Winter Stoat

We've seen the stoats in the garden over the winter but have not managed to get a photograph of them until now. Unfortunately for the stoats their winter coats have only made them more visible this year due to the unseasonably warm weather and distinct lack of snow. The nature reserve has been very busy for the last few weekends with people making the most of the glorious sunshine. This has kept us amused with the wacky races style parking and some of the strange questions we get asked. Our garden has come alive with a variety of birds which is fantastic to see. The only downside is the imminent requirement to start cutting the grass and no chance to get the ride on mower fixed - sorry Miles.

Fire in the hole

We decided a while ago that we would install a second wood burning stove. The first which was a Jotul had made a huge difference to the lounge and we hoped that the second would do the same job in the kitchen. As there is no radiator in the kitchen and the oil fired range is expensive to run, we decided that a small stove which would be easy to light and quick to heat up would fit the bill. After quite a bit of research we decided on a Morso Squirrel which we purchased from Ely Boat Chandlers. The fire has been installed for a couple of months now and we have been very impressed thus far. In comparison to the Jotul it did look a bit like a toy but it has proven itself to be anything but. We have however had to rethink our wood chopping technique to accommodate the wee fire.