Tuesday 21st November

Another disturbed night not helped by the fact that I went to sleep downstairs and yet again and woke at three.  Fortunately I made it up to bed and slept solidly until seven and then I was straight into the day.  So the overall count of zzzz's was OK but at three this afternoon I could have willing got my head down but didn't and I promise myself I shall not repeat any of the above tonight.  

Another cold start to the day, the sun came up, I got washed and dressed and made the decision to go into Kardjali and make a start on the Christmas list for the locals but firstly I got rid of the household rubbish and lit the bonfire.  After yesterday's burn-up, I'm pleased to report that there is only ash in the burning in, a few tin cans and they will be easy to remove before the rest goes on the garden.  It's mainly wood ash and that's good for the garden.  I didn't bother with breakfast and instead bought it from one of the local breakfast shops after I paid my first visit to my usual cheapy shop for Christmas stocking fillers.  I was disappointed, there was just too much to choose from, the owners had reconfigured the store to get more stock in and it seemed overwhelming so I made a rapid exit and only spent just under forty lev where normally I would be up to the hundred.  I did find some really super Santa stockings made out of felt and they were cheaper than the gift bags and it should limit the amount that I can get into them.  I put the purchases into the Nipper and walked to my cheapy Tuesday clothes shop but didn't by anything although I was tempted by a wine coloured velour top but the queue was so long that I wasn't worth the effort and then to the breakfast shop next door....one Princessa which is a slice of bread with cheese and ham, toasted but unfortunately it had gone cold but I followed it with a deep fried chocolate stuffed cake which replaced breakfast really successfully.  Over to Kaufland and made a few purchases including a new wrist blood pressure monitor, over to Lidl and then back to Djebel stopping off at the garage shop to return the body warmer that she let me borrow for the football evening.  I didn't stay for long, drove home, unpacked the shopping and settled down with a cup of coffee on the sofa and managed to stay awake.

The evening sky was quite beautiful tonight and I managed to take a few while supper was cooking.   Chicken wings with vegetables went into the oven and it was ready to be served at sixish with mayo followed by a chocolate pudding from my trip to Lidl and a few more goodies for the goody box.  Not much on the agenda for tomorrow so far....I've got a few admin things to sort out and then I might go into Djebel and make another attack on the Christmas list.  As for the blood pressure monitor.....I tried for an hour to set the day, date, year and time but to no avail....blood pressure reading is very good considering the stain I was under trying to set it up.  It should be perfect tomorrow. LN.....Now to settle down in front of Netflix and make it up the stairs before my eyelids come down.....LN

Wednesday 22nd November

Another silly night last night.  I went to bed at eleven thirty. more or less straight to sleep but unfortunately I woke up at two, no sleep in me so went downstairs to the fire, threw a log on, watched Netflix until three thirty and back to bed.  This time I went through until seven so in total, not so bad but I'm tired of interrupted sleep.  Note to self...cut back on the coffee throughout the day.

I was amazed, there was still a red tinge in the woodburner so on with another log and it was living for another day.  I was cursing the new wood last night, I think the air was just heavy and the chimney wasn't drawing at all so maybe it's the wood or maybe it isn't....only time will tell.  I might try mixing some of the wood from the pollarded trees to add more moisture to the mix..this wood seems very dry.  I put the washing away, washed and dressed, toasted tea loaf for breakfast, chicken bones left over from last night out for the cat and it was sitting waiting for me.  No sign of any sunrise this morning and no sunset tonight.  Today's task was to complete my plans for my upcoming visit for Christmas and book my hotel for the night before my flight and this is where the problems started.  I normally stay at the same hotel and there was a plan that you could plum into to get the rate down and two years ago I signed up.  When I came to book today the system told me that I wasn't eligible and I eventually had to book through another well known company.  This went through OK and I think I must have had four emails confirming my booking, one notifying me that a special request has been accepted and all this was  that I would be checking in later.  Not to worry, accepted and paid for is good enough for me.  I shan't be driving up this time, I'll be taking the bus, don't want any unforeseen happenings like last time when I and the car came back on a low loader and it cost me another night in the hotel.

