Update
I wonder if the sight of an eagle combined with an eclipse is actually a bad omen. It certainly was for me as the following day I received a letter from my employer informing me that my contract had been terminated. Apparently the company has been making cut backs and of course sub-contractors are the first to get the chop.
It is ironic that the only reason I left BAS and moved up here and bought the Land Rover was because of the job. I could not afford to miss out on a 5 (or more) year contract. My original plan was to get enough cash together to rebuild the house and then take my chance with getting a job.
Naturally this was not good news for me and I now have 4 months to find alternate employment. Not easy in an area that is suffering from reduced fishing and a slump in fish farming. I have a few ideas but will have to wait and see if anything turns up. Thankfully I did not re-build the house so I have no mortgage etc.
On a happier note....
I spent last weekend connecting the hot water tank to the fire heating system and routed pipes into the kitchen. The sink has finally been fitted and I now have the luxury of hot and cold water. I am amazed at how efficient the copper coil is. I put the immersion on to get the water hot initially but have not had to use it since. Bearing in mind that I am using heat that would normally go straight up the chimney so it is effectively free heating.
The cold weather continues to hang around. My drive has been like a skating rink and has not thawed for over a week. Two days ago we had a very sharp frost (unusual round here) which froze my shower - looking forward to the weekend when it is supposed to get milder.
The car has now had it's 60k service and I am told it is in very good condition. There is a good chance that I may have to part with it if things get tight but I am reluctant to do this as I would lose a lot of money and it is such a useful vehicle.
Maybe I will have some better news next month.
