Bats in the Belfry

An unexpectedly busy day today. We're selling a church (turned into a house) over in Fife, and today I was told was the day for making sure the pigeons didn't move into the steeple. Last year, Mr B was too late with this quest, and they already had chicks by the time he arrived to evict them. As a kind-hearted soul, he had to leave them be (if they'd been cats that would have been a different matter, of course).

So this year the idea was to nip in early, and discourage any families setting up home. We were just in the nick of time. So here's how today panned out for us:

- pick up van and scaffold from hire places
- kid 1 to school
- erect scaffold in house and fix some stuff
- take down scaffold and put in van
- bang head really hard on van (Mr B) and have to sit down for a while
- kid 1 home
- drive to Fife in two separate vehicles - only space for 3 in van
- erect scaffold in other house
- take photo of broken steeple windows through loft hatch
- climb into loft with pigeons (Mr B)
- brush out accumulated debris of one year of pigeon life (one black bag full - mostly poo)
- reattach chicken wire over holes in windows where pigeons have cleverly removed it
- tut and sigh about panes of glass pigeons have somehow removed since last year
- close off access to lower loft - leaving pigeons with penthouse accommodation only
- bang head on hatch counterweight three times (Mr B)
- take down scaffold and put in van
- home through atrocious weather
- sigh at rubbish, dangerous driving
- scream at rubbish, dangerous driving
- shower, shower again, clean shower, shower again

I have never felt so dirty. And that's saying something.

We're getting pretty experienced at this scaffolding lark now and are a pretty efficient team. I am thinking we should rent ourselves out as handymen (handypersons?): "Mr and Mrs B handyfolk: scaffold erection a speciality" even just for the joy of having the word 'erection' on a business card. Do you think the novelty would ever wear off?

Anyway, after all the showering, I headed off for a lovely night out with right-minded (or do I mean like-minded? Ah, it's the same thing) folk. Always a pleasure.

If you fancy a laugh, here's what I looked like earlier. I'd forgotten to bring a hat, so had to fashion one out of a j-cloth and duck tape. It was quite effective. You'll see: it'll be all the rage come spring. Or not.