When I'm cleaning windows

As November approaches, I decide to do my "spring" cleaning. It doesn't get done in the spring because that would be a waste of good outdoor, good weather time. Spring is often the driest time of year here and November often heralds the local Even Wetter season. I'm starting in one corner of the kitchen. This blog post is to record the beginning. I wonder if I'll have finished by next spring?

When I decide to clean a window I have to expect the job to include cleaning several other things too – job extensions. I also have to expect to have to first find the ladder – Toad is not yet programmed to Put Things Away, try as I might – before I can use it. My expectations were not disappointed today.

Today I decided to clean this window in the west corner of the kitchen. It has been needing done for a while and there was an accumulation of pieces of onion and shallot skin near it (dropped by the monkeys – see pic; the onions are now on a different hook but the monkeys used to hold them), not to mention a cobweb or two – job extension one.

First I had to clear away some of the things that had accumulated in the corner since I last had a thorough rummage there. In putting away a hob kettle that we're not using at the moment (it gets used on the sitting room stove when there's a power cut), I found Toad's sake jug and cups, still in the box they'd been packed in back in 2006 when we moved here from Oxfordshire. I took them out of the cupboard to make space for the kettle which is being stored full of water. Yes, the water supply has been cut off a number of times too! At least, it was in the first few years. Scottish Water have improved the supply pipes on the peninsula now so it shouldn't be a problem. Once (or many times) bitten though...

I would post a picture of the sake cups but Aperture is playing silly buggers and won't let me. Oh, wait! I've managed it via iPhoto:

This is what the board at top right of the window pic says

present from a friend who knows me well

Tools of the job: stool

so I can get onto the counter to reach the window, brush (for the inevitable cobwebs now that I can reach the high pan rack and the ceiling), cloths and soapy water. I love brushes, especially hand-made ones like this. In the top left of the window pic you can see the rack that needed divesting of its cobweb dress. It is not much used pans that get stored up there so it doesn't get much attention. While I was up there, I decided to get rid (via the recycling bin) of two old frying pans which I had been keeping for goodness knows what.

To clean the outside of the window I needed a ladder. Did I mention that Toad doesn't put things back where he finds them? Sigh. So getting the ladder required a tramp up the garden to beyond the archery target boss where it had been left to gather leaves last time the back net was taken down. Job extension two: clean leaves and spider webs and wetness off ladder and carry ladder back down to house.

While I was outside I decided the 'moat' outside the back door needed swept – another hand-made brush job (and job extension three) – the drainage channel gets clogged with leaves in autumn and we've had a lot of rain lately. Other people have wet room bathrooms. We have a wet room wash-house.

The bristles are split bamboo, very stiff

I rewarded myself with a pot of coffee and a giant empire biscuit. I didn't think I'd manage to eat it all but I did.

And a final brush pic, for today, just because I can. This one came back from Thailand with me. The bristles are made of dried rice grass stems so it is a soft and flexible brush. Everyone used these for sweeping floors.