2.11.2023 I was robbed!

 ~o~

 Thursday 2nd. 47F/8C Overcast and breezy with rain later. Same as yesterday. Up at 6am after only one trip to the "fire bucket." 62F/16C in the room. I tried twice to light the stove. They should deliver this kindling to the local fire brigade to put out fires! It burns eventually but has a high ignition temperature. Well above that provided by the commercial lighter blocks. 

 The sheltered workshop, in another village, splits up old pallets. Then sells the kindling by the large, onion sack full. I had been buying them for years. Before they had a run of "fire extinguishers" last year. At an increased price!

 I went around the room last night with the pistol thermometer. All the surfaces were at room temperature or above. While the lower walls were all just below room temperature. This confirmed previous measurements. 

 I need more firewood as a reserve for when the present lot, from last year, runs out. Which means I have to get the old car running. To be able to pull the trailer. It was lifeless yesterday morning [in frost] when I turned the key. The battery had been disconnected due to a persistent drain. The old charger showed only 1A of charge. It usually shows 3A before falling back. I'll have to measure the battery voltage.

 07.30. Light enough for a walk.  

8.15.  The breeze made it too cold on my hands to leave them exposed. There was no heat in the low, veiled sunshine. The pond on the back field has doubled in size. With outlying puddles in the wet soil. The area sits in a low bowl so would require large quantities of water to raise the level dramatically. Slightly more worrying is the beck racing into the drainage pipe. Its flow was hardly noticeable until today. 

 8.30 47F/8C. Brightening but more breezy. 67F/19C in the room. I need to shop to restock the larder.

 9.30 The old car started immediately I connected the battery. This was after measuring 12.75V. I'll collect some more split logs while my luck is in! 

 10.30 A trailer full of beech, split logs brought home. My trailer measures exactly one cubic meter. The smallest load and widest range of log sizes I have ever had from that source. The load should reach the rim of the trailer but doesn't. 

 The office lady warned me that it wasn't ready to burn. I measured it at 20% with my meter. I'll bring it into the greenhouse before it rains. It will have a chance to dry over the coming weeks as I work through last year's logs. 

 11.30 70F/21C in the room. Larger logs can be useful if you want the stove to burn long while unattended. I have moved almost half the trailer load into the greenhouse. Using a basket to avoid double handling. Or walking back and forth with only one or two logs. Segregating the new from the old and dry. Last year's logs measure only 3% humidity. The sky is increasingly threatening of the promised rain. So I have covered the trailer with its tarpaulin.

13.15 50F/10C. Overcast. Only now has it started to rain. I didn't go shopping. Only one roll! 

 Late in the afternoon I went shopping in the MM to restock. I drove back in the almost dark. The headlights are pretty good on main beam.

 Dinner was plaice in batter with chips and peas. The fish was small and tasteless. 

~o~