Getting Warmer

Thankfully the boiler was fixed on Friday, after what the engineer described as "open heart surgery". We felt for him, working in a freezing cold garage on a day when the temperature didn't reach zero. We are still properly appreciating the joy of having heating and hot water. Hot baths! Hot showers! Bliss! A claim for a refund for the cost has gone in to British Gas, so we are hoping that goes through smoothly. 

It was still bitterly cold yesterday, and we went for a three mile walk around the canal/woods circle. Large icicles had formed round the edges of the flowing water where the weir drains overflow from the canal. I took a photo and used the live loop effect to turn it into a mini video of running water, but can't work out how to post that here. In the photo below you can see the ducks standing on ice near the boats. 

The paths through the woods which have been impassably muddy were thoroughly frozen, so we were able to crunch our way back home through the wintry looking trees. The white on the ground is ice rather than snow. Today has been a little warmer, then tomorrow the temperature is forecast to rise dramatically and it looks as though next week may even start to feel like spring. 

I'm feeling slightly annoyed with myself as last week, instead of sitting on a proper chair at a desk, I spent long hours working sitting on the bed huddled under blankets. I could feel my back starting to ache, but ignored it - as a result I now have what I think is mild sciatica (tender, aching hip and leg), and after doing a yoga class this morning, a very sore lower back. I am fortunate in that my back is pretty robust and it is rare for me to have any back pain, which is why I didn't bother to move when it first started to twinge. Lesson learned. It is feeling a bit easier this evening, and I'm reasonably confident that if I treat it gently for the next few days it will clear, but there was a lot of creaking and groaning earlier on today! 

Everyone over 70 or who is extremely clinically vulnerable has now been offered vaccines and they are moving on to over 65s and people with other less severe health conditions. Asthmatics are only being prioritised if their asthma is severe or poorly controlled so I will have to wait until they get to the over 60s, but I am hoping that will be by early March. M should also get his second dose around that time. Between vaccine progress and warmer weather things are definitely looking up!