11. Floods, Plagues and Pestilence.
Entry posted by Methuselah
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Floods, Plagues and Pestilence - yes really.....
Given the rising global pandemic and all of the associated uncertainties, even incipient panic by some, immersing oneself in the world of miniature fantasy may seem like a highly frivolous activity of little import - and in truth - it is. On the other hand, a non-reactionary approach and a sense of historical perspective probably make for a calmer, less panic-prone citizen - so you'll excuse me if a lean towards the latter view.
We had terrible flooding locally this winter, a great tragedy for many, and resulting in ongoing misery and hardship. Fortunately, being in a reasonably elevated position, my property suffered no significant ill-effects to the biblical inundations. What may yet prove to throw a massive spanner in the works for me is the pandemic, and it's effects upon the supply of workers, both skilled and unskilled. I have a big program of work on my property this year, and until I get that to a reasonable state of advancement, serious progress on my diorama is simply not going to be possible - I simply dare not allow myself to become prematurely diverted. Of course, that hasn't stopped me honing some of my ideas. The enforced delay has allowed time to come-up with a number of improvements that had not hitherto revealed themselves to my ageing brain.
The biggest single - and recurring problem to manifest itself, in terms of layout design, has been that of space, and, rather like the child whose eyes are bigger than his belly, I've found that I had somewhat underestimated the space that I will need, not by much, but a miss is as good as a mile... I've become rather obsessed with not bending or foreshortening the diorama, and whilst Woofferton wasn't very big as railway stations and junctions go, I'd not really allowed enough for the curves at the ends, carrying the line away to imagined horizons.
At the end of the month, I'll finally move the thirty miles or so to the farm. I've had a caravan on site for a couple of years now. It's a few years old and pretty basic, but perfectly tolerable - at least until you get visitors....whereupon it starts to get like a sardine tin...but in the current situation, that’s not likely to be an issue…!
Had I gone for a normal property restoration, I'd have been finished long ago. Being, apparently, some sort of masochistic idealist, I'm trying to create a sort of eco-friendly, off-grid paradise. Doing this with a six-hundred year old house is not without it's challenges. Last season, was mostly taken-up with groundworks - digging and burying a kings-ransom in various types of pipes and ducts. As well as normal sewers - to a septic tank of course, there is a system to collect and store rainwater - lots of it. Overflows, back-up pipes to the well, ducts for wires for the various pumps and sensors etc. I could go on, but you get the drift.
Part of the new railway room will in fact sit over the main water storage tank - something of an impediment to progress....! I've had to wait for the ground to dry-out a little before digging the rather large hole for the water tank, but this will happen very shortly now. Thus, being off-grid for sewerage and water, I will have to address the electrical system. Currently, I'm using mains power, but next year will see the fitment of a goodly number of PV panels and batteries to store surplus energy. The rest of this year will see new floors and walls at the ground-level, a new porch, and finally, the railway room/outbuilding.
Having mentioned Floods and Plagues - lastly - Pestilence. Not clouds of Locust fortunately - but mice. I don't actually have a huge infestation - but then again, it only takes a few mice to cause untold damage.... To this end, moving with me will be my two Savannah's. These cats are, we are told, pedigree cross-breeds of some sort of Asian cat, with the wild African Serval. They are not especially large, but they are exceptionally athletic - and very good mousers, so they will have a field-day - or at least I ruddy hope so. In case you are thinking that I paid the reputed thousands for these cats, let me inform you that they were rescue cats and came free.... Rather foolishly, having always owned cats, I thought that I'd be able to tame them and bend them to my ways. Well, it's fair to say that I've only been partially successful. They are siblings, and had been used for breeding at a cattery, and, truth be told, had never really been handled. They aren't nasty as such - and are very clean.....but they live for each other - and ONLY for each other. You can't just pick them-up like teddy bears and cuddle them. They are nervous, jumpy and highly strung, and if panicked, will hiss at you like a Cobra about to strike…. However - they are very beautiful, and have limitless curiosity. They move like water flowing and both of them together like a shoal of fish. Some people who have had them from kittens put them on leads. These two would never suffer such domestic abuse and are far beyond such impositions upon their freedoms. All interactions have to be on their terms. Oddly, they were house-cats when they arrived, but they now love to roam free. When it's cold or wet, they much prefer their basket or propping-up a scalding-hot radiator. When it’s a cold but sunny day, they are often to be found, sat like book-ends on the window as a mirror-image.
In Roman times, people used to have niches by the entrance to the house, in which they placed their household gods - the Lares & Penates, to ward-off evil spirits and bad luck. In my case - I'm hoping my Lares & Penates will rid me of Pestilence too. Anyway - their utility as mousers is about to be put to the test. I'm just hoping that the mice haven't caused damage to all my stored railway treasures...
Model railway-related acquisitions have now slowed to a tiny dribble, and the real work is about to begin…..
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