Work done I opened my santa's grotto getting the  presents ready for my ladies.  I'd bought smelly candles so I wrapped them in aluminium foil so that they don't pervade everything else, put them in the mini-santa sacks and then drove into Djebel to buy the rest of the stuff that I needed.  First to the bankomat, then to the dinky-doo shop to buy large containers to replace the plant pots damaged in the storm and hand cream, pot holders, pop-socks, dish wash pads and lots more things that the ladies don't buy for themselves.  They all went into the big pot saving on carrier bags that I probably wouldn't have been able to manage.  I was parked outside the mosque, drove round to the carshop, I needed some firelighters, I was down to my last box.  We chatted for a while and I've been invited to watch my student play for his team on Sunday morning in one of the small village outside of Kardjali.  I'm keen to go, the match starts at ten and I shall have to be in Djebel by seven forty-five.....and only rain will stop play for me.

Drove home and peeled the price ticket off the items, found the wrapping paper and managed to find the sellotape so that's my work sorted for tomorrow.  The clock downstairs is still not behaving itself so I'll have to try and find a new clock inside and see if I can replace it.  Alternatively I shall move the clock from the upstairs, downstairs until I can find a replacement.  No supper required, I've picked on bun loaf and I'll manage through until tomorrow.  LN.......Santa's grotto is officially declared open.....LN

Thursday 23rd November

Early to sleep last night, I had a late bath and slept well on the sofa until I woke up and meandered my way upstairs.  This is not good.  I've decided that I've been drinking too much coffee, eating too much rubbish and I think I might be back on the blood pressure tablets until it calms down again.  I went on the hunt this morning for my usual and found three half packets all with the expiry date of February twenty three so got washed and dressed, fresh lemon juice with hot water and foregoing the coffee and set off for the chemist.  They're very obliging, I waited in the queue, handed over the half packet and asked for three new ones and they were handed over.  Ninety tablets for thirteen leva and that means that I shall have enough until I leave for England, one pack to take with me and one for when I get back.  Nothing like being prepared.

I popped into the car shop, I'd had a message from my student's mother to say that the game has been cancelled on Sunday and brought forward to tomorrow so my early start for Sunday is off my list...thank goodness.  It's been cancelled because bad weather is forecast so I should really check it out and I just have.  Minus three overnight on Saturday and rain, minus nine on Sunday and snow.  No wonder they changed the day.  I shall be getting in wood to keep the home fires burning  finding the snow shovel and have it at the ready.  I did make a start today on clearing up the rest of the stuff that needs to come inside.  The grass mower is in the wood store, the large wooden box from the corridor terrace is in the little house along with the water barrel that I emptied the other day.  There was lots of sludge inside so gave it a wash out and put away the two concertina hoses so and found a stray bench so that came in as well.  Tomorrow is a day of clearing the weeds from the pots that are overwintering in the little house and bringing everything in, watering them well and forgetting about them until I go to the UK, one more water and they'll be left to their own devices.  It's the survival of the fittest in this neck on the woods.

I stopped off at the supermarket on my way home from Djebel and bought more presents in the form of alcohol for Santa's grotto. Before I went home I drove down to see the lady who has the garden next to mine to tell them that a couple of trees had come down onto the wall.  They thought it was the big pear tree and were quite pleased to see that they were rubbish plum trees and I'm thinking I should really lop mine to the ground before they fall down.  I think I shall have to ask Emula one of the boys from the village to come up with his chain saw....it will only take him about fifteen minutes at the most.   We managed to pull the offending tree from the wall and they can chop it up for logs in their own time.  

Haciber came round with a rice and meat dish, a cake and a bottle of water as a 'mevlit' gift from Beyser who has recently died.  It's a tradition here but now it's been commercialised, it's prepared in Djebel, not at home and in some ways the standard is better...there's more meat in the rice.  I had that for lunch and settled on the sofa and went to sleep for a couple of hours or so and feel much better for it.   It was after I woke up that I started on the outside clean-up.  Fire going well and I'm acclimatising myself ready for my minus temperatures at the weekend according to internet.  Let's wait and see.  LN......Dull and dismall all day so no photos worth posting...a day of manual labour tomorrow, all will be safely gathered in......LN

Friday 24th November

Usual routine, the sun was out but there was a very fierce wind blowing, the poor lemon was still bending despite being staked well and attached to the roof down pipe.  It was the last day for all of the pots on the terrace.....they were going into winter storage but it took me ages to work up to it.  Instead I fried off the remains of last night's supper and had in on plain bread.  It wasn't exactly fried spicy sausage, it was more warmed up in chopped tomatoes but it filled a gap well.  I put the crusts out for the cat with the scrapings from the frying pan and most of it went, just a few onions remaining.....it appeared neither of us liked them.  I went into the lounge to check if the food had gone and sitting on the wall under the wild plum tree was a bird I didn't recognise.  It looked very pale, medium sized and kept changing position to face into the wind.  I grabbed the camera for the table under the stairs and managed to take a shot but really didn't think it would be any good so moved to the stairwell and started to climb the stairs to take another and it was spooked, and off it flew.  

