It's very strange listening to John Humphries announce that the day
"will be dry but not sunny", when I'm sitting against the porch at 7.30
under a blue sky listening to Radio 4 (on solar power to boot).

Proof positive that the North Tyne valley has its own bizarre climate.

I've been pulling moss out of the guttering - or rather, all the
guttering I can reach. The bull wandered over for a look, blinked and
ambled off again.

As I do it, I am pondering the building of a mini-dyke just beyond the
top gate, to deflect all the run-off from the fell and persuade it not
to flow through the porch. It's only a trickle of water, but its
constant in wet weather, and it floods the loo and turns the garden into
a quagmire and washes relentlessly at the wall of the cottage.

It would have to be at least 2 feet high, wide and as stable as
possible to prevent erosion - I'm thinking of mixing in the remains of
some old (organic - wool and hessian!) carpets to strengthen it, and turf.

If I did that, then I could waterproof and repair the outhouse, (which
is rotting) and if I could do that, I could install a proper
composting/solar loo, and if I could do that, I could let other people
stay here.

Which is very appealing - but that's an awful lot of mud ,stones, carpet
and turf to shift.