The amazing Indian summer we’ve been enjoying has definitely ended. It’s been raining most of the time since Friday; the garden’s a swamp and there’s a mini lake in the grange. The temperature has dropped too, so we’re lighting fires in the evening now. Well, to be accurate, I’m lighting fires as Nick and Kieran don’t feel the cold, and I suspect there’s a conspiracy afoot to improve my total lack of ability as an arsonist. It’s surprising how easy it is when you use enough firelighters!

The old wood burner that we took out of the living room is soon going to be re-housed in what will become Nick’s workshop and to that end he and Kieran have built a plinth to stand it on. I can’t see it ever getting very warm in there, though, as it’s open to the roof, which is open enough round the edges to allow even birds as big as owls in and out without a problem.

I’ve been busy decorating the spare bedroom (for the hoards of visitors we hope to have next year), and Kieran has built a bookcase for it. We have boxes of books all over the house, so we should be able to empty at least a few boxes now.

For those who are wondering, we’ve been to our friends’ house every day since they went on holiday, to try to entice Minus into coming home with us, but he hasn’t put in an appearance once:-(