I carried on up the stairs and stripped the quilt cover from my bed and earmarked it for the washing machine.  With the temperatures about to plummet according to the weather reports and it's down to minus three tonight and minus nine tomorrow, the zebra blanket quilt covers have been installed along with the same under sheet.  It's more the feel of getting into a warm bed and losing the initial chill of cotton sheets.....everything is a bonus when you get old and the temperature drops.  I then spent another hour searching for the second quilt cover that I have and what a waste of time that was...I've obviously put it somewhere safe.  I was going to make up the bed downstairs closer to the woodburner.....not that I've ever been cold in this house after the central heating went in and I added more insulation in the loft.  So back to the kitchen for a tidy up, the slow cooker was washed and was immediately put into action.  I added a chicken breast and a tin of mushrooms, it's been cooking all day and I've just blitzed most of the mushrooms and put them back with the chicken and that's supper done and dusted.  

Back to the terraces....I eventually plucked up courage at around two this afternoon and finished the job around five.  Some of the larger pots were very heavy so I had to become ingenious in my approach, bringing into play the log carrier and the lifting trolley.  Thanks to 'Spike' I had to come in and take tweezers to my knee to remove the spines, thanks D of S, it's your plant and I'm looking after it as a favour.  The little house is very full, tomorrow's job s to give them a good watering but calculating the weight of the pots, I guess that most of them are OK and won't die of thirst.  The pottery animals will also have to come in, I've just remembered that they're sitting on the terrace wall and I should fetch them in incase the wind gets up again.  Starting to write the blog and I loaded the photos on to the computer and I was amazed at the picture of the bird.  I had to get the RSPB book out and it looks very much that it might be a Peregrine.  It just looked grey in colour sitting on the wall but when I put the photo on the computer, the detail of the breast and legs matches the description in the book.  Just a pity it didn't longer longer for more of a photo shoot.

Supper is ready, the fire needs attention so I'm heading down to the lounge....a long soak tonight in a hot bath to make sure that I don't have aches and pains tomorrow.  LN......Looking forward to trying out the 'nest' for the first time this winter.....LN  

Saturday 25th November

Really strange today....it felt like a Sunday and nothing would shake the idea.  I think it was because I didn't make any plans to go anywhere...I had shopping in, freezer full, pots all away and nothing really to do in preparation for winter or my time in the UK.  I did get on with replies to messages that I should have done before and had a surprise conversation on line with an old friend who wanted to catch up.  I also contacted my son and made Christmas arrangements so that I manage to see him and his family and confirmed arrangements with my daughter for Christmas day.  It's good because I have time before and after Christmas for me and should be able to catch up on friends.

What did my day hold?  I woke at seven which was OK, I'd fallen asleep on the sofa again last night and expected a two a.m. wake up which just didn't happen.  It was probably due to the humping of heavy pots and clearing the terraces yesterday.  It was hard work but when there's only you to do it you just get on with it.  I could pay for help but while I'm able I still do most things.  It was a dull start to the day, lightning was flashing over the mountains and from the photo you will see the dark clouds rising.  As the morning wore on, other clouds appeared coming up from the south which seemed to hold the others back.  I made ham and poached eggs on toast for breakfast and put the remains of that and last night's supper out for the cat and tt was then that the rain started.  It was gentle at first but suddenly the heavens opened and it's been like that for the rest of the day.  My only trip outside was to load up the log carrier and bring it inside and those already in the conservatory were moved to the log basket inside and one more trip to fill up the other log carrier so that now I have one inside and two outside.  It also means that the logs warm up.

