Dilemma

Well it's a dilemma for some, perhaps a relief for others.

You see some people, who may not necessarily know they are going to get the cane, or should I say were going to get it, may not be. Because there is a shortage of rattan coming out of Indonesia, firstly because the costs of shipping has risen about tenfold and secondly because Indonesia has restricted raw materials exports to the West. So containers are filling with higher value items and I don't know what the solution is right now although some wheeler and dealers are trying to find a way through.

My own stocks are dwindling. Anyone who has a cane and likes using it (or receiving it - or both, lol) I'd say look after it because if you need to replace or upgrade, there may be less choice around and they may be more expensive. Same applies to anyone looking for their first dip into caning. I told P about it, he smiled and said, 'Don't worry I've got three and I've had them for ages and they still work the same as they did when I first acquired them.'

I can vouch for that.]

Stay safe.

Have a good week.

Ronnie
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How Embarrassing

Doing a good deed raised my blushes. My friend Linda had a fridge breakdown, it's out of warranty and they don't have a 24/7 home service plan. She couldn't get anyone out fast to look at it so she asked me if it would be OK for her to bring some food over if we had any spare capacity, just until she could get it fixed. Well we do, but better than that we have one of those glass fronted drinks fridges in the garage which hardly ever gets used and gets really cold. I phoned P who was out and asked him if it would be safe to keep food in; he said of course, no problem it would almost freeze if the control was set to its lowest so go ahead.

I told Linda she could come over with Steve and collect it for as long as they needed or bring her food across and load it, whichever was most convenient. She said she'd drive over in the estate if it would fit in and if we could lift it between us, I said yes to both. I've seen P lift it on his own and he's also carried it in the car so no problems. She came over twenty minutes later and I opened the garage from the outside so she could back right up to it and only then, when it was too late, did I realise the fridge is under a work top on which, amongst other things, was a bundle of three metre lengths of kooboo cane, maybe thirty to forty lengths (no I'm not going into making them) which I agreed to take in for Jack when he was on holiday a few weeks ago and he still hasn't collected.

Linda saw them and said Steve could do with a couple of those, I thought oh god surely not, but then added for his tomatoes and beans. She said I'd got a lot, she didn't think P was a gardening man. Then she lifted the end of one and it bent as they do, and she said 'Oops they wouldn't support much' and looked quizzically at me.

Thank goodness we only had the daylight from the up-and-over so it was fairly dim or she would have seen my face go bright red. Maybe she did anyway. My brain must have been on top form unusually for me, I quickly said 'Oh no P doesn't do that much, just tidying jobs really, no those are for David, a friend, who asked if I would take delivery while he was away, apparently he uses them to make fences on his allotment.' My face was still burning and my nose growing longer but then Linda just said, 'Oh like for weaving them or something' and seemed satisfied and was already starting to pull the little fridge out. We got it into her car and I closed up. No time for a coffee I was pleased to note, she had things to sort

I told P about it later, he laughed especially at Linda saying Steve could do with a couple. He said perhaps he should give Steve a call and tell him he was welcome, he was sure Linda could benefit from one across her backside now and again. Then on a serious note he said it was about time Jack collected them, the lazy sod had been back off his hols for weeks. He doesn't like Jack much or at least that's the impression I get. I'll email him though and tell him we need the space. I'd like them gone by the time they bring the fridge back, just in case Steve's with her and they get mentioned again, my allotment story was after all spur of the moment.

Ronnie
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