LATE OCTOBER

It was more than another week before we got around to washing Bus and putting it away for the summer, because I’d had a return of the mysterious allergy that made my face itchy and swollen. I wondered if it had been caused by exposure to sunshine while we were away? At this frustrating stage, anything seemed possible!

Washing the Bus

It took us four hours to wash the bus, scrub mildew from the awning, dry everything out, put the bus back in its slot and drape it with tarps. That was the hardest bit!

Murphy’s Law seems to dictate that, whenever we are trying to manoeuvre a large tarp over the bus roof, without snagging the air conditioner, solar panel frames or aerials – a bloody strong wind will spring up from somewhere! Never fails.

John was surprised to find that the plant debris that had accumulated through winter, under the solar panels, had not blown away on our recent trip. Really needed the pressure gun to shift it.

Awning ready for cleaning underneath

I would have nightmares that night! I was scrubbing under the partly extended awning, shifting mildew marks, and suddenly sighted a large huntsman spider  – on my shoulder, just under my chin. I screamed. John almost fell off the ladder where he was pruning branches overhanging from next door. Huntsman was resistant to letting go and tried to crawl higher. I finally swiped it off onto the grass, then relocated it with the end of a (long) broom handle to a little plant in the nearby garden, where it tucked up snugly. Have no idea where it came from, before it picked on me. Would have thought that the pressure wash had eliminated any wildlife living around the bus.

My nightmarish friend tucked away under a plant – look for the legs!

Bus parked up and wrapped up in its tarpaulin, for the summer.

The bus bay…

I would really like to put up a proper carport/cover structure for the bus, where we park it. But this could be complicated by the existence of the gas line, drains, and I suspect, the sewer line, just at one side of the parking bay. Not sure if the Council would allow it, and John is not keen on the idea. I would prefer it to the tarps, though. Maybe one day I will investigate further……