Wednesday 31st January

Having a mare of an evening trying to write this tonight.  I've just got through most of it and suddenly lost it and it's something to do with the mouse.  It wouldn't let me select the photos in mass, I had to do them individually so I was getting a little fractious at having to start again  So here we go for the second time.  Five thirty start and it was dull, very windy and icy cold, there was just a hint of morning on the mountains so it was into the kitchen, made a coffee and went back to bed and hoping that the work I'd put in on the fire would bring it back to life.  Wrong...so at seven I started it again and this time, success.  I fed the birds early since it was so cold and the earth frozen, more cornflakes and bread with a chocolate nut bar thrown into the mix and it seemed to go down OK early on but I think most of the birds have been retaining energy levels and not bothered about topping up.....all about sitting in a barn and keeping themselves warm.  I'm thinking I shall have to do something for cat, I know it's not mine but it seems to be a little dependent on me so I'll have to get something from Lidl when I'm next in there.

I made my breakfast and photographed the birds having theirs which proved to be successful.  The jays are very nervous and I was lucky to get the pickies that I did.  I wrapped up warm and went out to have a bonfire and the sun had made it out but it was still icy cold out there.  I chopped up some more of the larger lots, filled the log carrier up and brought one into the porch and a second one I filled up the log basket but used some of the wood that had come down in the storm and that's burning pretty well.  I also brought in some of the small stuff that was from the pollarded trees, if winter is long it will make the bought wood go further.  I checked the seeds in the little house and more have come through and watered some of the other plants that are being stored there, came back into the house, topped up the fire and let it tick along, the sun was out so it was pretty warm inside.  A little Netflix after my morning effort, checked my messenger and my older student asked to come done so that we can copy a disk onto a flash drive but when I replied, she changed it to tomorrow morning...all that after I'd tidied round to expect visitors.

I had a sleep this afternoon to catch up on my early morning start, nothing on the agenda for tomorrow apart from my student visiting but I shan't be going anywhere...much to cold and raw to be out.  Supper is in the oven and tonight I have barbecue ribs and chocolate pudding that I made yesterday.  LN.....Ribs are ready for me and I for them....and back to the fire.....LN