There’s rain forecast for tomorrow, so we decided to tidy the garden as far as possible. Nick drew the short straw, so he had to use the small mower to cut the fiddly bits of grass, while I got the fun job of driving the big mower. It’s all neat and tidy now and ready for winter.

A neighbour phoned to say that he’d got some firewood we can have if we want it; the only downside is that it needs cutting, ie it’s a tree. It fell in the big storm of 2009, so it’s good and dry, but Nick seems to think we may need to invest in a bigger chain saw for it. He and Kieran are going to “have a look” tomorrow, which, of course, involves taking the chain saw and the trailer.

While we were at Daniel and Maria’s, they introduced Kieran to a kitten that’s adopted them, and is surplus to requirements. He’s called Minus (pronounced mee-noose) and is black and white and apparently quite feral; I know nothing about cats, but it seems to me that one which is on the wild side should be good at keeping down the mouse population around here. I think he’s ours as soon as we’re ready. Yes, I hear the cries of “But you don’t like cats!”, but I like mice even less, and people can change, can’t they? He wouldn’t pose for a photo, but the cockerel would, which is why there’s a photo of a cockerel today – handsome, isn’t he?