22.08.2026 The cats are gone!

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  Saturday 22nd 55F/13C[7.50] Overcast, but sunny periods are promised. Peaking at 19C/66F. Rather windy from the west. Gusting to 14m/s/32mph. 21C/70F in the room. 13C/55F in the still open greenhouse.

 Up at 7.00 after a quiet night.

 I need some groceries but need to be back at home. For the cat collection buyers at 12.00. 

 So I drove into the village. With the trailer attached. Carrying a load of cardboard from packaging materials for recycling. The recycling yard is badly designed. With the popular cardboard container alongside the refuse container. Both the last on many and right on the exit from the yard. And, always with cars with trailers blocking access to these containers and to the exit.

 12.00 My cat buyers have arrived and were a delight to deal with. They both spoke excellent English. 

 14.00 They have just left after nearly two hours of packing cats in newspaper. 

 I can have lunch. Now I have to decide what to display in this large, newly empty cabinet. More decorative glass? Teapots? Ideally I should be housing something I can photograph. To advertise more things for sale.

 Dinner was a pile of salad. I left out the boiled eggs this time. To leave enough room on the plate.

   

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21.08.2026 The cats are going.

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  Friday 21st 56F/13C [7.30] Bright but risk of scattered showers.  Peaking at around 21C/70F. Breezy from the northwest.

 21C/70F in the room. 13.5C/56F in the greenhouse.

 Up at 7.30 after another quiet night. 

 Delivery of my e-bike's new tyre and inner tube confirmed by email. For later collection from the local parcel office. Which deals with multiple carriers.

 9.10 I have had my online, morning chat. Now I am going for a gentle walk. 

 9.45 And back again. From a slow loop of the northerly neighbours' drives. I had to return early yesterday. When I became too breathless to continue with my visitor. No breathlessness today but my quadriceps were aching from lack of walking. A neighbour's expanded plot is looking good. It was a rough field only a few months ago.

 The robot mower was still busy. Steadily improving the grass sward on the drive embankment and paddocks. Lots of new trees are growing out of the marshy area. Which is likely to block my view eventually. After my clearing a narrow window in the garden trees. The mere existence of trees suggests that the marsh is drying out. In past years it was prone to annual, winter flooding. The few trees clung to the banks of a natural pond.

 12.30 Returning from the village with the new tyre and inner tube. I drove back through the forest to enjoy the sunshine and countryside.

 13.45 Had lunch. Fitted the new tyre and tube. Used washing up liquid and water as a lubricant. 

 I have a buyer for the cats. They will be calling tomorrow around lunchtime. 

 Dinner was the pork chop. Halved into two thinner slices and fried. Arranged on wholemeal rolls. 

 

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20.08.2026 200+ cats to go!

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  Thursday 20th 55F/13C [7.40] A bright morning, then cloud, with rain this evening. 21C/69F in the room. 13C/55F in the greenhouse.

 Up at 6.30 after a quiet night.

 My lady visitors have talked me into selling my late wife's ceramic cat collection. Which amounts to probably well over 200 individual items. 

A picture of only some of the cats drying on the dining table. As years of dust were washed and rinsed carefully away. In preparation for being housed in their new, corner, display cabinet. 

I have advertised the collection on a Danish, online small ads platform. With 17 images. The price is deliberately set low. Strictly for collection only. So re-sellers will have to do some work for a change. Bring your own packing materials. 

 The buyer could easily make a profitable hobby from selling these cats individually. I have neither the time nor inclination to get involved. A true collector would appreciate the sheer quantity and quality within the collection. Many of the cats were never on display in my wife's lifetime. Due to a serious lack of free shelf space. I never knew she had accumulated so many. 

 My wife told me to sell everything just before she died. So now, finally, I am. Four years late[r.] It was not my collection and I feel no close attachment to them. Hopefully somebody will be willing to come and pack them. Anybody hoping for my packing and sending in the parcel post will need a very thick wallet. I have no intention of subsidizing a re-seller. Having already almost given away my classical hi-fi/audio components and clock collection.

 It was interesting to use Trustpilot to check on the reputation of the various online ads platforms. All of them have horrendous user reviews and hover just above 1 out of five.  With the vast majority of reviews at the bottom of the scale. They cannot go any lower because there is no lower figure than 1! This applies to all of those I checked: Etsy, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Vinted.   

 11.15 I am returning from seeing the ladies off at the village bus stop. As they start their long journey home. It was nice to have visitors. 

 17.00 I found the cause of the second puncture in the rear tire: A piece of metal swarf like a thorn. Try as I might I cannot find the hole in the inner tune. I tried a water bath and washing up liquid on a finger. Held the supposed puncture site up to my nose. Nothing. 

 I know exactly where it should be from the site of the spike in the tire. A few inches from the valve. I'll have to buy a new inner tube. Perhaps a new back tire. Ordered online for delivery tomorrow.

 Dinner was an organic pork chop, mushrooms and boiled potatoes. 

 

 

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