Warm

Is today's photo-prompt. So here is Minstrel, who always finds the warmest places on cold days. I didn't used to like to see him lying on the floor, especially sleeping there. But I realised recently that the central heating pipes run under the floor where he is in this shot, and it is right by the radiator too - very cosy! The floor by the radiator on the landing is similar, but I still don't like him lying there as it is close to the top of the stairs. The landing is a pretty dark place at the best of times so he becomes a trip hazard if he sleeps there! 

I was over at Metheringham to visit the Folks today and it went fairly smoothly. My Dad seems to have found a way of working with the cooker, though it requires more vigilance than the old one needed.

Grace came to collect me and that's when things started to go tits up. The first thing she said was that she thought there was a problem with her car as it kept juddering, especially in lower gears. We set off for home and I saw what she meant. It felt to me like a flat tyre so I got her to stop when we came to a small lay-by. I got out to look and it was a very flat tyre with a massive hole in! The conditions were atrocious, with large pools of standing water on the road and heavy rain falling.

We called Brian and he suggested we call the AA as he and Grace have joint membership. There was some panic when I called and the woman on the other end could not find the membership details from our address. Grace had to call her Dad again to get the membership number, and we put him on loudspeaker so he could read it out to the AA receptionist via my phone!

We were advised to open all the car windows, put the hazard lights on and stand by the roadside. We opened the windows a little - it was raining very fast - and waited across the road in the gateway of a farm for the AA man. Fortunately he did not take a full hour to get to us - it was only 20 minutes or so, with a call from him for more info as he couldn't find us. The job itself was pretty quick too!

We were very glad to get back home and in the warm. I made vegan hot chocolate for Grace and a Yule herbal blend tea for myself and put the heating on until we thawed out!

My damp jeans are next to Minstrel as I was going to hang them on the radiator to dry!