Much clearance achieved in the cellar after recycling day and a complex trip to the St Vincent de Paul; I can now sweep the entire floor.

What's complex about visiting the Vince? Loading and unloading a car full of awkwardly shaped and sometimes fragile stuff in seriously frigid weather, that's what. We've had our January thaw, and now the thermometer is hovering between -16 and -25 Celsius with a fierce wind that will yank your hat off if you turn in the wrong direction. There's much blather on the radio about the wind chill factor, but I generally ignore it -- otherwise, I would never go anywhere. It's just too depressing.

Longjohns, serious socks, scarf over the face, leather mittens. Soldier on; there's only seven more weeks of winter.