Tuesday 7 March 2023
This morning, it’s frosty, the sun is shining, there is seemingly no breeze and the forecast says it’s minus-five with a feels-like temperature of minus-eight degrees Celsius. I’ve just drunk a mug of tea, I’m wearing thermal long johns and a high-necked thermal top under my jumper and cargo trousers, I have my thick sheepskin slipper-boots on and the radiators are still warm (they go off at 07:10 when the per kilowatt hour price triples until 12:40). I feel okay. All I can hear is a clock on the mantlepiece ticking and birds chirruping. Out the window, I can see trees, blue sky and sun on the grassy hill opposite. I feel very content.
The kitchen extractor-fan-mouse left a dropping overnight and some possible shards of white plastic. We thought he’d gone, but he’s either back or has trained up an apprentice.
The wildlife cameras have captured the fox in the garden in daylight again and the mystery bird (now not so sure it is grouse?) in the same spot as last time, with at least two friends.
The multi-fuel burner still stands as it has since the last fire-related incident (when it caused all the heat alarms to go off by billowing out scalding steam from the formerly attached back-boiler connection). We occasionally talk about trying it again – the neighbour and someone else we spoke to think it will be fine now that all water trace should be gone from the pipes. I’m not convinced, but I do think it might be good to have a fire every now and then. I still look at it and scowl though.
The water ingress around the window above the kitchen sink is no worse because we haven’t had torrential rain and driving wind for a month or so. We won’t do anything about that until we employ a roofer. I think we’re both reluctant to have to call out yet another repairer of any sort.
The water supply seems fine. We have found what is usually the right amount of hot water heating to ensure hot showers and even the odd hot bath.
At least three radiators are as good as useless and another two only reach just-about-hot. The house has not been warmer than not-cold since we had to use the heating less and since the thermostat seemed to develop a mind of its own and declare its work done at around ten-to-twelve degrees. It’s okay, we can deal with the lack of heat. We each have an electric blow-heater for our work areas and they are surprisingly effective.
Maybe after my unprecedented three city trips last week, I am really, really enjoying being here at the moment, to the extent of almost feeling relief that we are here. I say that from the perspective of being comfortably warm and as I look out the window on a beautiful day, but it really is a therapeutic place to be.
