8th May, It is my birthday today.

I am in Slovakia.My sister cooked lunch fit for a Queen, marinated chicken,boiled new potatoes mixed with spring onions cooked in butter,salad,simple,delicious. The cakes were home baked, utterly divine,made predominantly from walnuts,apples and cheese,my absolute favourite ingredients,some prepared by my sister,some by one of her daughters-in-laws. This morning I took a taxi to my holiday home about an hour's drive away.It is a flat on the top floor,there are two floors below me. I only bought it because there was no-one living above. And the views are lovely. But there are pigeons on the roof. They appeared in the area about four years ago and multiply with each passing year. It is a problem for the whole community, but the permanent residents in this quite exclusive area deal with the infestation kind of half-heartedly. Only people like myself, who occupy the top floors, see the damage the birds can cause. Last year I cleared out the guttering leaning from the windows as far as I could reach, then paid a young boy to do the corners. We threw out about 12 kg of bird droppings.Later,but too late, I was told there is no better fertilizer than pigeon droppings.Tell that to Mr Nelson in Trafalgar Square! This morning I climbed out of the windows again,the bird droppings have been bagged,they must weigh at least six kg and my sister will be overjoyed when I present her with them. But again I could not reach the corners,so the next time I come one of my nephews will pop over and finish the job. If I do not take care of it,it simply won't get done. I love the flat. I love the security it offers. I can lock the door,bullet-proof,by the way,and be away for several months knowing no burglar will ever lay his mucky hands on any of my possessions. I have had quite substantial alterations in the flat,next year will finish the project. I love the flat,pigeons and all!