The reading mountain . . .

I have just a few books to see me through the long winter days.  I am on a reading roll at the moment and reading whenever I can - when I can't sleep at night, and when I wake up early in the morning, in the car (when NOT driving!) and whenever I can spare a minute.  These are the Ann Cleeves books I bought recently from the Free Bookshop in town (where you give a donation).

On Thursday, the Travelling Library came.  I renewed Serpent Papers (2nd down) and also one by Pamela Hartshorne which I started reading but abandoned as it seemed far too like the other book of hers I had read and I would far rather read Ann Cleeves' Thin Air which I got from the Library, so that's what I'm doing.  Sorry the photo is blurry = the bottom book is by Michael Jecks - The Chapel of Bones.  I've not read any of Val Mcdermid's books before, so am looking forward to that one.  The hat on the top is the Charity Shop new Thermalite one.

Finally, on the top shelf of my lovely poker work shelf and cupboard, 3rd piece in, is the little Torquay strike-a-light which I got for £8 from an outside stall at the Botanic Gardens.  3rd and 4th in below it, are two Exeter pieces, both the same design with Kerswell Daisies.  Pleased with these purchases, and they were cheap too.  I have found out that a loving cup I have, with a spurious 1815 (I think) date, actually dates from 1895 and is also an Exeter piece.

Well, I am resting today.  I have worked faster and harder ALL week, trying to get the house as perfect as possible for this morning's viewing.  The garden - well, I tried my best, but weeding in mud is not easy.  I ended up just emptying bale after bale of compost over the weeds I couldn't get to and bunged in Polyanthus all over the place to give it some colour.  I couldn't do anything about the limewashed walls, but I did slap some exterior paint on the outside walls of the Back Place and the Woodshed.  I have bought another large can of exterior paint and will be doing the porch area when I get a dry day.  We are waiting for a dry week (and a quote, Steve!) for the limewash to be renewed. Meanwhile, it looks very shabby, but nothing I can do about that.

This morning's viewers are interested in this house for its B&B potential.  They played their cards close to their chest, and I have no idea how they felt about the place.  However, it didn't help that he was allergic to cats, and when I asked if they wanted to look round again, she said no they had a good idea of the layout (more than we did after viewing it the first time!) and she mentioned his allergy again.  Ah well.  We will have to see but I don't think we will hear from them again.  I would have been much happier if the outside had been pristine and newly-painted.  

However, we have another viewing in 10 days' time, this time a family relocating from London, so fingers crossed . . .

Right, back to some reading . . .