This is my third attempt to post this, so sorry there are no photos - they seem to screw up the system:

Last night was a bit of a debacle. Apparently "we are just popping down to the airport to pick up..." was supposed to be interpreted as "and we are staying in town for dinner", not, as I had assumed "there will be one more for dinner". So come six o'clock, with no sign of the return, I delivered the casserole to the house, and left it, wrapped in a towel, on the dining table. Since I had to clean the bank, and did not want them to come home cold and tired to my absence and that of their expected dinner, this seemed the best solution. On my return from the bank there was still no sign of them, so I thought 'flight delays and safe driving in snow weather...' Come eight thirty I thought 'bugger this for a joke, I'm hungry' so went over to retrieve the dinner. But of course the door had locked itself when i closed it last time, and the back door was also locked.

All of this is surmise, however, since no-one has bothered to come over from the house to either apologise or thank me for their meal, or to return it to me, or to invite me to share it with them tonight, or any of the thousand and one options available to them. So I am rather peeved right now. I am also less than impressed that they apparently left four children unattended for quite a few hours on a night such as last night was.

Fortunately my bad mood was somewhat alleviated by the snow on the ground this morning (though it did nothing for the cats' moods), and so I took lots of pix and spent the day indoors with only occasional wanders with the dogs. The chooks' water was checked regularly in case of freezing as the temperature did not reach more than one degree until after ten o'clock and failed to achieve the 7 degrees forecast.

Update, the casserole dish has just been returned with thanks and expressions of pleasure and an intention to eat more of it tonight (none was brought back to me), but no invitation to join them. I pointed out a phone call might have been courteous and was told they didn't have my number. I then pointed out that i had had toast and jam for dinner as I could not get back into their house. I was then subjected to recrimination because they could not get back into their house. Then finally a very surly 'sorry' as she left. Last time i offer to do anything for them again unless the response is improved tomorrow.