Time flies

I can't believe it's so long since I wrote my last post!  So much has happened since, that it's going to take months to write it down. 

I seem to be attuned to the seasons, as the last two months were spent putting the garden to sleep, and strengthening its weak points.  These became clear as the nights became colder, and creatures started to adopt my shack as a place for snuggling up together.  The wren took her boyfriend there, and my lintel began to resemble one of those rocks inhabited by thousands of seagulls.  I tolerated it for a while, as I felt sorry for them, but there were plenty of other places to roost, including the very luxurious establishment I had purchased for her. 

So, I began a step by step process of sealing every hole or gap I could find in the shack.  This involved staple gunning roofing felt, nailing new planks over the floor,walls and door, and realigning the front door lock.  This last action eventually solved the problem, as I discovered that they were ingressing through the gaps top and bottom due to shack subsidence over the year.  The problem was I finally won the battle just before a particularly cold spell.  I just hope they survived.

I've also had a little battle with a rodent.  I first became aware of its presence because of a little offering left on my oilcloth table cloth one morning.  Actually for a mouse it was a rather large offering, so for a while I was concerned I had a rat.  Eventually I discovered what was going on.  I heard rustling in a wooden chest, and on opening it saw that the plates I had carefully stored away for bacon sandwiches had become the shelter of a small rodent.  There was fresh evidence piled into the bubble wrap.  I could see how it would have made a lovely warm home.  So out came the detol and the pink rubber gloves. 

I managed to discover the true identity of the culprit the other day when I was quietly having some refreshing herbal tea in the corner of my shack.  A little vole sneaked in through the open door, and scuttled round the floor.  Eventually it chose the guitar case on the bean bag as a pleasant place to stay.  I had to admire its wisdom.  Nice warm plastic supported by comfortable polystyrene beads.  I took pity and left it there for a while.  When I eventually came to disturb it, I was greeted by an implausably large pile of excreta, and an equally surprising quantity of urine.  It had soaked nicely into the golden corduroy of the bean bag.  Out came the detol and the gloves again.  I'm gradually learning to be as ruthless as my fellow creatures.