Mouse

So we were plodding along using a woodburner for heat and an immersion heater for water.

The weather was improving and it was all looking quite rosy really. We could possibly wait until the Autumn to replace the boiler and we might have won the lottery by then, or maybe someone would give me a huge voice over contract, or offer me a book publishing deal. Something would happen. Life was fine.

Then we had no hot water.

Again.

Something had gone wrong with the immersion heater.

Now that made me really unhappy. It's one thing having no heat. You can always put an extra jumper on. But no hot water. No baths. That is not good. I am a serious bath person. And now we were down to one - not brilliant - electric shower between the seven of us, cold water for washing your hands and kettles if you wanted to wash up.

I think it's the timer said hubby. I think I can fix it. I went to bed, confident that it would all be all right in the morning.

Instead, the next morning I was greeted with the news that we had a mouse, and plenty of cold water. Hubby had been working late on the immersion heater and had found evidence of such. Mouse that is. He may have found evidence of cold water too, but the mouse was his worry. We didn't want an electrical fire, caused by hungry mouse eating through all things edible to mouse and rodents generally.

So where was the cat?

Nowhere to be seen of course.

The cat is a pacifist.

Any sign of action and he's gone.

Lucky mouse!

..............And we still had no hot water.

So off went hubby to the hardware shop that day, bought a new timer, fixed it on, and hooray we have hot water again. For now at least.

The pacifist cat is another matter however.

Less easily solvable.

I guess it's off to the hardware shop again.

Sorry mouse, there's no room at the inn.