I hope you manage to get the rat to move out @punkdoc.Â
The man who was going to repair the drive is too busy. CB told me of another man, the one he had to do his terrace. He said he'd come and have a look this morning.
Cold and frosty again. More leaves to rake, or mow. Another bed to mulch. Veg garden needs clearing up. Landing needs painting. My photo album needs finishing so they can deliver it before we leave. Plenty to do but when it's cold I feel like going into hibernation.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
Phoned the rat man, who is coming. He thinks it is a squirrel, based on the mess, and thinks it probably came down one of the chimneys. He says it will still be in the house, so told us to open all the doors and windows.
How can you lie there and think of England When you don't even know who's in the team
Been doing some prep for the big freeze tomorrow, changed the car wheels for the winter tyres this morning. Forecast is for -4C by Friday. Also managed to re-seat the front bumper which had come adrift after bouncing around on my very rustic drive.
Some years ago OH was living in a lovely garden flat in Camberwell ... his landlady fed the grey squirrels in the garden; one got very tame and came in through the french windows and ran along the mantlepiece and the sideboard, driving the Siamese cat to distraction ... the result was ... chaos!!!Â
The lesson learned was ... never try to chase a squirrel out of your house 😱
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Oh dear @punkdoc. That’s the last thing you need, and no fun having to leave the doors and windows open now the temperatures have dipped. I hope the rat man catches it for you.
Somehow a squirrel sounds less horrid than a rat @punkdoc but it seems they cause more mess. Rats sneak around pooping and weeing where they go which I think is worse. Hope you get your boiler sorted @Allotment Boy. Our old one was installed 17 years ago and the plumber put in spare parts for the past 3 years or so, warning each time that it was now obsolete. He put a new one in recently as there was no replacement for the part that failed last. 17 years doesn't seem that long to me. They are guaranteed for 10 but I would expect not to have a new boiler every 10 years.  Duties for the day now done (these did not include housework I must confess, so we won't talk about that), so now going to put my feet up and watch something silly on TV with a nice cuppa.
Afternoon folks, it wasn't too bad this morning when I went into town, weatherwise but I had forgotten the Xmas Market had started and town was heaving. I had to go in for a haircut otherwise I would not have bothered. I bought a nice green woolly jumper in M & S for OH as he's been complaining of the cold lately. The queue for the ladies loo was up the stairs and half way across the mens department, must have been about 20 women in front of me! I did enjoy a latte with a very guilty iced cinnamon bun - my favourite. My poor hairdresser was in agony with a bad back, first day back in work after 12 days off. It's her own business so she couldn't afford any more time off, no sickness pay of course. Had a long cold wait for the bus then a long walk home as they've changed our bus route.
The sweep had been, luckily our chimney was not too bad, haven't used if for years but may light a wood fire should the electricity/gas go off unexpectedly. Fortunately the chimney balloon (to keep the draft out) wasn't punctured, just deflated so we've been able to re-insert it. Not sure if it would keep a squirrel/rat out though!
Seems the rat man thinks the same as me rat with furry tail (squirrel ). @didyw it's not the boiler we had that done a couple of years ago, it the shower, we have a concealed mixer unit in the wall. Nice and stylish but harder to fix, luckily the airing cupboard is behind it so we can get to it from the back, still a big job, plumber recons a whole day. We got 18 years out of the old one, so hopefully a new one now will be at least as good.Â
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I hope you manage to get the rat to move out @punkdoc.Â
The man who was going to repair the drive is too busy. CB told me of another man, the one he had to do his terrace. He said he'd come and have a look this morning.
Cold and frosty again.
More leaves to rake, or mow. Another bed to mulch. Veg garden needs clearing up. Landing needs painting. My photo album needs finishing so they can deliver it before we leave. Plenty to do but when it's cold I feel like going into hibernation.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
The lesson learned was ... never try to chase a squirrel out of your house 😱
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Hope you get your boiler sorted @Allotment Boy. Our old one was installed 17 years ago and the plumber put in spare parts for the past 3 years or so, warning each time that it was now obsolete. He put a new one in recently as there was no replacement for the part that failed last. 17 years doesn't seem that long to me. They are guaranteed for 10 but I would expect not to have a new boiler every 10 years. Â
Duties for the day now done (these did not include housework I must confess, so we won't talk about that), so now going to put my feet up and watch something silly on TV with a nice cuppa.
The sweep had been, luckily our chimney was not too bad, haven't used if for years but may light a wood fire should the electricity/gas go off unexpectedly. Fortunately the chimney balloon (to keep the draft out) wasn't punctured, just deflated so we've been able to re-insert it. Not sure if it would keep a squirrel/rat out though!
@didyw it's not the boiler we had that done a couple of years ago, it the shower, we have a concealed mixer unit in the wall. Nice and stylish but harder to fix, luckily the airing cupboard is behind it so we can get to it from the back, still a big job, plumber recons a whole day. We got 18 years out of the old one, so hopefully a new one now will be at least as good.Â
Trap is baited, now we just have to wait and hope.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border