Hearth

A collection of objects on the hearth that I see daily but which caught my today - maybe because I polished the brass yesterday! To be honest, we rarely use the stove now as underfloor heating was installed when the house was extended and the coke in the bucket has a gathering of dust. But it's a very useful back-up when the electricity fails as we are otherwise totally reliant on 'the hydro'.

This winter has been exceptionally mild despite the recent gales. I think I can count on one hand the number of days below zero but maybe that's because I was south over Christmas! I'm not sure it's a good thing. My peeping plants are being blown about something cruel.

I'm nurturing a head cold, minor at the moment and I'm hoping it stays that way. But that means no singing tonight and I'm very tired with it. Just that end-of-tether time of year I think.

LH made it to a hospital appointment by the skin of his teeth when the barriers were finally opened to traffic just after 1pm. Although the westerlies we're getting are the least problematic in terms of wind direction, the police are being ever more cautious about permitting traffic on the barriers. Anyway, it transpires that LH's hearing issues are exactly the same as his father's and there's nothing to be done about it. In some ways a relief but in others rather infuriating. Poor chap.