Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Back to Trellick


Remember how Dave cut the cord on our electric lawn mower while working in the garden a few weeks back? Well, we finally got around to getting it repaired yesterday -- which is a good thing, because the grass was starting to look seriously shaggy.

Dave had tried to call some mower repair places, but none of them were nearby and none would pick up the mower. We'd have had to schlep it out to Wembley, for example, in a taxi.

He considered repairing it himself, but he couldn't find the tools he needed (like a wire-stripper) at our local Homebase. And frankly, I argued for a professional job, because I didn't want an amateur repair that was going to prove dangerous in the long run.

So he began calling electricians, and eventually found one who came to the house, repaired the mower cord for a nominal fee, and also replaced a fuse in our extension cord that blew out in the same incident. (And turned on a circuit breaker that we didn't even realize had flipped.) Long story short -- our mower works, and the grass no longer looks like the pelt of Oscar the Grouch.


In the afternoon, Olga and I got on the tube and went to Westbourne Park, a neighborhood near where we used to live in Notting Hill. We were meeting my former co-worker Lindsey and her husband Gav at a pub there -- being staffy lovers, they had specifically requested Olga's presence.

Olga and I were a bit early, so we visited Trellick Tower, where I used to go frequently to photograph the ever-changing kaleidoscope of graffiti on the walls of the courtyard. We checked out some of the new art, and walked through Meanwhile Gardens and along the Grand Union Canal. Olga clearly remembered where we were -- she knew which paths to take -- even though she hadn't been to this specific area in at least five years. Smart dog!


She was very amused by this boat.

Lindsey, Gav and I had a great time hanging out, with Olga snoozing on the canalside patio beneath our pub table. Even though we didn't really do anything strenuous, she seemed exhausted by the time we got home. I think any activity outside of her usual routine adds a degree of tension that manifests itself in a need for a long, long nap. (Which I totally understand!)


We found this sketch on one of the canal bridges. The caption says, "Leave Me Alone." I don't know whether that means lions in general, or this particular lion, or maybe the artist.

Anyway, I am off to Florida today. I'll be heading down to Gatwick momentarily. Coming to you tomorrow from the Sunshine State!

10 comments:

  1. Have a lovely time across the pond!

    I love the name "Meanwhile Gardens". It could spark a range of new street names... Sometimes Avenue, Everywhere Crescent, Rarely Park, Forever Road...

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  2. "Meanwhile Gardens" struck me too.
    Hey! Are you here? Welcome to sunny Florida where the orange trees never stop blooming and the palm trees sway in the tropical moonlight.
    Hahahahahahahaha!
    I sure do wish our timing had been better in regards to our trip over to St. Augustine. Let me know if you get a window of opportunity to come over this way. We would LOVE to see you.

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  3. colorful graffiti but I can never tell what it says, names I know it's the artist's tag but still it's hard to make out distinctive letters. grass got mowed here too yesterday.

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  4. With effort , after a while, you will find the best solution for a problem. Remember this electrician. You might need him again.

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  5. good job finding an electrician that did all of that fixing! What a find! Florida at this time of year, must be an emergency? That style of graffiti looks like early 90's style. Retro already! Time just keeps on slipping! Have a safe journey.
    I have read that changing a dog walk frequently gives them more to think about and is better for their brains. Just like humans. Her brain had to process, I reckon.

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  6. Very cool that you were able to find an electrician to come and do that repair work. Excellent. Love that graffiti. So incredibly colorful. Looks like a nice walk with Olga there.

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  7. That graffiti is very well done and quite colorful. Safe travels to Florida! I don't envy you that long plane ride. Having just done it, I feel like the space gets smaller each time I fly a long haul. That won't stop me though. I'm already thinking about my next trip to London.

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  8. My blog attracted that same hacker (above) but I was able to delete him before it ever posted. Slime, I says.

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  9. Olga really does look like she's enjoying the boat name joke :) That's such a great shot of her.

    Safe travels!

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