Too Late!

When I first met my husband to be, he had many animals. With those many animals he had something I had never seen in a house before. He had two large freezers, next to each other, one for the humans in the home and the other was for the animals.

In the animal freezer he had whole pigs’ heads, that he got each week from the butcher. He also got baby chicks that he would take out the day before, so that they would defrost nicely for his pets, those he bought from the pet shop.

Before we got married, he had got rid of all, but two of his animals. He kept the two dogs, then because the Alsatian, was huge with a lot of fur, I who were not used to dogs, he sold him to the police, and he became a police dog far away. When Paul’s dog arrived at the police training dog course, he was already trained to attacked, they were very impressed with the dog, and said, “Some dogs come to us and they can’t hold the person’s arm, and other dogs, grip tight and won’t let go! But your dog, was already trained in that department.” Paul was invited to the dog’s passing out ceremony, he went and came back in tears, for he loved his dog very much.

He was then left with his lurcher, that he had got from the dog pound, when he was young. This dog, had two faults. From the back yard, he would jump over the high fence. The dog catcher would bring him back! Paul would make the fence higher, again the dog would jump over it. On the third time, when the dog catcher brought him back, we took him to the back yard and showed him the very high fence that he had jumped over! The dog catcher man was shocked! This dog his second fault was, if another dog, bothered him, he would growl, as a warning and then attack! For we had other dogs after we got married. When Daniel was a baby, if he went too close to this dog, he would growl, the dog made me nervous, for I had seen many times how he would growl and then attack. We had tried too hard for this precious baby for the dog to then attack him, it would not be good!

From an ‘outsider’ of a dog lover, it would always amaze me, when on the news, the owner of the dog, that had just attacked and killed someone, when they would say, “That attack came out of the blue.” In my view, some dog owners, don’t see the signs of what their dog can do, and think the dog will always be gentle, good, and kind! It is a dog at the end of the day! It is an animal. Another thing I had notice with Paul and some other dog lovers, they think they can think, for the animal, and know exactly what it will and will not do. Again, it is an animal. So, after some worrying observations, I realized the dog had a potential, to be very dangerous to our baby boy. Paul also noticed too, and when I mentioned it to him, he said, “The dog would never hurt him,” Now how does he know that!?? It is a dog, he likes his own space, he does not want a baby touching him, or getting close to him. So, after a few months of this madness, it was decided he would be advertised free to a good home, where there were not any young children. Back then things were not on the internet, but in the newspapers, the classified section, and while Paul was at work, a couple came for the dog, they lived on a large farm, so he would be able to run free to his hearts content! When Paul came home from work, and found out that his beloved dog had gone, he said, to me, “I wanted to say, to whoever had him, if he is not happy, or you are not happy with him, bring him back.” MERCY! I am glad he was at work!

Over the years, we have kept the two tall freezers side by side in the kitchen, they have done us in good stead. The only individual item in our home that is insured on its own, is the washing machine. Everything else, is under the home insurance, which we have never used, thank goodness. The newer of the freezer is ours, it is frost free. The animal one is not frost free, and over last year didn’t we know it, as the ice slowly seem to come to life and grow, and grow, as the ice became thicker, it hid what was behind at the back and it became difficult to add to it, and to take things out.

Whenever I bought somethings reduced, it would either be for us or for the animals. Both freezers were full, as there are SO many goodies out there in the reduced sections! Our animals 6 cats and 2 dogs, eat like kings and queens, so for example, they have, all different types of meat, cheese, pate, fish, thankfully the pigs’ heads stopped about 6 years ago, when our local butcher was unable to get anymore, and another butcher that we tried, wanted four times as much that we were paying! So, it was curtains for the pigs’ heads, I was glad really as it would take ages to cook, even though the butcher would cut the head into four, and the cats loved the cheeks and tongue. We had to find alternative food for the dogs.

The animal freezer, the ice continued to grow, and stress me out, at one point near the end of last year, Paul had to chip away at the ice, so that we could shut it, and another time, I had to put something heavy in front of it, until Paul woke up to chip away at it so it could be closed. The end of last year I said to Paul, “We need to defrost the freezer together.” He replied, “Yes.” Paul has never defrosted a fridge or a freezer before. Over the years, I have defrosted fridges and loved it, it gives me great satisfaction from the start to the finished process.

As yesterday was my day off, we chose, yesterday to be the defrosting day. Our fridge is frost free, so I had forgotten how long it could take.

Some of our food was also in the animal freezer, like the packs of 20’s sausages, they are a big hit in our home, the kids put it in the air fryer. When Paul does his fabulous home-made chips, we have it with fresh fish, or battered fish, chicken, with his delicious, homemade onion gravy, there is always lots of it. He also does sausage eggs and chips, yum.

