The thaw has started

or a thaw, anyway. There is still snow everywhere, where it hasn't been walked on/driven over/sanded enough to clear it. Today, I got the spade from the shed, so if it comes back and blocks the front gate from opening again, I've got something to dig my way out with.

The fetching of the spade from the shed was more of an effort than that might sound. Things I didn't get done include clearing the overhanging branches (of next door's tree) from the path. It turns out that my one-hand clippers aren't up to cutting them where they reach head height (they're not as sharp as when they were new, and stronger hands might also be useful), and shaking off the weight of snow and removing the parts that are thin enough to cut didn't make them spring back to a reasonable height, woe. So I'm having to bend down to get underneath while being rained on by the melt. My back is not pleased.

I was going to the shed in the first place to put some things in there that have been gathering dust on a shelf in the kitchen, which I've never used for anything but storage, but now I need to clear it to make room for a microwave.

( oven saga )

So it might get here on Wednesday, which would be good. If not, can I buy food for Xmas assuming I'll have an oven to cook it in?