Wednesday 24th March 10

A good day! I had a bit of a lie in and was getting up when Thomson rang with details of their web-based service. I could try it out for 3 months, it's a 'pay per click' Google advert.

I spent the rest of the morning on the computer, dealing with the new website, and the business cards arrived, from Rory, my Canadian friend and business partner. I had a bit of Fiddlesticks paperwork to attend to and an invoice to prepare for 'John the Composter'.

After lunch I sorted out the Yam tubercles I promised a blog reader called Duncan, and one of my facebook friends Zion, and popped those in the post first class. I also put the potatoes in egg boxes for chitting, and later, prepared another large load of seed compost (3 half sacks and 6 carrier bags full) which will mean that over the weekend I can plant seeds.

During the afternoon, I went to the front garden to get a sack of kindling sticks which had been drying in the garage for ages, and I'd brought to the front ready for bringing in. I swiftly grabbed it and brought it in, and tipped it into the kindling basket. There was a bit of rustling which didn't sound like the sticks settling, and I looked in and saw something move... perhaps a mouse? Help! I put another basket on top of this one to hopefully prevent it getting out, and took the whole lot to outside the front door, pulling it to behind me. I took the basket off the top and a young rat jumped out and headed down the garden! Oh wow, I am SO glad, so very glad it didn't jump out in the house! That would have been awful, absolutely awful. Next time I bring a sack of sticks in, I'll give it a good rattle outside. This experience left me quite shaken up, heart beating fast. When Gill came back from town and I told her, she was freaked out too.

At 7pm I decided that I was going to go to the Transition meeting, and was glad that I did. I chaired the meeting and it was quite a toughie, with a lot to get through and some potentially difficult negotiations between key players. But it was a good meeting. Home soon after 10pm.