Gloomy.

The winds were blowing from the south today so it wasn't quite as cold but it was a miserable grey day with light rain instead. It also seems to have been a day of minor mishaps. Firstly, as I began to wash the dishes, yes in the old fashioned by hand method, I realised we weren't getting any hot water. I relayed this news to Peter who interrupted his exercises to reset the boiler. Unfortunately as he was having a shower the boiler shut down again leaving him showering in cool water. (We have a system that heats the water as you need it.) It is about time for a boiler service and naturally Saturday is not a good day for having boiler troubles. I thought we'd be without heating as well as hot water until Monday, a reminder of cold times at Dingles, but Peter adjusted the boiler again and the radiators have been working fine.

The next thing to happen was that Speedy got out into the back garden. I'd left the conservatory sliding door open, just a couple of inches which I didn't think an unencumbered cat could get through let alone one with a plastic cone on its head. But out he was and nose to nose with Fluffy Cat who was making his usual high volume yowling. My going up to them triggered a proper cat fight with the pair of them rolling over and over, clawing and biting. I didn't dare try reaching in and grabbing a tail. The fight went from the decking to the paving, up on to the giant plant pot at the back and then onto the plants in the planter at the back of the garden. They separated briefly as Fluffy Cat leapt over the wall with Speedy in hot pursuit. I failed to get hold of Speedy and the pair of them disappeared into the next but one garden. Fluffy Cat must have legged it as Speedy returned after a moment but not unscathed. I don't know if he got scratched or if his old wound opened up but there was blood on his joint where the skin was just growing back. I cleaned it with some salt water and it's not too big a scrape. He finished the antibiotics this morning but the collar is going to have to stay on until the latest damage heals up. The final problem today is that I haven't been able to book the cats into a cattery for our proposed Christmas family visit. Not sure what to do about that at the moment.