On 2010-01-05 11:36:55 +0000, June Hughes said:

snip
I hope you have plenty of provisions, Sacha. My 93-year-old neighbour
died a couple of months ago and I used to have his key for the
help-line organisation (an excellent service). When he died, his
children told me I could have what I liked from the house and I decided
to have his paraffin heater. It's a really old one but has a spare
wick and has been well maintained. You don't get them like that
nowadays. I also had his wooden-handled shovel. Its handle was all
wet and soggy when I got it but it has dried out a treat. You don't
get too many of those nowadays either. I am looking forward to putting
a few seeds in the greenhouse and lighting up the heater in February.
It will remind me of him, as well as being very useful.

Nice, cosy sort of memories, too. Do you oil the handle?
snip
You seem all prepared for being snowed in, Sacha. I haven't oiled the
handle of the shovel but now you have said that, I shall do so. It has
only just dried out and I don't want it to rot.

Or split, if it's enjoying being dry for the first time in a while!
--
Sacha