KW-47 Wintry and blusterous

It has been a cold and windy week at the barracks. November is the oldest month of the year, the creaking joints of the oppressively still mornings, the ground grey-haired, tired looking and chilly. Snow has tried to fall a few times, but it didn’t have the energy for it, and ended up sleeting unpleasantly to terra firma.

Six pots of putty

November days loose nearly an hour and a half from the first to the last of the month as the cold nights dominate the daylight. It’s the wind that is worst though. The loft, my living quarters, are not wind-proof. Over the years, I have improved the thermal properties of the huge open space area, but the windows fit loosely into their frames and when the bastard chill blows onto already cold condensate glass, the building sweats itself ten degrees cooler.

But! Since I have been here, I have always tried to not put the big fire on 24 / 7 until the middle of November, and every year I have missed this optimistic target by at least two weeks. It has always gone on at the latest in the middle of October, and was constantly firing before Guy Fawkes immolated and the fireworks flew.

I’ve just put it on now, because it’s 6am and I am writing a newsletter, but this is the first time I’ve enkindled the stove before breakfast, and in the evenings, it’s gone on as a comfort more than a necessity.

I made that shelf that I said I was going to make. It doesn’t look much on photo, and isn’t a great deal better on video, but it looks mighty fine in real life!

This does bring us handily to jobs for the week, though.

I’ve been thinking about fixing up the window frames since I got here, but somehow the motivation or the inspiration was missing. Well this week, I have both, and also the desire. I’m actually strangely keyed up for it, and am going to start on the study.

I rearranged the study this week, for reasons. And then spent quite a few hours in there, doing computer things. And by gum, was it chilly in there. I mean, really actually unpleasantly cold. Generally, I can suffer the wintry cool rather better than maybe most people can. But this was awful. Deeply, unpleasantly arctic. The worst of it was the incredible permeability of the windows. So this is my task for the week. To at least make a start. I have no idea how much putty this is going to take, but I knew I had some in the woodshop. Apparently, I’ve had the scheme of window repair in mind for so long, that I have bought a tub of putty on at least six occasions in the past. Well done past me. It’s expensive stuff, and although I have now done all that is needed to get my bank account unblocked (don’t ask), there still isn’t any money in it. So let’s see how far we can get with this little collection!

Other than that, this weeks is going to be chopping wood, bringing it inside, burning it, and taking the ashes out and scattering them on the blueberries; feeding pigs; feeding self; repeat.

Talking of pigs… It is a little muddy down there, but we have made them a table to eat from, so they aren#t sucking their food out of the grime. I’m off to the farm supplies shop today to try to get them some straw on credit. Or at least on Rechnung - invoice. We’re ok for food for a few weeks, but they really do need some straw. Gotta love them fatties!

If that sounds like I’m not pushing the project forwards as much as I like to claim that I do, try not to be too sceptical. There are some really exciting opportunities under discussion, and I am looking forward to being able to tell you about them soon.

Until then, though, please keep warm outside, and keep each other warm on the inside and I shall see you again same time, same place, next week

Much piratey love

Your

Pirate Ben

xoxo