it's the waiting he can't stand (the hill of dreams)

well there is news.

but horsemouth can't tell you what it is (yet).

so on we go.

it's the waiting he can't stand.  (ok 2pm nothing)

horsemouth would at least like to be able to have a meeting (but no). 

other than that it is a beautiful sunny day (but cold). the guys from the garage are due to come and pick up the car for its MOT.  

yesterday (the 3rd) the birthday of arthur machen mystic and weird fiction author.  brian stableford writes that machen 'was the first writer of authentically modern horror stories, and his best works must still be reckoned among the finest products of the genre'. 

horsemouth went off down a rabbit hole to books in wernicke  in search of copy of machen's the hill of dreams.

he's been out for a walk on the common and looked over at the black mountains in the direction of hay. it is still too muddy to get up to the top of the common to look over towards the skirrid. he's going to try sneaking outside - first to read and then probably to dig some more compost into the garden. 

ok he's done that. now he's going to go back outside again. and then he's back in. 

horsemouth and his mum are due to be back on abbey duty soon

he's looked up the weather - it's great this week (sunnier and warmer (except at night)), but next week it all goes a bit rubbish. we are up to the 10 hour day (we are on our way to the equinox and the 12 hour day).  horsemouth needs to change the timer for the chickens so they get more light.  

horsemouth usually enjoys abbey duty (he likes regular duties - just show up, do it, get the tick).

horsemouth has completed  colonel chabert by balzac. military hero (presumed to be dead) returns, but his wife has remarried, remarried better, and doesn't want to know him, the world indeed doesn't want to know him, times have moved on, the heroes of napoleonic times are done. he enjoyed the introduction by a.n.wilson, chabert is buried by new times.  

horsemouth has the text in french in a harrap french classics edition (£1 - somewhere) collected together with gobseck (which he has read online) and with introduction and notes by a.g.lehmann. 

he's also continued with his reading of the worm forgives the plough  by john stewart collis. 

today a bright cold morning. horsemouth continues in his anxiety.  

ah great! the fucking cooker has died. seeing as the heating still works (so far) horsemouth guesses it's the controller, but he doesn't know. they'll have to get the repair guy out. that much (in horsemouth's opinion) is certain.