So much for a shiny new year.

My heating is fixed,yay!!
I popped into the village yesterday morning and while buying some wildbird seed I overheard a conversation,part of which went
"well the coal merchant says they can deliver,but the driver says we will be lucky to get some as in his opinion the yard is just about empty"
So I fly,well cycle,

round the village,no-one has coal in,I start ringing farm shops in neighbouring villages,find one with coal in and ring my friend so we can drive out and get some,The drive out was 'interesting' the roads have been gritted,but obviously a lesser amount of grit has been used,so slippy,slippy.After getting home I popped round to a lady I work for,she was out for the day and her lovely Labrador needed letting out for a run and to do his business,oh and to munch on the spilled seed under the bird table.Then home again and I cleaned out the chicken house and filled it with extra bedding,sawdust for the floor and shredded newspaper(I figured that is how tramps insulate themselves) and straw in the nest boxes,a couple of the ex-batts and one of the elderly bantams sleeps in a box rather than on a perch .Then I cleaned the finches cage out.........
A nice lady I know who does hen rescue came round to kindly donate some wheat as treats for the hennies,a lady farmer in the village gives her loads of wheat,seems she is of the old school and thinks that is what chickens eat,I am sure some do,but all the rescued hennies have organic chicken pellets and all sorts of luxurious treats,you really would be surprised at what lovely pets chooks make,ex-batts particularly so,they like a nice cuddle and to eat from your hand etc.
This weather is getting me down now,it was/is very beautiful,but I have spent so much on coal now that I have probably spent the equivalent of up to the end of February's fuel money.The temperature is quite balmy at the moment,the fridge thermometer I have put outside just to torture myself reads exactly 0c,you never know we may actually get above freezing for the first time this week,it isn't doing the aches and pains much good being so cold.
Talking of aches and pains..............I am bloody furious,the doctor rang Friday to apologise,it seems that I haven't yet been referred to the bone doc at the hospital,why you may well ask,considering I thought the referral went out at the end of November,it seems that the receptionist was supposed to contact me with some"administrative questions" then send the letter off,
so I said to the doctor "okay what answers do you need ?"
she replied "I will just put you through to her now"
Guess what the questions were..........which hospital do I prefer and are there any dates I can't do.....so I have waited six effing weeks already and am back at the start of things.