A room of one's own

Although I am often alone in the house, for historical reasons I don't have my *own* bedroom and at certain times of the year, I have to vacate the room I normally occupy to make way for somebody else. My options on those occasions are a put-u-up downstairs or the caravan, which has a comfortable bed but very dim lighting, via a solar-powered battery.

The caravan was purchased second-hand years ago. It was used mainly for teenage sleep-overs (which means that all the fittings are broken) or as occasional emergency accommodation for those who need it. It's been neglected for some time now but today, owing to the wonders of modern science (aka another power cable) I was able to get the vacuum cleaner in there to clear out the detritus of a brief food chain: flies, spiders and wrens. The wrens are tiny enough to enter by the air vents but can't find their way out again. Sometimes I am able to rescue them alive but today I found the 'wrenments' of three which can be seen here, skulls no bigger than a marrowfat pea.

Anyway, now that I have a power supply my summer bedroom can be provided with a decent reading lamp, a electric blanket and even a heater if the weather continues as cool and wet as it was today. It's not quite a dacha but shares something of the charm of that Russian summer dwelling especially when you hear the rain beating on the roof and the cows munching in the field alongside.

This is the caravan's living room where, unlike in the house, Casey is allowed on the 'furniture'.