It rained for most of the night. I know because I was awake for most of the night. There was no good reason for that, I usually sleep easily for an hour or more, but never mind. I started to worry that Eloise was shut outside in the wet, though I knew perfectly well that I’d let her in and locked the door and, if she went out through her cat flap, she could come back that way too. But you worry in the middle of the night.

I listened to the radio – or rather, I put on the radio in the hope that the quiet music would help me to sleep. And I did sleep eventually of course, woke up around 7, fetched breakfast and fed Eloise, who’d been asleep on the spare room bed of course, and had breakfast in bed. Then I slept until nearly 10 am.

Honestly, when Tim’s away, the Z will revert to the wild. I dunno.

In view of the filthy weather, I had no intention of letting the chickens out and they had enough food for their breakfast, so I knew they’d have come to no harm. I soaked a couple of slices of bread and added some sunflower seeds in apology for my lateness, and they were fine. I gave the cats extra too, so that they wouldn’t have to leave the cosiness of the barn.

I was running low on the plain mixed corn I feed the chickens while there are chicks – I’m still putting down chick crumbs, but they eat the other food too. Layer pellets and oyster shell, which their normal food contains, are unsuitable for growing chicks. So I went out to buy a few more bags and went to the greengrocer too. I thought that it would be a quiet day for him, as there’s only room for one at a time in the shop at present and we have to queue outside. I did have to wait for a couple of minutes, though and, when I came out, a couple were waiting, so he was actually as busy as he could be.

I spent a couple of hours cooking, making minestrone soup, celery and leek soup and a venison casserole. I don’t quite know how it is that being on my own sends me straight to the stove. I chopped and stirred all through lunchtime, to Eloise cat’s annoyance and I had nothing suitable for her. I ate raw vegetables, a hunk of cheese and some Twiglets, which is about the most balanced meal one can manage. Eloise’s annoyance became louder and I gave in. I opened a tin of tuna. She adores tuna and approved of me again. I shelved plans to get something out of the freezer or have soup for dinner, and boiled an egg – a bought egg, though it’s a very good one from the deli – to go into a salad Niçoise, instead.

At least, with the chickens staying in all day, there were no shenanigans at bedtime. I did find an egg in the henhouse, the first for quite some time, so at least one of the big black hens is laying. I still think Mary probably is, so we’ll see tomorrow. The forecast is just as bad, so they can frolic in their greenhouse for another day. If it is pouring, I can’t quite face the thought of barrowing down their bags of corn though, so I’ll have to take a tubful and leave the rest in the boot of the car until Tim gets back on Sunday. Manhandling an open bag will be another thing to manage but I’m sure it won’t be as bad as moving a 20kg sack in the rain.

Tim says it’s been fine weather down in Reading. Windy, but dry and sunny. I told him he’s in the best place for a day or two and he can bring the better weather back here with him.

Tomorrow, I’m going to make bread and yoghurt. Anything to stay in the warm and dry.