Pompadour

Tuesday 5 October 2010

Going too big, too soon.

Is a failing of mine - I admit. I am talking of course of the woodburning stove and of loading it with wood. It's actually far too early to be lighting fires - within an hour you end up stripping off and opening doors and windows, but with the pool and sun lounger season now firmly behind us, there is nothing so nice as loading up the fire and settling in for a night of snuggly warmth in front of 'flicky flames' as my friend Judith calls them.

Neil is a bit of a boy scout fire starter - and deeply frowns on my use of firelighters to get the fire going. As far as I am concerned it is a failsafe method of lighting the fire and puts paid to being on your hands and knees staring desolately at a smoking pile of paper and kindling. I tend to buy packs of firelighters when he is not on a shopping trip with me and secrete them around the room in places he never looks.
"Let me do it!!" is his frequent cry, as I go to light the fire and grab the lighters and he proceeds to unload my stack of newspaper, kindling and lighters in favour of his own method - which I'm sure is something of a secret ( like 5 year old moss covered old wisteria sticks or something).
It's just a case of male pride I am sure and I normally let him get on with it, although with his recent liking of walking around in a state of undress perhaps I should ensure the house is as cold as possible!

Here is a picture of Lenny - who has settled in like a dream and has already caught his first mouse. Long may he continue!!



6 comments:

  1. Well done Lenny. Having told you I have not seen a mouse since..... I zapped two in the barn this morning!

    Glad Nigel is not a boy scout, we both use firelighters! I lit my fire a week ago just to warm up the lounge one day, it gets no sun this time of the year. I let it just burn out but it pushed the temperature from 14 to 20 very quickly! Diane

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  2. Thus settling any doubts as to whether he could combine utility with beauty.
    Firelighters are out in this household too....supposedly muck up the value of the ash for using on the garden.

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  3. the traps are working well then Diane - fantastic! No need for a moggy.
    Firelighters in Ash? It hasn't done our plants any harm so far (I hope!)

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  4. I suppose it's not very eco-friendly :(

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  5. We use firelighters, and so far the estufa's been lit half a dozen times I reckon. It won't be long before it's in 24/7.

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