
We ~know~ it only takes the pair of us a couple or three days to cut and split to refill the log store.

We also know you never, ever, say 'No' when someone offers you more . . . so when our tree surgeon said "I've got a barn full of split logs which I was going to sell by the dumpy bag, but I need to get the barn empty by Christmas, are you interested?" we said "yes please!" The first load arrived unexpectedly just after breakfast.

Whilst we were sorting out where it would all go, a second load sneaked in . . .

The plans to spend a few hours today decluttering and tidying up inside went straight out with the wind. First clear up at the back of the house . . . we've stored wood here before, many years ago, and it stays remarkably rain-free but still gets plenty of breeze through it.

Ever since the 'bird feeder blitz' of a couple of weeks ago (Daisy's skin is fine now, thankfully), I have been threatening to move all the feeders some distance and the sunflower seeds relocated across the road a few days ago. It took the tits and finches about 36 hours to find the new location and (I think) that, combined with blocking off various cut-throughs, seems to have already dramatically reduced the amount of time cats spend sitting waiting to pounce.
(at this point it would be good to have a photo of the sunflower feeder in hedge but it's too dark to go and take one now)
With the other feeders also due to find a home in the field hedge, it makes sense for all the food to be stored on the drive, not at the back of the house.

Paving slabs relocated (Wayne is due at some stage to lay them where they'll be far more useful than in a pile against a wall) and pallets on the ground, the Little Red Tractor once again earned her keep Big Time as we moved next year's fuel to where it can dry out. Most of this is sycamore which we're very happy with, once seasoned it burns beautifully. Unfortunately, freshly cut as this is, it's rather heavy.


Fill buckets, move buckets, empty buckets, rinse and repeat, and repeat, and repeat. Not sure how many trips I made - definitely more than 20, could have been 30+. On more than one occasion we thanked the Little Red because moving the logs by wheelbarrow would have been a killer.


We've also filled one builders' bag and the second one won't have much room in it by the time we're done.


Thanks to blasted Daylight Saving Time, which I have never been a fan of, we ran out of light and did not finish. Another hour and we'd have been nearly done . . . which is irritating because it's due to rain tomorrow.



M. is completely knackered and his back has not enjoyed the bending and twisting. I am irritatingly energised by being outside the entire day and by how much we've done although I'll probably pay for it tomorrow - we've both moved our own body weight many times over since breakfast! All that remains now is to enjoy supper and then settle down to watch the Bake Off final.