Saturday 28th January

Seven thirty start and not much to start really.  The fire was hanging in there and got it going again.  Looking at the sky though I knew that it was OK to go out but probably wait until the secondary heating appeared over the hillside which it eventually did.  In the stairwell the temperature had gone down to fifteen overnight but eventually rose slowly and steadily to twenty five and not bade for free.

As I said I didn't do much.  I made coffee and went on to the PC on the top landing and checked FB and emails, the Daily Mail suduko for today has eluded me so I've printed it off to attempt it on paper.  It's a little easier when you can make jottings at the side of the page.  The hunger grubs started nibbling so I went down, sliced and fried off one of the sausages, added an egg to the pan and half of the can of beans from the other day and breakfast was served.  I lay in the sun and carried on with my book, eventually nodded off and spent part of the afternoon chipping away at the ice on the drive and my bit of the road with the metal spade but there was no way to move the majority of it.  Despite the sun it hadn't really got through to the packed ice so I don't hold out much hope of getting out for the next few days.  Another carrier of wood filled and put into the kitchen.  Two year old wood burns really hot so in fact I'm burning less as long as I keep the fire closed up.....more heat for your lev so to speak.  I did move the snow from round the lavender bushes and it's amazing that there is still lots of perfume when you brush by them  I also dug out a couple more bushes that are weighed down with snow but my hands got so cold and I gave it up as a bad joy...I'll leave it to nature.

Closed up for the night, curtains drawn, fires going and a couple of chicken legs are in the oven for tonight's supper.  I was going to do a jacket with them but the potatoes aren't looking so good so I'll cube some with some onions and put them in the oven.  My book's finished so I'm on the lookout for another series...and that stiff talking to to myself may happen tomorrow.  LN...Logs, kitchen and a little Filmon.....LN

Sunday 29th January

Five thirty start, rescued the fire, freezing fog outside so bed was the best option.  After all it was Sunday...day of rest.  I was out of bed by seven thirty though...I needed bread and didn't want to miss the van this morning and was outside with boots, hat and gloves and listening out him.  After half an hour I got bored, got the camera out and took a few shots but moved into the guest room, took my jacket off and kept watch from the window.  I still didn't here anything and now it was nearing eight thirty and by chance I looked to where the van normally stops and there he was.  I leapt down the stairs , grabbed my money out of my jacket pocket and legged it down hoping that he wouldn't drive off and leave me stranded.  I got there in time and there were a couple of the locals out and I mentioned that I didn't hear his horn to announce his arrival and was told that his horn wasn't working.  One of the ladies said that she'd been waiting since eight...I'll take to looking inside.  She did invite me for coffee but since I hadn't breakfasted yet...that was my priority.  So with fresh bread I made two huge cheese and onion sandwiches which hit the spot.  Bread and walnut oil in the feeding station and its seems to be popular and it amuses me how the blackies tend to dip down and protect their legs from the cold...

The sun came up and the temperature went up in the house and so much so that I let the fire go out.  Not much point in burning it when you don't have to.  I got the book out and read for a while and at twelve was ready for my early siesta and at half past one I was walking the estate, getting in a load of wood, chipping away at the ice again at the top of the drive and tomorrow I'm heading out.  I've had enough of being housebound.

I got the fire going early afternoon, watched the tennis this afternoon and well done to Federa, then caught the bowls final.  Not sure about anything for supper yet...I've put the boiler on and I'm going to soak for an hour or so and see if I need to get creative in the kitchen.  LN....Time to check fire and boiler...LN

Monday 30th January

So I woke up this morning and guessed at the time firstly thinking it was between six thirty and seven thirty and then I settled on seven twenty and my biological clock had not let me down.  I checked the clock and I was spot on...result.  No back to bed for me and I wasn't going to bother to keep the fire going.  I intended to head out for the day but I looked at the sky, grey every which way and a very thin layer of snow and I gave it up as a bad job.  I sat down and looked at my shopping list and if the truth be known, there was really not much on it that I couldn't live without and so I threw a log on the fire and realised that my destiny was tied to the house once more...the weather had got the better of me.  I filled up the feeding station and fixed the price at twopence a bag and that's especially for Mrs. D of S.  I check out if she had managed to get out yet or anything in between and after a negative response, I'll have to leave my Santa delivery until the end of the week...again weather permitting.

I put Filmon on, caught Jeremy Kyle and it's been downhill ever since.  I did manage a bacon and egg sandwich for a late breakfast and tuna mayonnaise for a late lunch but the two spare rib chops destined for supper and in the fridge and will come out tomorrow.  It's been a very lazy day.  I did go out check the road surface to see if there was any change but there was very little of a thaw going on.  I managed to get in a load of logs and I've just lit the little on in the kitchen.  Checking the local weather, it's going down to minus nine by tomorrow morning so it's pump up the gas so to speak.  

Another cold night....LN...Battening and stoking...LN

Tuesday 31st January

It's nearly gone...in just a few more hours I'll be in to the very busy birthday month. CJ just caught the end of January, Princess next, my son, mine and my usual guest....that's a lot of cards and so much so that I'm thinking of paying a visit not sending cards.  I've been looking at flights this morning, prices are not bad....I just need to make a decision before the prices soar.

So it was a dull old morning and exactly seven twenty again when I was making my way to the kitchen for the first coffee of the day.  The routine is curtain, fire, kettle, ash can while the kettle boils, made the bed, sit down with the Kindle while the fire takes hold and then wait for the body to require nourishment,  It happened earlier this morning...two poached eggs on toast served up at eight thirty with the second cup of coffee.  When I came to wash up I realised that the water wasn't very hot so into investigation mode.  I headed for the upstairs bathroom to wash and put the washing away and realised that I'd knocked the switch on the boiler hence the luke warm water.  Not much to do...I went out to the road and finished removing the ice from the top of the drive.  Emular was walking down the road and he's asked that I take some photos of the village and post them in the Dushinkovo FB page.  Haciber came along to where we were chewing over the cud and she mentioned that her son has gone back to Sweden, her daughter and sister have gone back to Turkey and she now has her life back together.  I filled up the log containers and now I'm settled in for the night.  So white rabbits for tomorrow but I must admit I haven't seen Harold...only his footprints.  LN..TV and bed...LN