchildren while he did it. May Day is also traditionally, a day for dancing round the Maypole. Good old English traditions that are in danger of dying out, so Sam is doing his bit for the country, helping to keep these traditions going. I will be blogging about some of these things, separately, very soon.

Well May Day has arrived and gone and it has been decided that although the rat problem has calmed down since the underpinning, there have been some noises still, occasionally in the ceiling space but not like before. That indicates that there were several ways in. The underpinning solved the rat highway, but there is a little lane still to be blocked off.

So what are we going to do?

We have arranged to start work on the kitchen roof very soon. Scaffolders have been sending quotes and later this week, the May household will be in absolute turmoil yet again as work progresses. All this commotion for a rat, or two, or three!

Noises From Above

I recently had a little chuckle when I read a comment that my blogging friend Jackie, otherwise known as Mother's Pride had left in my last post about happiness/contentment.

I had listed things that had hardly cost me anything money wise, that brought me contentment and she wrote "You could have put....... not hearing noises from above."

Well yes..... this would have given me immense pleasure, make me really happy even. Definitely happy. Not hearing noises from above.

Her remark brought to mind all sorts of things though.

"Have I got bats in my belfry?" Does she think I am hearing noises in my head?

"Have I got access to noises from God above my head?" Some people think that thunder is God moving his furniture around!

Well when God speaks to me it is in a gentle way through my thoughts, things I read, especially in the Bible and feelings ....... not by noises from above!

Jackie was of course referring to the rat noises in my kitchen roof, just above the ceiling.

Well, why have I got a squirrel picture on this post and not a rat? You might well ask. Have you ever tried to take a picture of a rat? I might be able to hear the wretched things but I cannot see them. Now that sounds like the bats in the belfry interpretation again!

Anyway, a squirrel is the best I can do for now. Some say they are as bad as rats anyway. If they were in my roof they would do just as much damage, so I have been told. The smells would be just the same, though squirrels do seem more respectable than rats, don't they?

I was not going to say anything until May Day! That seemed a perfect day to announce one way or another whether the underpinning has worked and whether we have still got rat problems or not.

I was too hasty when I wrote telling you about The Empty Silence some time ago and that didn't have a happy ending.

I will not tempt fate a second time by saying that nothing more has been heard. I think Cath was right when she said in a comment that she thought the rats read my blog and that they like to wind me up! All I know is that the one we heard that night, died! How do I know that? Don't even ask. All I am saying is that the incense sticks that we had left over from the last mass death above the ceiling, came in mighty handy.

Nothing more is being said on the subject then till May Day! Do you get that all you readers! I am NOT BOTHERED one way or the other!

The kitchen roof is coming off in the summer, ANYWAY!

The Empty Silence.

I am almost afraid to say this, but my kitchen roof seems empty and strangely silent.

None of this makes any sense at all because Harry and Sam didn't find any rat runs when they were underpinning the end of the kitchen. The concrete they put in was well over a metre deep and shortly after they did that repair, the problem got really bad. The rats sounded like they were having a party. Thumping and running around and desperately scratching the ceiling and sounding as though they were coming through at any time.

I was furious with the men.

"It's worse than it ever was before," I shouted, "You have opened up a highway!"

I was so upset I threatened to leave and stay in a hotel or something. I had an offer to stay with a friend fairly locally and an offer to go to Canada! I tell you I was sorely tempted.

However, seeing that the menfolk were almost as upset as I was, I took pity on them and stuck things out.

As the time went by the noises got less and the smells started in earnest. Incense sticks were burnt one after another during day time. However, even the bad smell seems to be fading now, though I have got bundles of incense sticks to still use up. The woman in the shop where I bought them, must have been puzzled by the quantity I bought. Well I wasn't going to tell her about my problem, was I? You don't actually tell people things like that, do you?

Could it really be that the rats were trapped up in the ceiling, right from the start and had to die off?