Today's activities have been interspersed with Netflix and House of Cards which I'm finding fascinating.  Perhaps they could do House of Parliament but I guess that lots of people would hang their heads in shame at the comings and goings.  I managed an hours nap on the sofa mid morning, had cheese and biscuits for a late lunch and have been lazing for the rest of the afternoon.  I was going to start to wrap the presents but the mood didn't take me and I just realised that I've cut out coffee completely to help my blood pressure and I think I might be getting mild withdrawal symptoms.  Half seven my time, the fire has been going well all day and the house is super warm.  My first night in the nest was brilliant but for some of the night I slept with my leg out of the bed...maybe a little too warm, I'll have to remove the summer throw.  No supper for me, no bugs nibbling away at the moment, things could change and I might be searching the fridge later.  LN.....Tomorrow, the presents will get wrapped......LN

Sunday 26th November

So despite my early to bed, I did open my eyes at five and open the curtains, checked that it had snowed, last night's rain had solidified and the thunder and lightning had gone away.  Having said that I snuggled down again and it was seven when I awoke for the second time, it was snowing very lightly, the temperature had dropped to two degrees so it was time to get the fire going, it was only eighteen degrees in the house.  It was still comfortable but looking at the sky there was no change of much improvement for the day.  

The fire sprung to life and it's still going now.  It's minus two outside and twenty two in so not much change of me tripping the lights fantastic....I'll stay by my fire.  I was surprised this morning by a couple of Messenger communications.  Guljan my ex-student suggested that she could come over with her parents this afternoon around two to see the snowy view from my house of the mountains and countryside.  They would only stay for coffee but as it was they stayed much longer.  I had work to do before they arrived.  It was still only nine thirty so I had plenty of time to get on with 'stuff' so I cleaned the kitchen, mde breakfast of toasted ham and cheese sandwiches and cleaned the kitchen again.  My morning was interspersed by Netflix...a little work and a little leisure doesn't go amiss when there's no hurry.  The hoover came out and it took me about thirty minutes to do all through, the hardest part is getting it into action, kitchen, lounge, bedrooms and upstairs and then it was time for a shower and hair wash.  I'd been putting the hair off for a few days but now it was really necessary.  It I have a bath it's difficult to wash my hair and if I have a shower, it's cold this weather but with the fire going it wasn't such a bad experience,

I put the coffee cups ready, with biscuits that I had lingering and they arrived at two thirty.  Mother was drawn to the Choisya in the grave garden and they want a rooted cutting so I'll have to get one started for them.  I mentioned that the pots were all in the little house so I got the keys and we had a tour, they want seeds of my sundaisies so I shall get some going for them probably before I go away.  I have babies already so I could pot some up to grow on until the spring when they can be planted out.  We moved inside, they were surprised how warm it was, we sat in the lounge, I provided the beverages and opened the biscuits.  I was surprised, mother has developed a slipped disk so I found a tube of Deep Heat, husband applied some to her back and I sent her off with the tube.  They stayed until five, I was just clearing up the cups and there was a knock of the door and it was my other Gulcan's mother from the next village with homemade bread for me and a chunk of frozen meat that went straight into the freezer.  She said that she intended to bring it earlier but had been putting it off, she's busy with the cows most days but she looked well.  Her daughter, my good friend is working in Germany with her husband and she's not sure when she is over next.  I was tempted to get the car out and drive her home but the screen was iced over, she'd walked up and intended walking back to I left her to it.  

Looks like it's a full moon tonight and despite valiant efforts I couldn't get the camera to take a good picture.  I've just checked the weather station and it's showing minus three degrees so far but I've got a notion that it's really going to drop with no cloud cover and a full moon. Most of the snow has gone but I must remember to put out the wild bird food in the morning...the ground is going to be solid by morning.  LN.....I've got fire duties to perform and biscuits to finish from this afternoon...it's a hard life.....LN

Monday 27th November

It was still dark when I opened my curtains. I'd had a good night's sleep so I went down and checked the outside thermometer and it was minus six and only sixteen degrees in the house but it didn't feel cold at all.  I remembered the old days growing up when I would make pictures on the frost on the inside of the window, I was lucky enough to have an electric blanket, winceyette sheets and the chimney going through my bedroom and dad would light the fire before he set off for the mine before the rest of the house was awake.  We survived though and being back here I've gone back in time in some ways but we now have very effective roof and loft insulation and even when I came back this evening with a fire all day, it was nineteen degrees and just on freezing point outside.

As the sun came up the temperature inside the house went up steadily, I sliced a spicy sausage and fried it off adding an egg and topped it off with HP sauce....one of my little luxuries that for some reason Kaufland have stopped stocking.  Back to the tea and giving the coffee a miss, and I'm feeling much better for it so I'll keep taking the tablets for a little while longer.  Kitchen cleared and food put out for the cat and it actually came up over the wall as I made my clicking sounds and the food was demolished n quick sticks.  Next job was to find used bottles that hadn't been used for anything else so I went up the ladder into the little house and came back with five of them.  I was taking them to Gulcan's mother who will put them to good use for her milk cows.  As I was putting them next to the car I saw a small stag walking along the road, I raced into the house to get the camera, it got spooked and took off over the field opposite, came back onto the road but because of the sun I couldn't see the screen.  I took a photo anyway, moved into the shade just as it took off over the next field, never to be seen or captured by the camera.

