Preparing for Winter V

mardatha

I'm having awful problems sleeping, fed up of lying wide awake going over things in my head. I really like winter and the long dark nights though, though sometimes wish I had people to talk to. Been doing a fair bit of knitting.
According to the Scots weather forum they are not expecting a lot of snow this year - although nobody can say for sure - because there is very low arctic ice or something? I wasn't really paying attention

fuddle

I'm back on my school walk of 6 miles (twice uphill) so until I get used to it again I'm sleeping soundly at about 9pm. I'M. A bit lacklustre with any hobby at the moment. I just don't want to craft but I am reading a lot of non fiction material.

The fire is on nightly now but it becomes too warm upstairs quite quickly. I guess it's too warm of an evening still but if one small stove can heat the whole house of an evening I really shouldn't complain. DH and I have made some dubious decisions in our past but buying a very small home with a chimney has been one of our most savviest to date.

And speaking of savvy one of DH's drivers delivers in many a bizarre place and accumulates a lot of 'rubbish'. He's brought DH bits of tree trunk and will continue to bring home what he can find that people just want to offload on to him. So I have a little wood pile at DH's depot too. He"s been educated to the foibles of Mrs Fuddle's health too and knows I only can burn natural wood. I think a tipple for Christmas is one the cards for my very own hunter gatherer eh?

Pooky

Some lovely person offered us 2 tonne of chestnut logs, very old and dry so we jumped at the chance. They burn slow and hot and we're already chopped to the perfect size!

We've been lighting the fire by 2pm most day for the past week now, DH isnt very active so chills down quickly. I pop the airer in front of it when we go to bed and come down to lovely dry washing - bonus.

[Deleted User]

We've just lit the stove and had a hot drink, I'm wrapped in a warm shawl and beginning to warm up. The house gets cold really quickly when the sun drops below the horizon and even if it's been warm enough to sit in just a long sleeved top for most of the afternoon you rapidly reach 'shiver point'. It has been a lovely day here today though, we went for a walk in the local arboretum just before lunch and there was no wind, just warm golden sunshine and we were at 15 degrees. I came back and walked Cookie dog here and again wonderful weather but I needed a fleece as we had just a slight breeze. It's dead calm out there now, a wonderful sunset sky deep blue at the top shading down to salmon pink on the horizon is visible over the river and I think we'll appreciate the stove this evening as it cools still further.

[Deleted User]

[QUOTE=mardatha;7334430_I_really_like_winter_and_the_long_dark_nights_though,_though_sometimes_wish_I_had_people_to_talk_to[/QUOTE]

me too mar, I spent another day chatting to the walls. I like my own company to a point but need to move nearer to the shop and hall, at least I would meet people

fuddle

That's one if the reasons I won't get a car kittie. I need to say morning/have a little conversion/quick comment or joke. I go downhill fast in school holidays. I wish for your move to be a speedy affair!

I'v been using the hoe on the plot. My allotment neighbours aren't conscientious about weeding so I can see weedsbeing a continual problem. I brought 2 turnips home. I have 3 left so they'll be out by the weekend. The varlic and onions are doing really well. I saw one holder use plumbing pipe to slot over the greenery of his. I have a lot of pipe in the rubbish pile that I still need to sort so I have some motivation now.

My eating (and education about eating) is doing very well. I aam now weaning off the pills for the acid reflux. Infact right now is the longest and still don't have symptoms. I am choosing to eat nothing other than meat, fish, eggs, fruit, veg, nuts and seeds. I would like to do this for a couple of months and then gradually test my reactions to reintroducing foods bit by bit. I have done this in the past and it went well but I have fallen into really bad habits again and look where that has got me. I'm learning about autoimmune diseases (I have vitiligo) and it's effect in the gut, gluten intolerances and low stomach acid. It's fascinating and even if I'm stripping it back further than I really need at least I will have knowledge should I develop another AI issue as so many are rife in my family and stress is a precursor. :cool:

I've pumpkin seeds roasting in the ovenbut DH iant home yet. Hes stayed back at work to build the first tall wooden planter for the yard. My hosta, which the rabbit likes to nibble, will be transferred and too high for the rabbit to reach next year.

[Deleted User]

We've had three days of absolutely blissful golden, warm and wonderful weather more like midsummer than November but very foggy cold starts to the days and cooling rapidly in the evenings as the sun goes down so we light up the stove from necessity not preference. I've seen forecasts of a colder winter this year than we've had for the past few years and with snow but I remain to be convinced. This afternoon I walked Cookie and came across an absolutely gorgeous azalea in sizzling orange in full bloom in a front garden and we've got primroses in bloom on the front lawn everything blooming out of season, crazy!!!

mardatha

Talk on the Scottish weather forum of snow on the traffic webcam up at Drumochter tonight!

Thriftkitten

Morning all Preppers,
We are just back from a Motor home Break, I managed to snaggle a great deal for 3 nights and 4 days collecting the motor home from Exeter and just booking into the most divine campsite just outside of Brixham...

It was a first for us as me being the only driver and DH always at sea we get very little time together for holidays and being of the thrifty type we don't tend to spend out money going away together when seeing each other every 10 days or so and him looking forward to snuggling in a proper bed feels like a holiday...
However, it was such good fun, a little (a lot) daunting driving a huge 6 berth Motor home that according to the company was worth 60k Eeeek (The air was Blue on more than one occasion) with me panicking and him trying his best to navigate and not veer off to any tiny narrow roads, we made it in one piece and enjoyed 2 days strolling around Brixham Harbour and a day out at Torquay.... Being in the tourism business, it was lovely to be a tourist just for a few days...

For anyone wanting to venture that way the campsite/touring Park was called Hill Head. Excellent pristine facilities and regular buses twice per hour into Brixham with connecting buses to surrounding areas...
We took DD2,the poodle and poodle pup and to our amazement the pup did not tinkle once inside on the pee pad, we couldn't of wished for such success, they were totally worn out and we were all asleep by 9pm...

I did my duty and fixed up a full English most mornings helped by our hens lovely eggs ( Thank you Girls) and at night we snuggled with Hot Chocolate, squirty cream and mini marshmallows to keep our cockles warm after the heating went off and the knitted blankets took the reigns...
We were so lucky weather wise, it was glorious and warm during the day with bright sunshine, I'm sure my cheeks were burnt from the sunshine bouncing off the sea... Also the sunrise's were beautiful from the site, the sea view was amazing in the early morning...

We got to visit most of the places from my favourite mini series 'Fish Town' BUT unfortunately the pub 'The Maritime' was only open in the evenings so could only get photo's.... It's also up for sale so I'm guessing 'Pat' and the Parrot are calling time...

All in all a great few days away, but lovely to be home to the familiar sounds of the washing machine and dryer and central heating....
Hope you all had a great week...:T

Thriftkitten

mardatha wrote: »

Talk on the Scottish weather forum of snow on the traffic webcam up at Drumochter tonight!

Ooh yes I just had a look and yes a good sprinkling...