Beware the Quince Thieves

The snails seem to have been activated by our recent rain. I found this one about two feet off the ground in our broom plant. I didn't realize snails would eat broom, but something motivated this one to climb up there.

Soon there were TWO of them. The snail network is buzzing! Fortunately brooms are tough and I have no doubt it can stand up to whatever damage these critters do. I left them alone.

I got a call Monday from our energy company, wanting to fit us with a smart meter. Now, I've been around and around with our utilities providers -- water or power or possibly both -- about fitting smart meters, which would transmit automatic meter readings. I'm pretty sure we were told we can't get them. As I recall there's something about our circuit breakers that they couldn't hook a meter to, and because we share a streetside water connection with the flat upstairs we couldn't get a water meter either. So I told the caller all that and she finally relented on the smart meter idea, but she asked me to send a gas meter reading because we hadn't had one in more than a year (!). In fact, she wanted it within 24 hours.

The problem is, when the Russians have parked their gigantic T-34 tank SUV in their parking space in front of the house, I can't get to our gas meter, which is right in the corner under the front steps. And that SUV is pretty much always there when we're home. On Monday evening I knocked on their door and asked when the tank car would next move. "Saturday," Mrs. Russia replied, and I explained that the gas company needed a reading before then. Mr. Russia quite helpfully volunteered to move it right away -- he said he needed to take a reading too, and their meter is also under the steps. So he backed the tank car out and we took our respective readings, and I reported it back to the energy company, and they sent me a revised bill that, if I understand it correctly, means we've actually been docked £30 more than we'd been charged before.

So that's the thanks I get for all that faff.

Oh, and I have another story about the Russians. Remember the quince plant that Dave rescued from the trash area? Well, Mrs. Russia called down to me from their terrace on Sunday morning and said they hadn't actually meant to throw it away. She said she was hiding it (?) behind the trash bins so no one would steal it from the front porch, where it had been sitting next to their door. Now, this seems implausible to me for many reasons, including: A) They have two other plants on the porch and they weren't hiding those, and B) They have a terrace, so why wouldn't they just move it there? Not to mention C) Who the heck would steal their spindly quince? It's been on the porch for at least a year, unbothered.

But of course I simply said, "Oh, sorry, we thought it was trash!" I returned it to her front doorstep right away, and they have now plunked it into the front garden, pot and all. It's just sitting there, a sort of vegetative afterthought, next to the front steps. Apparently they are no longer concerned about anyone stealing it.