Saturdays

I had a wonderful morning sorting through some of the stuff under my front deck, and then as the clock struck 9 I donned my shoes, woollens, thermals, wind proofs and coat and set off over the fields with Boots and Molly.  Boots gave me ‘the look’ when we were half way across the first field so I liberated him of his warm coat and he went bounding off into the distance. It wasn’t long before I was feeling rather too over dressed myself. It is remarkable how 8degrees C can feel so tropical after a week or so in the minus’. I saw a suspicious looking chap peering over the railway bridge but he assured me I didn’t need to save him as he was waiting for a steam train to admire.

I spotted the dogs assaulting John Slee in the fields so I kidnapped him (he was rather too willing I felt) for the rest of the walk. It was lovely.  Tea and Cake at Annie’s tea room followed by a stroll home finished the morning off and I set to trying to do more under the front deck.

I have a problem really. The front deck is huge. At one end is the water tank and then I have lots of storage, and a water pump/accumulator. None of it is insulated and condensation is forming.  I am wondering whether I need to insulate it all or whether I should board off the water tank at the far end and then insulate and bored the bit from there to the cabin.  I am not going to use spray foam as PJs dad managed to blow his wheel house off with the fumes, and spray foaming an unventilated area with a solid fuel stove 20ft away would be a recipe for disaster… especially with me around.

Maybe I can just board the whole lot off from the cabin end…..

Unsure what to do I went shopping for goodies with Maffi.  Fortunately Dr Saffin has suggested I dine at her house so I may take my washing up around and smuggle it into the pile when I do hers!

I am now sporting a fine under deck odour and have rust in my hair so I shall go and have a swim and shower. I have been talking about going swimming for absolutely ages so it is about time I did.. nothing like running out of water to prompt one to do something healthy.

The ice is still far too thick for human consumption but I hear that Dave Dare from Oxfordshire Narrow boats took a boat North to meet Dusty who was coming South from Banbury to help break the ice up.  This has proved good news for Mark Paris who has been stuck on Somerton Meadows in the middle of nowhere becoming more wild as he blends in with his surroundings.