This place we care for has 19 outside doors (granted, 3 of them only access balconies, but that’s still outside.  And still wretched excess) and they all need storm panels installed for the winter winds which blow across the meadow.  That was this morning’s entertainment.

There is a curious thing about them, though, which we’ve noticed before — they change the feel of the house, even just sitting inside somewhere.  It’s not that one can feel the change in the draught (unless it’s very windy) nor can one see them, of course.  It’s the sound.  The house becomes very quiet inside; outside noises — the odd car, a lawn mower somewhere, whatever — are muted to the point of non-being, and one can hear the house.  One can almost imagine that the house is like a big cat, curling up in its bed for the winter and, perhaps, purring quietly to itself as it goes to sleep.