26.12.2025 Sprouts 'Я' Us.

 ~o~

  Friday 26th 32F/0C [8.15] A cloudy start with sunshine promised for this afternoon. 63F/17C in the room. 42F/5.6C in the greenhouse. 41F in the greenhouse pond. The goldfish have slowed right down and should not really be fed. They browse on the algae clinging to the walls of the pond.

 Up at 7.45 after a quiet night. No coffee after dinner. I had a can of beer instead.

 8.30 I have lit the stove and cleaned the curved glass in the door. Before it became warm. I just use fine wood ash on a dampened kitchen towel. Its quite magical how the glass becomes invisible. Giving the perfect illusion of an open fire. I can feel the heat on the back of my neck as I sit at the computer.

 Now I will have to bring in some more logs from the greenhouse. I am currently getting through two baskets full per day. I try to have one basket holding larger logs. The other thinner ones. This allows me to boost the fire as necessary. Or bung a big log on when the stove is going well and just needs more fuel. 

 Bringing logs in early maximizes the reduction of any residual moisture. As they bask in the warmth of the stove. Making one journey to the greenhouse helps to reduce heat loss. From opening the outside door to the cold. While the greenhouse acts as a shield for most of the southern facade.

 9.15 A uniform grey sky. Time for a walk. 

 9.50 It felt cold but the wind was absent. A few gulls stood a nervous watch out on the fields. What sounded like a small dog barking furiously carried across the vast prairie to my left. My view of the mutt's likely position was blocked by a low hill in the field. So I continued on to the junction with the lanes. Where the lane turns sharply relative to the main road. Forming an acute triangle. My raised viewpoint should easily have revealed the source of the barking. Yet there was nothing visible where it should have been.

 There are no houses within hundreds of meters. The lane is straight and offers no hiding places. By now the dog had fallen silent. I scoured the fields with my binoculars. For abandoned or stray dogs. There was nothing unusual to be seen. 

 As soon as I had retraced a few steps. Back along the main road. The dog started up again. Then continued until I had almost reached home. Perhaps my ears deceived me as to direction? The hearing aids have obvious limitations but usually help me to clearly define the location of sound sources. 

 Another day of chatting and reminiscing with my guest. While simultaneously feeding the stove.  

  Dinner was chicken, sprouts, carrots, peas, mashed potato and Bisto gravy. 33F/0.6C outside. 71F/22C in the room. 

 

  ~o~