We decided to put all our food in one bin liner and the animal food in another, any bits went in the bin. As it was the animal freezer, theirs was a bigger bag, both bags then went to the cooler part of the kitchen. Mary who lived nearby, she had two cats, then many years ago, after her two, indoor cats died, our 6 cats moved into her house!! As she only gave them chicken every day and they didn’t have to ever go outside again, cats know when their bread is buttered! Years later when Mary was housebound her lovely neighbour Ruth became her carer, and gave Paul materials, linen, nice towels, and other items, as she knows he is an Artist, and would put them to good use with his art. Ruth with Mary’s permission, slowly started to declutter the three bedroom house, that she lived in on her own, with her cats, who were now all long gone. Paul always knows where to lay hands on things he needs. After we had emptied 99% of the freezer, as a few items were stuck and buried under the ice, Paul went and got a large bag, and in it he explained, “Ruth gave me these, when Mary was started to downsize, the towels, can be thrown away when we have finished and the linen, materiel, I would like them washed, so that I can use them in the future.” I replied, “OK, thank you.” I placed the first large material at the front of the freezer, so it covered the front and sides of the door. I put newspapers at the bottom of the freezer.

I wanted to put the large oval cooking pot inside the freezer, but there was just too much ice, so I started off by putting the small two milk pans on the cooker with water from the hot water tap, and the third pan that was the next size up, but still, enough to squeeze, into the small space. I love the process of the water boiling and then putting it on different shelves, shutting the door, and getting the next lot on the cooker, ready to be swopped over, so that the same water is used over and over again.

I don’t know what I was thinking, but I did say to Paul, “This should take about two hours to defrost.”

When I took those three little pans back out, and put them onto the three gas fires, the other three pans that I had carefully chosen, took their place, and went into the freezer, which I had turned off at the start.

I had thought, had covered all bases, but with all that amount of ice, the kitchen started to quickly flood with water, the cloth that was placed around the door of the freezer, was like a tiny useless tissue. The sodden material was put into a bin bag to be washed, it was dripping! Another large material was quickly put in its place. The water seemed to have found a natural trail in the kitchen, and I tried without fail to mop it up, but there was far too much water, it went from the freezer to the other end of the kitchen. It was wipe, mop, squeeze, repeat. Then the three pans were swopped over, as it melted, I was able to add with care the oval cooking pan, the handles were hot, so I got kitchen papers on them, so as not to burn my fingers. I had to make sure the 5 cats were outside, and Nanny cat kept in the lounge, so as not to trip over any of them, thus putting them or myself in danger of scalding. We were making headway, I was tired later on, as it had taken way longer than I had anticipated, and nodded off on the sofa, until Paul called me, to let me know, “The waters is boiling on the cooker.”

This went on for many hours, where the pots were in the freezer, it had made shape of the pans. But I love the process, of it all, and loved it when a boiling hot batch of waters went into the freezer, and the door was shut, and the lovely noise of the ice breaking up, and falling.

The kitchen was in a bad way, the window had to be opened, to let out all the steam, the kitchen floor was very wet, we had to be very careful not to slip. I had used up all of Paul’s towels and materials, boy had they come in handy. I had placed a long trail of thick newspapers to follow the natural trail of where the water had flowed, it did seem like a loosing battle, at the height of it. I was very worried about our food, both lots were sealed in large bin liners and placed in the bath, I said to Paul, “Our food will defrost,” He said, “They will be OK.” I was doubtful, but they were all packed together, so they could be ok.

We had started at 3.15pm and at 11pm I said to Paul, “You will need to get your hammer and chisel, out and finish off the rest,” I went and sat back down, while he did that, but he needed me to hold the large pan so he could put the large chunks of ice into them. His hands were freezing cold, I put the chunks of ice in the sink and lots fell off in clumps! It was grate to see. Even though I was SO tired, I had missed lots of my sofa sleep, time, I did feel, that we had bitten off more than we could chew, by starting so late in the day, but Paul had wanted to go food shopping first, so that was what we had done. It was now the final leg, and Paul said, “One more lot of hot water should do it, and then I will give it a quick wipe.” The end was in sight. I dragged myself from the sofa, and put the boiling waters in the freezer for the last time, and closed the door.

That did the trick. Paul then wiped it all inside. We then took the food out of the bath, and the sausages were all defrosted! I said, to Paul, “They must now be for the animals,” He said, “It won’t hurt, they will be ok,” I said, “Do not give me any, nor Darius.” I must remember when next time Paul asks me if I want sausage egg and chips, to just say, egg and chips!

At 12.15am the switch went back on for the freezer, it looked amazing, our food was on top, three shelves were empty and the animal food was at the bottom.

I put all the materials into the washing machine, and turned it on, I dried the kitchen floor and let the cats back in the house, I threw away the towels and newspapers.

I decided to have some oats and toast with goats’ butter, while I watched a bit of telly, to unwind before bed.

Never in a million years, did I think it would take us 9 hours to do it, I had thought it was too late, but it wasn’t for we had finally got it done!

I went to bed satisfied.