Preparing for Winter V

MandM90

Si_Clist said:

fionaandphil said:

... get a discount as he saves on fuel, all gets done in one day.

Lucky you!  If we book ours to sweep the kitchen flue it costs us £45.  If he were to come back the next day to sweep the one in the front room it would be another £45.  Both on the same visit (and they're identical is every respect) is £90 ...

Most of them quoted £40 a flue regardless here (not that I should complain, it's £50 in South bucks), but this chap is doing them at £35. Mind you, we have 5....

Jellytotts

£65 a flue here in Kent this year! Was only £45 last time we had it done in 2018 (moved house and had a log burner installed since then) but I don't. I don't if it keeps everything clean and hopefully accident free.

We've had a lot of rain today but the bits in between were lovely and sunny.  I managed to get a load of towels line dried by playing Hokey Cokey with them.  We tested the heating last week but no plans to put it on yet.  I've lit a pile of candles this evening which are making the living room very cosy and we I used the halogen oven to roast some veg and pork steaks to save the expense of the big oven.  

Found a lovely looking crochet pattern for a hat and will make a matching cowl thing to go with it, got some really lovely yarn at a charity shop last week for 50p a ball so I'll use that.  I'm not normally a hat wearer but I've taken to doing longer walks lately and think I may be grateful of a hat when that sea air is whistling round my head.

 Have moved to a very wintery based menu, made a lovely chilli at the weekend with frozen beef chunks and lots of lentils and veg.  I bunged it all in the slow cooker and it made enough for 2 large portions on Saturday, 2 of the same have gone in the freezer, there's enough to top some jacket spuds with added salad and a few spoonfuls left to smear on top of a pizza base.  

jamanda

I've just ordered a chimney balloon for the chimney we don't use much.  We had fires in there all last winter while my Mum was here but rarely use it now she has gone.

It has only just occurred to me that all our heat will be going up there, or cold coming down.  

Edit:  You can guarantee some twit will make a fire under it.

-taff

I had a balloon for the chimney. I lit a fire under it. I was a little tipsy thogh and that was my excuse.

bluesooz

We used to have a "Chimney Sheep" up our chimney, when it was open - had a longer 'tail' on it with a tassel in the end so that it was visible in the fireplace to remind us it was there

Laura_Elsewhere

bluesooz said:

We used to have a "Chimney Sheep" up our chimney, when it was open - had a longer 'tail' on it with a tassel in the end so that it was visible in the fireplace to remind us it was there

Yes, my parents have a Chimney Sheep and that has the long tail that makes it pretty much impossible not to notice it's there...

Fiona236

What was it like last night? I thought the house was going to fly away or float away! But break in weather today and barometer heading to fair so I got the sitting room curtains and nets washed and hung out before the energy prices get too high! 

Laura_Elsewhere

We did have to fight through some shoulder-high nettles and brambles this morning to get to the tree, but it was worth it for 7lbs of apples - really good keepers, very refreshing juicy crisp flavour - no idea of variety as they are just on a tree growing up on top of an old pit-mound near here! 

Primrose

 Laura  looks like a good morning's gathering. .  Some nice desserts lined up there, stewed fruit with porridge, and tasty fried apple, onion and red cabbage with frankfurters or smoked sausage if you like that kind of main meal.  They should keep well in a cool place.

Si_Clist

Laura_Elsewhere said:

no idea of variety as they are just on a tree growing up on top of an old pit-mound near here!

Two of us here betting on Bramley, judging by the close similarity to the ones we picked this morning.  Unless of course they're eaters, in which case your guess is as good as ours ...