Cold Feet!

Another beautiful, sharp, cold day ahead of the arrival of Storm Bert (who sounds much too friendly to cause any damage!) on Friday night.  The day began with a leisurely get up as it was Tony's turn to do breakfast.  I listened to 'The Archers' and then another episode of 'The Gift' which this time was a horrendous tale of babies sold in Montreal in the fifties and one particular family where some of the distributed and adopted siblings found each other via DNA tests.

Then it was up and a couple of jobs which have needed doing for a while before I walked down to the garden centre to buy new gardening gloves which might hopefully cope with the evil brambles in the drying ground.  I went for gloves and came back with three pairs; two plant pots for the ever expanding aloe vera and two greetings cards (why are new baby cards still all pink and blue?!)

Yesterday's leftover shepherd's pie in the oven for reheating; the second layer of ice removed from the bird bath (blip); feeders refilled; aloe vera repotted - it is fast outgrowing our little house, and then it was lunch.

I fell asleep during the last fifteen minutes of Shetland last night so this afternoon it was either sit on the settee and watch it or get out there.  I chose to get out there and do an hour or so in the drying ground clearing more brambles.  I had a spare bird feeder so filled it and hung it from a tree.  Neighbour M came to see progress and we took a walk up to the top of the plot which we are going to leave undisturbed.  There is still bits of snow up there and we spotted a small animal track in it, so I will charge the camera battery and put it up there tomorrow.  Neighbour T also came to see the difference and to chat.  It's good that we have so much interest from neighbours and from walkers passing by.  Tony has been making beetroot chutney this afternoon and came by with a tub of peelings for the compost heap so when he returned I decided to stop.  My toes and fingers were just beginning to feel cold.  Pleased to report that the leather gloves did the job with the brambles.

Now I'm back in the warm, having a cuppa and watching my phone to see if any Hobblers are brave enough to come out for a run.....