Snippets

Found lurking in the drafts folder:

• We've seen several hornets at the house, but at least the ones here in England don't seem to want to follow me around like the ones I've met in France!  So glad, as those are scary beasties, and my last encounter with a stinging insect made my arm swell even before removing the bee, and it immediately became infected.  I'd hate to find out how I respond to a hornet sting.
• I've gone all girly; not only have I bought gauntlets to stop the brambles shredding my arms, but I have bought pink gauntlets!  They could have made me elegant, but I don't think they have...

  

  Photo really doesn't do justice to the pinkness!

• David is the loo-flush-whisperer; I can't get the cistern to flush, most of the time, so David has to work his magic.  It's bad enough that I make him fill the cistern with the trug [we're trying to protect my back where we can, so that I can do the bits that are unavoidable].



Loo-flushing bucket! [No water to the cistern]

• We solved the mystery of the missing study door - it was that odd bit of kitchen worktop [covered with a sheet of the black hardboard "tiles" that had been removed from the loo wall (!)] - well who needs a door to what you're describing as a bedroom?



Study door, covered with "tiles" from the loo

• We still haven't had UK Power Networks back at the house - we're hoping that Steve will be able to sign off on the electrics despite the higher reading on the earth than he'd like.  We understand that the network is not concerned with the higher reading, but they also said that they would replace the cable to the house [which would bring the reading down], so we're not completely sure if it will be low enough to be safe.  It would be nice to know!
• I'm including a couple of pics of the door "stops" - bits of wood nailed to the door opening to stop it going 'past'.  What was wrong with a door frame?  We'll never know [but intimations of mental illness don't seem to be too far wide of the mark from all the "improvements" we've seen made by the previous occupant]; we can see where old door frames have been taken out, and we have the quotes for replacing them, but as to "why?" we're still mystified.

Kitchen door "stop"

Hatch to eaves, with another bit of wood nailed on!