Thursday 3 March 2011

brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr again

after a few warmish days the temperature has fallen once more, today it has not risen above 3.5C and it is due to go below zero again tonight. We have had very little sun either. I have just read on the BBC site about the temperature houses should be heated to, thermostats set set much lower than mine ever is. Although we have double glazing out house is still draughty and we seldom feel all that warm. When the children were small I had to heat the house we lived because of Shaun's disability now I have to be careful not to get too cold because of my back. Yesterday the bill (estimated) arrived almost £200 and on the those really cold December days we did not really feel warm at all. Usually we phone in a new reading but this time we have not. It would be higher. I last out as long as I can before it goes on in winter. And by May we turn it off completely. Gas prices are increasing so much and carbon emissions have to come down. Perhaps they are trying to price us out of ever turning it on. The article makes the point that we heat our rooms much more than in the "olden days" are we heading back to the days of chilblains and scraping the frost off the windows?

Yesterday I had a visitor. He popped over the wall, miaowed because I took no noticed, intimated that he was waiting for something. Not a stroke because he does not like being stroked and usually lashes out. So I found him some biscuits which he ate then strolled off. Magic (aka Sparky) is looking old, he has grey in his black/brown fur and his joints are stiff. I am not sure exactly how old he is but he must be at least 15 now and I am wondering how much longer he will be around.

Despite the chill the bulbs continue to appear

We seem to have rather a lot of purple crocus.

The honey suckle is coming along nicely


Some of these are cheap bulbs that we bought just before Christmas they all got stuck in where ever I thought there might be a space. They may be hidden later by the bluebells that appear every year
There are buds on the daffodils and look what we have here

rhubarb, there was not enough room at the allotment for this one.

The birds' favourite bush has flowers.


Spring must be around the corner. This will be lovely but the headaches and hay fever will be back too.

No sewing to show. I have done some but no photographs to prove it.

Thanks for coming

8 comments:

Lyn said...

Wendy, spring is on the way and that is a good thing! Lovely that you take the time to feed Magic I am sure he appreciates it.
love
Lyn
xxx

lisahgolden said...

Lovely colors on the crocus! I'm sorry you're back to brrrrr. This time of year is like that, isn't it?

And I believe you about the sewing, photos or no photos. XOXO

Jennytc said...

I hope we are not going back to the pre-central heating days, Rosie! We didn't have central heating at home till I was 16 and after I was married, we didn't have it till about 1986! Now I live in a fairly new build, I am amazed at how easy and cheap it is to heat. Here's hoping spring comes soon!

WendyCarole said...

We didn't have central heating at home. Coal fire to begin with then a gas fire and a storage heater in the main room and a storage heater in the bedroom my sister and slept in because it was so cold. We had a paraffin heater in the corner of the kitchen and we got near it on pain of death. My mum still lives there and the paraffin heater has been swapped for a halogen one. She has turned off the storage heater in the front bedroom because she rarely goes in there.

mumzy said...

Nice of you to feed Magic. I'm sure he appreciates it.

Your pictures give me hope that Spring is just around the corner.

Soggibottom said...

Think Magic might have to be catnapped to live in Devon :-) Ah.... trouble with older cats, people forget that they feel the cold more just like humans.
We had a well worded letter from our energy company too. Why tell us ?
They know we all have to pay up anyway...
Our bug down here is our water bill. The highest in the country and going up again.... must be because of all the leaks that are around !
:-) x x x Keep warm and if you need some more cookies for Mr mog, Frank has plenty to spare. X

bois-fleurie said...

I was glad to find your blog again, I am feeling homesick for life in the UK. Your blog took me back to my old english garden. We hope to move back one day,

Sally said...

It's certainly been chilly again hasn;t it. I couldn't do without central heating I'm afraid. We didn't have it to begin with in this house and it was so cold! Still didn't have it when I lievd at home either.

Your crocus looks gorgeous. So nice to see some colour at long last isn't it?