It was some days later when we suddenly heard the silence. Does that make sense to you, hearing the silence? Well that's the way it seemed. We noticed the absence of scurrying and jumping about.

I am wary of saying this, as I know that rats are intelligent creatures. They might at this very moment be plotting a new way in! Maybe they are getting new recruits lined up ready for attack! I don't suppose they want to give in gracefully after having 6 years of free lodgings.

I am really scared that I might hear another noise up there in the ceiling. I would be so disappointed if that happened. The work is not even finished yet but is it really possible that the first lot of concrete did the trick? Or are they just waiting........ waiting to strike again when I least expect it?

I am just beginning to hope now, that they have really gone.... but only time will tell........

Keep hoping for me too.

Footnote:-  I wrote this post a few days ago and can you guess what happened a night ago while I was preparing the evening meal? Something scampered across the ceiling! My spirits plummeted. 

I decided to post this anyway because it gave me so much pleasure writing it and I'd like you to know just how much control these rats have on my moods.

Oh well..... back to the drawing board. Roof next!

Brave Snowdrops

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Just when everything looks bleak and dark, I notice the little snowdrops pushing up their delicate but obviously strong shoots with buds opening, in the most hostile of places. It never ceases to amaze me the way they keep appearing year after year.

This winter we have had more severe weather than normal, with lots of frost and some snow.

I have been feeling pretty fed up with the kitchen excavations and the way things have been going wrong.

At first, I was filled with hope that we would get to the bottom of my rodent problem. I kept thinking that the men would find a rat run and be able to put it right. Son hurt his arm and we had to spend a good deal of money on a CCTV technician who searched a strange pipe under the kitchen. We were excited that maybe there was a crack in it that could be repaired and that would be the end of the problem. What did we find? Nothing. The pipe was disused and blocked off and no cracks or sign of any thing unusual at all.

We are back to square one. The underpinning has to be finished and now it looks as though we will have to dig up the floor and take off the roof to find where the pests are coming in. Only we will have to wait for Spring. In the meantime the rats ( who are probably laughing their heads off) are partying like mad in the roof space and the poisoning continues and the incense sticks are burning almost continually.

I am aware that there are so many terrible things going on in the World. The fires in Australia, the crisis in the Middle East and the fact that two of my blogging friends have died and left people who will miss them, not least their relatives.

I realize I am letting rats make me depressed.

I am annoyed when my husband and son tell me how lucky I am. Is it lucky to have rats? 

I do know what they mean though, but it doesn't help one bit to be told this everyday. I think of all the people I know who don't have this problem. They are the lucky ones.

So I go back to the snowdrops that have pushed their delicate heads through that hostile earth. I look at them and realize that I must face my challenge too, but it is getting harder as the time goes on.

Photostory Friday is hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek.

Would You Let A Rat Get The Better Of You?

I'd like to take you through my back garden gate and give you a little tour of the way the garden is at present. You will not be pleased with what you see.

I recently posted about my kitchen problems and the fact that my son and husband were about to start excavating the foundations of the kitchen. There was slight subsidence and of course we have had an on going problem with rats getting into a small roof space above our kitchen where we cannot get to them.

An expert suggested underpinning. He thought there was a good chance of discovering a rat run. The expense was tremendous and my husband and son (both in the construction industry) suggested that they could do the work themselves at a fraction of the price. Do you remember that I was worried that they might kill each other, working together?

Well, so far they have both worked side by side really well. No arguments and peace throughout the whole property. I am very impressed. They have worked really hard.

So far they have almost finished underpinning the end of the kitchen. They have discovered the reason for the slight subsidence ( that has nothing to do with rodents) and have put that right.

However, I am disappointed that we haven't found an obvious point of entry yet for the pesky rats..... but there might be something just around the corner.....

I am definitely in the mood to get this thing sorted out. If it takes a new roof and digging up the kitchen floor, so be it.

Would you let a rat get the better of you?

This was a picture of the same little corner before the digging started. Sigh........