20th October. More About Ladders.

When I came out of Tesco tonight brandishing a new "super-mop" and a few essentials it was practically dark, but there was enough light to notice that the ladders on the roof-rack weren't tied on. Ah yes!... I remember now, I was going to do that after whatever... and there's the rope left in the trailer for that very purpose. So, since driving away from Mrs R.S's, I must have covered, what - a dozen miles? - down the A9, then through the town centre. Dear oh dear, tsk, tsk, tsk...

Ironically, half-an-hour earlier, I'd been congratulating myself on my own mindfulness whilst taking down the ladders from Mrs R.S's; a delicate operation, as the roof of the former church proved to be a fair bit longer than the actual roof ladder itself.

By coincidence I passed the wreckage of two accidents on the same route in the morning: somebody had mis-timed reversing out into the traffic from their drive, just up from Tesco, then there was a Tourist bus sat in the fast lane of the dual carriageway with four or five cars pulled off the road, the drivers involved in some sort of grand debate as to what exactly had happened.

" ...a momentary negligence may destroy the happiness of a Lifetime. Do nothing in haste; look well to each step; and from the beginning think what may be the end." (Edward Whymper, Mountaineer.)