December is cold – Barabrith

Having failed so far to get a new stove for my room I am tending to spend most of my time in the kitchen which has a working wood burner and stays relatively hospitable even when its minus something outside. Still there have been some gloriously sunny days of late.

Who would have though that a breakfast (oyster mushrooms on toast with extras) in December could be taken outside !?

Can you guess what this is? or rather was? I was told I was a “lucky man” when they found me a replacement! Answer at end of post!

Happiness is ones feet resting on the warm wood stove, a new Rebus story, a cat keeping ones stomach warm and a nice cup of Earl Grey!

The Monkey Puzzle tree has made little headway towards the sky but it looks strong and healthy – and boy are those spikes sharp! – so I trust its growth will speed up sooner or later.

This little “Red Tree” was serverly eaten by deer or perhaps rabbits last year but its come back and appears to be doing well, lets hope it survives the winter ok.

How much closer can a cat get ? I took this pretending to be asleep and then dozed off only a few minutes later with Sid still whisker to whisker with me.

Will this be the last winter I can risk the big pear tree leaning like it does?

The sunset last night seen through the big small pears tree and the small apples tree!

Yesterdays breakfast was courtesy of the vegan pastries one can get frommost of the Milnar bakeries in Zagreb. Reheated in a pan and sitting atop a pile of baked beans this was a perfect fast food brekkie! And the view wasn’t bad either.

Answer, it’s part of the wood stove, a kind of ceramic or brick lining for the air outflow at the back of the fire. Apparently the company that made the fire ceased production of the “Eco” model 15 or so years ago and stopped producing spare parts such as this a couple of years later. Lets hope the replacement bits – that cost me 40euros – will last at least another 15 years.