Housekeeping day today - the electrician has still not responded so I contacted Aurora. They advised I engage another electrician to prepare the paperwork which I will do, deducting the cost from the balance owed to the existing electrician. Then onto the hedging guy who has not responded to my email - requesting that he followup on it. No response so far, but I will give him a couple more days before I contact his partner (who seems more reliable generally).

Christmas cards were finally written and posted and my sister's present is en route. And I also got round to paying the rates (ooops). While in Council offices I obtained a witness to my signature on the notification for fencing to my neighbour and had them photocopy the documents for me. I am giving her a letter, a copy of the legal aid plain language guide to the Act, the formal notice and the quote. That should just about cover it. The letter proposes that I erect the paling fence now and she deals with the rest when funds permit, but accepts responsibility for maintaining the fence in the interim. It also refers to the trees she promised to cut down over a year ago and advises what action will be necessary to maintain the boundary line, and offers her the timber from the fence for her use should she wish it. So I think that about covers the options there.

The letter will be delivered to her letter box early tomorrow morning, before the mail arrives to avoid the chance of it being removed overnight. I imagine I will hear about it when she receives it.

What else? Got a new container for fuel for the lawnmower and filled it up in anticipation of getting some jungle hacked some time soon, and chatted to the chap who did my rotary hoeing, who will call in some time soonish to give me a quote to get the rest of the boundary cleared in preparation for the fencing contractor.

And cut some more wood for the fire (it being grey and miserable here at present). While at Eleanors I collected my basin (left over from lettuces at the market) and collected some mushrooms, snow peas and spinach for a stirfry tonight, and am slowly working my way up to doing just that. The garlic is drying off nicely so I hope to be able to reduce some of it to garlic jelly and the rest to dry for storage.

Oh, and tracked down the source of the new lids for jars so I can now order some in. they also sell circular labels to go on the lids (handy for market displays) so I may order some of those as well.