Bottles readied I started the car first time and set about clearing the windscreen and wipers, left it running while I finished off indoors, final touches to the screen and set off for the next village.  She was home, was very grateful for the bottles, made me promise that I would visit soon since I couldn't stay this time, I was off to Kardjali to get my bus ticket for Sofia to tie in with my flight to the UK.  I parked up in Kaufland carpark and walked over the the bus station and saw that Marieta had a ten thirty departure which made more sense so bought the ticket.  After that I went into the hardware shop next to Kaufland and they had a sale on carpets and bought one for my side of the bed at a very reasonable price and also managed to buy a Christmas present thought not sure who it's for yet.  Put the things in the car and went into Kaufland and bought yet more presents and noticed that they had my coffee on off but it's gone up in price from when I bought it last week.  Home james, I'd put too many warm clothes on so stripped off my body warmer and my sweater also came off, it was twenty five in the house.  I laid the carpet in the bedroom and quickly found another sweater and set off for Djebel for my student's lesson.  It went well, I left the shop and came home by six twenty, lit the fire in the first five minutes and switched on the slow cooker to reheat a pork curry in that I'd prepared that morning.  The temperature outside is back down to zero and inside up to twenty two.  Time for me to check the curry and cook the rice and then settle in with Netflix for the evening.  LN.......It's been a good day....objectives achieved....bus ticket checked off the list....LN

Tuesday 28th November

Bed at one a.m after falling asleep yet again but up the wooden hills to bed, slept until six then back to sleep until eight.  I made tea, played games and didn't get out of the nest until nine, got dressed and made beans on toast for breakfast.  Cat got fed the remains of the curry and bread which didn't go down well, but the birds had fun picking up the rice somehow making it into a ball before taking off.  I wonder how many grains they succeeded in getting back to where they were going.  It was ten before the kitchen was cleared and washing up done, I was intending doing something with the leeks that my student's mum had given to be yesterday but the flesh was week so I set the fire for later instead.  It was a cloudy start to the day and the temperature had risen to eleven degrees and inside settled at around seventeen without a fire so it didn't get lit until five this evening...and now it's all toasty again.

It took me a while to get going, the wind was up and cold so I dressed up warmly to go outside wearing hat, coat and boots.  I started off having a bonfire, moved the remaining bench from the little house terrace to the main terrace, took the tree loppers from the woodstore and attacked the dead conifer from on of the little gardens by the bottom wall.  The medlar tree also got attacked, I don't like the fruit and because it had been so dry all summer and I hadn't water it, the fruit really wasn't worth giving away so the trimmings and fruit have gone over the wall for the animals.  I'm sure they'll appreciate it.  Next job was to put tools away including my garden spade and fork that normally sit at the ready and to get in more wood for the evening.  I loaded up the log carrier but changed tack and found one of the old carpets from the four that are waiting to be cleaned, folded it up and put it over the bonnet of the Beast to protect it for the winter.  Once started I found the plastic sheeting that I used last year, folded it in half and using elastic cord secured it over the carpet over the bonnet and it's a good job that I did.  It's chucking it down now and if the temperature drops we'll have lots of snow by the morning but somehow I don't think it will happen.  At around four and having finished off outside and locked everything away, I lit the fire and settled on the sofa to catch up on where I'd fallen asleep last night while watching House of Cards on Netflix.  I had to go back only one episode, soon got back intot he plot and have been glued to it until seven this evening.  Not too bothered about supper so far, I found a chocolate oaty thing that filled a gap and it might be all I need for tonight.

Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow so far....if the weather remains like this I'll be present wrapping and get another thing off my run down to UK.  LN.....A lazy day with three hours of activity and quite a bit achieved.....LN

Wednesday 29th November

So I started to watch the last episode of House of Cards last night, fell asleep during it so had to go back to the beginning just so see how they would wind it up.  It wasn't quite the end I expected, it looks like it might be left open for another series...who can say....watch this space.  I got to bed around eleven thirty so not so bad for me, managed to get off to sleep fairly quickly and woke up at six.  I opened the curtains and it was still dark outside, made tea, load of washing in for six thirty and out on the airer for just after seven.  I went back to bed, lots of blue, lots of dark forbidding clouds and it seemed to take ages for the sun to break through the clouds.  Beans on toast for breakfast, I set the fire for tonight and the morning seemed to go in slow motion, all the morning tasks complete and it was only nine o'clock.  The day was all mine.  

