It's all a bit toilet related....

I'm not quite sure why, but it's been a bit of a bogging week....

The first interesting find was a weird large pile of little squiggly grey things in the paddock - they looked like they had been piped onto the grass. I thought maybe it was buzzard waste, or perhaps something more exotic, and carried two home carefully (on a leaf because I know what it probably was) and started Googling... After 10 minutes of looking at various bird, fox and badger, um, waste, I was feeling distinctly queasy - I don't recommend it! The verdict on our exciting squiggles? Pigeon poo. Hellluva dump for a pigeon.

And then we started on the outside loo... We're not exactly tarting it up, but we would like the rotten door to not be rotten and to be able to open. It's a single brick built structure with a corrugated asbestos roof.

It's not lovely (let's be honest, doing anything to it brings the phrase 'polishing a turd' to mind on an almost constant loop) but it will be a loo and washbasin for the builders while they build, which will save hiring a portaloo. The door was so rotten that it was actually possible to put a hand through it, so we thought we'd change the door. The frame was rotten too so we thought we'd change the frame. We bought lovely treated wood and made a frame - simples. Well, yes, except the brickwork is (a) crumbly and (b) not straight (how is it possible to be ONE INCH out in just over six feet of door frame?? Had they never heard of a spirit level??). We bodged it as best we could, packed the gaps with more wood and used a LOT of filler... Then we painted it and added the door. It actually fits! We're ridiculously proud of ourselves. It's just a shame the door is now stronger than the surrounding brickwork and once the build is finished we will thump it hard with a lump hammer and watch it fall over. We like an outside loo (great for parties) so We Will Rebuild.

On Thursday we mostly looked like this:

Then we had to get clean - we had tickets for a production of My Big Fat Cowpat Wedding at the village hall and the tickets said 'hats and wellies' so we duly obliged:

It was absolutely brilliant - go and see the Kali Theatre if they're anywhere near you! I was particularly pleased that I toned so nicely with the lighting scheme...

Whilst being clean we also made crab apple jelly...

I am now expecting it cut into little squares and served with dauphinoise potatoes (yep, I'm still watching the Great British Menu).

The loo now looks like this (better):

We're still painting as, in our elevated position some 800 feet above sea level, we have been encased in low cloud since about Wednesday.

Still feels like polishing a You Know What though...