Monday 21st February 2022

Eight weeks on from the winter solstice, and it now getting light soon after six, and still light now, or nearly, when Jools returns home at half five or so. Monday night I didn't have to put on the floodlight on the drive for when she came home.

The year moves on.

And during the day, I checked the beds for new flowers, for signs of the imperialis showing (none seen) and then finally to the pond to check for frogspawn, and I found some fresh that had appeared overnight.

Spring?

Nearly.

And it was to be the last of the stormy days here. In fact the forecast was for winds some 20mph lower than expected, meaning at 40mph, not worth worrying about. Jools went to work, and I had a day at work clearing the decks before I had a three day seminar to attend to. I was supposed to trave to Denmark for this, but the travel advice when I checked last Tuesday was unclear. Unclear tot he point that it wasn't until Friday when I checked again for my boss did I spot that final line that said the ten day quarantine wouldn't be needed if you have proof of vaccination.

Too late by then.

In fact we had stuff booked for this week with our neighbours, and I could have cancelled it, we have done once already, and there comes a point when you have enough upheaval in your life.

So I stayed home.

With the cats.

I start work and sort through the few e mails I had received over weekend, and return to my ongoing task. The new procedure.

I had the bright idea on Saturday to try some new flour. In Japan we had eaten buckwheat noodles, and finding a bag of buckwheat flour I thought that would make interesting bread. Douly so as there was little else.

What I didn't know what that buckwheat flour is used for bisuits and cookies, not for bread. But, anyway, I make a backtch of dough with yeast and everything, and right away it felt very stiff, almost impossible to knead.

But After 15 minutes I put it in a tin to rise, which it refused to do.

I had already guessed this was going to happen, so I roll it into a sausage and make cookie sized disks and bake them. Two tray fulls.

I had to bake them half an hour before they browned, and then a half hour wait for them to cool.

The thin one I tried was OK with butter, but the rest were thicker, and by lunchtime had set almost like concrete. I wasn't going to let them go to waste, and so eat four, but I feared for my teeth.

Once cool enough, I tip the rest away and think about using my last bag of bread flour sor a loaf for the rest of the week.

Once I finished work, I didn't feel like going for a walk. It was cool and breezy, Tuesday was supposed to be better, so I would go then, and hopefully most days now.

Jools had made some filled tortillas for dinner, all I had to do was put them in the oven and make some rice. Which I do.

The cats have settled down now to life with me and each other. Even Poppy has now matured, although won't leave via the flap when dark, she knows how to wait by the front door and one of us lets her out. There is hissing from time to time, but its bearable.

Which is nice.

I cook dinner and wait for Jools to come back, arriving home when it was almost still light.

No ootball to watch in the evening, just music on the wireless, and the wind drops all the time outside.

Which is very good.