Bit of a seriously chilly one today. I think it staggered up to 9 degrees in passing, but mainly hovered around the six degree mark - with rain. Not sure whether the sun bothered to get up today, to be frank.

The fire has been going flat out all day, with occasional hiccups due to unscheduled absences. First, a request I clean a cottage on short notice (today is not one of my days) as the request, on short notice, was all too much for her next door who seems to be finding life a bit of a struggle right now. Having once cleaned the cottage I headed home and called over the road to see to the horse.

Mucking out was, once again, a breeze, but produced a bit more than yesterday as I assume she was spending more time under a roof than she had the day before. The hay net was out on the ground as the hook it was hung on seems to have fallen out of the wall - I will fix that tomorrow when it is warmer. The water bucket was as bone dry as a bucket can get when it is raining constantly, so I tracked down the hose and filled it back up again, gave the horse some more hay (she has been stealing it from under the door of the shed it is stored in), and came away wondering how to get in touch with her owner. Eventually I called next door and asked if they had her number and am assured that once they have checked with her, they will give it to me. Fair enough. I would not want them giving my number away with gay abandon.

Was just settling down when the phone rang and it was my friend who was passing through town on her way home from Devonport. So we met up at the Pancake Parlour and I had a big hot chocolate with a cinnamon scroll which may tide me over to dinner time (I am famished!).

Threw another log on the fire, and now the dogs and I are planning to spend the rest of the evening indoors apart from emergency loo trips.