Last night, the blog wouldn’t load, either on the computer or my phone. This isn’t the first time recently, it’s annoying. So I gave up, went to bed and slept more soundly than I’d expected.

I went out to block off the chickens’ feeder a bit later than usual yesterday evening and found half a dozen young rats clustered underneath it. This is supposedly a rat-proof feeder and it certainly is no such thing. Wince had to do repairs on it recently as the legs were falling off and he had to drill new holes to screw them back on, it really was not a good buy. Anyway, I put a bucket with a tin inside to stop more food falling, because the rats will try very hard to outthink me, and went on to the cats, only to find that Zain cat had a lot of ticks on his head. I was able to pull most of them off, but the ones on his ears were too small. I bought a tick remover this morning, but it was fairly basic and was useless, so I used tweezers. He was very good and let me hold him, but it was tricky as he twitched his ears, so I haven’t got them all. I suspect muntjacs, or it could be sheep, they both get them a lot, but it’s odd that he seems to be the only one of the cats, he must have had a nap in grass where another infested animal had shed them. I’ve ordered a better tick remover, I’m concerned that Eloise cat might pick them up too.

Unnerved and dispirited, I was glad that I’d bought extravagantly at the deli and fishmonger. I invited Wink for prosecco and asked if she’d join me for dinner – she was already sorted out but suggested we each eat our own meal, but have it together. So I had dressed crab and bean salad and she had cod. I was going to have squid tonight, but remember now that I’ll be out at a concert, so have put it in the freezer and used the rest of the crab for crab cakes, with the rest of the bean salad, to eat before I leave.

Tomorrow, I’m taking Ro and the children – and Wink of course – out for lunch and leaving my car with him. I’m busily distracting myself from the knowledge that it’s six months since Tim died. A measured number of days means nothing, but it feels as if it does. It’s not really worse than any other day, though.

I’m getting a lot of enquiries for the next auction. If they all result in items being sent to me, I’ll have nearly enough for the sale already, which is brilliant. I’m waiting to hear back from a couple of people, have two more definitely and have another person to talk to, then just another 15 or 20 pieces to go. A nice selection, too.