I decided that today was the day that the present ceremony wrapping would begin and I worked steadily at it until twelve and now it's deciding who I haven't bought for, what I would get for them, put it on a list and stick to it.  I'd also run out of red ribbon to add the final flourish, I had other colours so decided to go into Djebel at one with the objective of getting money out of the cash point, buying the last few presents, catching up with friends that I hadn't seen for a while, the weather was good so why not enjoy it.  As I sat in the stairwell at the desk the temperature got up to twenty five and it was sixteen outside, not bad for November, only two frosts so far and one day of snow.  My shopping expedition fell short, the cash point wasn't working so I couldn't go on my spending spree.  I did buy two plastic flower ornaments that I love to take to England with me and more of my magic cleaning gel which I won't be able to take so it's here for any visitors that have hold luggage.  I did manage to get the two colours that I wanted of the wrapping ribbon, fifteen metres for two leva.  The lady hadn't got rolls of it in the colours I wanted so I settled for what she had on the roll.

Home for five thirty, lit the fire perking up the inside temperature to a very reasonable level, cooked some pork coated stuff that I found in the freezer in the air fryer and it was not fit for human consumption so the cat will have it in the morning.  I'd also put in the basket some croquette potatoes so they did for tonight with tomato sauce and mayo.  The washing up can wait, it's nine my time and I shan't be long before my head hits the pillow.  I might go into Kardjali tomorrow if the weather is good and finish my shopping, I've got a few personal presents that I need to search for and at least there's lots of choice for money machines.  LN......Time to switch off, relax and enjoy the fire and see if Netflix has anything to offer.......LN

Thursday 30th November

Silly night, two thirty start so it was time to play Sudoku until the sleepy dust fell once again on the eyelids and that didn't happen until four more or less.  I did venture downstairs and made a cup of drinking chocolate with milk and took it back to bed....the house was still warm so I didn't wake up because of the cold.  It had dropped to four degrees last night.

Awake at seven and tea this time to start of the day.  The was mist covering the mountains which turned into widespread fog as the sun got behind the clouds.  The heat was getting through but not enough to burn away the misty covering.  I stayed in bed playing games and eventually began my day for real at eight, more tea, washed, dressed, jumped on the scales and quickly jumped off again.  I've worked out that if I have two glasses of tea that a pint of water weight a pound and a quarter so I should weigh myself in for the day before I do anything else...lessons to be learnt.  Toast for breakfast with apricot jam, cat had the pork from last night and came when I called it but is still wary of eating until I move away...so not really my cat at all.  I set the fire for tonight and was intending being active but the only thing I think I've achieved today was to use machine oil to oil the metal fittings on the windows so that the locks work without any effort.  Some of the keys were getting difficult to turn in the lock so now everything is OK.  I managed to wash up from yesterday and today and almost time to upset it again but I'm not sure what I want to cook for myself.  

I decided not to go into Djebel or Kardjali today, it was cold and damp and not my favourite kind of weather to be our and about in.  Instead I took up a horizontal position on the sofa, Netflix went on and I must admit I've had a very lazy day.  I don't feel guilty, most of the things I do don't upset or impinge on others so no harm done there then.  I did have another burst of activity...I have a pair of very good pair of Barbour leather boots that I get into with a struggle and out of with a bigger struggle so I found the brown renovating polish in the box in the porch and I've tidied them up and am going to offer them to my student's mum.  I've only worn them a few times, they look like new and she can pass them on if they're no good for her.  While I was at it I gave my brown boots the same treatment.  Last effort was to fill up the log basket and then the log carrier to store in the porch.  I also moved some of the boxes of the wood from the pollarded trees from in front of the bought in wood so that I can reach more of the  stacked wood.....and then the fire was lit and I went back to the sofa to finish series one.  I'm all locked up for the night, I've just found a gift back for my student's birthday present tomorrow and a suitable card with footballs all over it which I think he will appreciate.  He's fourteen I remember when he was born...oh how time flies.  Kitchen calls to find something that the cat and I will enjoy but cat will have to wait until tomorrow.  LN.....Kitchen and fire duties......LN