Tuesday 24 January 2023
It is grey and there is misty rain and fog. Today, I have a lot I need to do and hope to do, ranging from researching the next agent to submit to, to putting up another set of curtains now that we have more curtain rings. This time tomorrow, we’ll be getting ready to head off to London. It’s a bit sad that Chris and I both commented last night that the first thing that came to mind when thinking about being back in our flat was that it would be warm.
I got really cold last night pre-dinner. Even when the radiators are on, they don’t seem to do much more than make it a bit less cold. Oh dear, I’ve realised that I’m back to grumbling about the heating. Enough.
Yesterday morning, despite the fog and rain, Kyla and I went for a walk at the end of the seven-mile dead-end road from Ettrick, towards Over Phawhope Bothy. As she didn’t want to get her coat and trousers wet ahead of trains home, she borrowed my 1930s oilskin coat and waterproof over-trousers. I was impressed, she pulled off the oversize yellow coat very well. It was great having a friend to stay at our new house and new area and being able to show her some of the places we’ve recently discovered and enjoyed.
Chris, Kyla and I headed out to Lockerbie after lunch for Kyla’s 15:13 train to Preston, where she’d change for London Euston. The train about an hour before had cancelled but her train was seemingly on time. Until we got to the station and were greeted with the dreaded “Cancelled”. A lot of other trains were also either cancelled or late. We thought up a few possible plan Bs while Kyla waited to speak to a member of staff at the station. Just before 15:30, Kyla and two other passengers were in a taxi (ordered and paid for by the station/rail company) heading to Carlisle, from where they caught a (delayed) train to Euston. We were all amazed, I’ve never had that happen at a station, the ordering of a taxi, and it meant no one got angry and the annoyance of a delay/cancellation was minimal. It would be great if trains in the UK were more reliable. Chris and I realised that, living so far from a station, it’s much more challenging knowing what to do when there are delays once you’ve driven all the way out to the station, ie you can’t all just pop back home to wait.
I did a wash this morning, hung next to the radiator. And now I’ve realised that it won’t dry before tomorrow morning. Ah, but it will at least be dry by the time we get back here from London. Surely a week should be enough for the washing to dry …
Chris is going out today so I’ll be home alone for a few hours. My vague plan is to do something to change the house a bit while he’s out, though nothing as exciting or dramatic as it sounds; I might put up another pair of curtains. Still no Velux delivery.
Update on the mouse. Now been five consecutive nights without mouse action above the kitchen fan. Probably foolish to think the mouse has gone, especially as there is a patter of feet every now and then elsewhere, but the fan mouse was the most persistent and consistent.