In the Bleak Midwinter.................!

Yes, it's winter and it's cold............and wet! This is the view from the office window yesterday morning! See the rain running down the window panes?

We had 10 mm rain after this storm and two cats were out in it!

However, we are warm and snug inside, thanks to our stove that Rob had installed a few years ago. This was because the builder just couldn't get the chimney right and the fire place smoked so badly that we had to have the doors and windows open to clear the smoke! This, of course, defeated the whole object of having a fire. Eventually the builder told us the whole problem was due to our neighbours roof! After that, he wasn't allowed back and I was ready to kill him with a log! And Rob cleverly found a stove with doors that works every time!

The veranda was awash!

We have always tried to support local businesses as far as possible, and so for the last year or two, Rob has had wood delivered by a chap in Langebaan. Lovely big chunks of eucalyptus that give off wonderful heat. However, a few weeks ago when Rob tried to order more, he could not get hold of anyone. He left messages, and eventually he was told that delivery would be Monday. We are still waiting! I jokingly (only half jokingly) said that we would be throwing our furniture on the fire soon!

So to Plan B. Rob searched on Gumtree, contacted a few people and eventually found a company called 'Eco Fire and Braai'. They are in Somerset West and were quite happy to deliver to us.

They look like shiny table legs!!

Now, here's the good part because the 'logs' are  100% eco friendly and are made from..........grape seeds! And grapes mean wine! And once the grapes are pressed, there are 'leftovers', namely skins and seeds. The skins are used in compost and grape seed oil is extracted from the seeds. But, once the oil has been extracted, there is a mountain of seed bits that are left. What to do with them?
And the answer? Logs! Eco friendly logs made from the bits that are compacted into shape with nothing added.

We store them in an antique grape pickers basket, very apt hey?

Our sixty bags were delivered last week and stored in the garage. They burn beautifully, leave very little ash which goes onto the garden and best of all, the vines will keep producing grapes as long as they live!
What better reason to keep drinking wine?

Beautiful eco friendly logs!

I am being eco friendly with every glass that I drink.

And the garage smells wonderful, just like a winery!