Create an emergency preparedness plan.

In early June I got heat stroke while swimming in Greece. I learnt that I can no longer cope with really hot temperatures. So my emergency preparedness plan is not to be so daft again.

Today there was a gorgeous cool wind blowing directly up our street. I decided to banish a rather ghastly adobe orange wall in our back lane and turn it white.

The back lane runs parallel to the street, but inexplicably there was no wind. Despite the wind maps arrows.

My emergency preparedness plan, or my newfound common sense made me stop the job not even half done. The back lane was stupidly hot.

A few glasses of water and a cool shower were all I needed to avert a dizzy disaster. But then came the oversharing. Parcels arrived for our neighbours. I felt the need to explain my cold, showered towel-wrapped appearance at 5 pm to the delivery man. Does he care? Of course not he just wants parcels to be received and to no longer to be his responsibility. The irony is that while painting the wall white I missed my own parcel delivery.

Memo to self . No painting of white walls on hot afternoons when everyone in the street including me  is expecting parcels.

No need to explain why I needed a shower.

No over sharing of information.

P.s. I only opened the door because a neighbour had promised me a delivery of some  Saskatchewan Berry Jam later this afternoon. Offers like this are rare in Devon. I think he forgot.