Ever the optimist!

H's buddies visiting, my parents visiting and foul weather have kept me away from the lottie for the past two weeks. I have taken waste from the house to the worms or the compost heap each weekend. Last weekend when I checked in on the worms they were almost swimming. I had to cut a hole in the bottom of the wormery to let out the water. I got about a gallon out. I bobbed the worm juice in to the adjacent water butt. This week has been very cold, several degrees of frost each night in fact. I hope the worms are up to the challenge.

The new arrangement with horse poo and trailer had its first test. The call came to say the trailer was full. I was busy over the weekend so popped over the collect the trailer on Monday tea time. It took about an hour and a bit to complete the round trip. Only one light bulb on the trailer needed changing so that was alright.

I found that a local carpet shop, near where I work, throws out the remnants at the back of the shop . A quick word and now I have free access to the offcuts. The offcuts will used to suppress the weeds on the lottie.

I went to see the Potato men on society business and came away having bought some new seed trays. In the weeks leading up to the winter solstice it away feels like the deepest, darkest part of the year and spring might never come. Since science tells us the world turns I don't think I will need to go to the trouble of a sacrifice [human or otherwise] to ensure the return of the sun. Ever the optimist I checked my seed collection again.

On the way back from Newall, through Church Gresley I spotted a banner for the Church Gresley and Weston on Trent Model Railway Engineers Society Christmas open day. I parked up and paid my two quid on the door and was let into a light and warm wonderland. A wonderland if you like massive "O", "OO" gauge train layouts. The society has been running since the early sixties. I spent over an hour browsing the sets. There were a few smaller sets in "N" gauge and a number a tram sets. The big "OO" gauge set had a couple of long trains running on the long up and down loops. A couple of chaps were running sidings and trams on the same layout. It was all very busy. The ladies of the Society had made truck fulls of mince pies, sandwiches and lashings of steaming tea. Tea at 40p and mug. What a bargain. The next open day is Easter weekend so make a note to go. It is a rare treat.