Where there's smoke...

...with any luck there's fire.

We use resinous splinters of pine to start the fire. Some pine logs can be particularly resinous which can be the reason why the wood wasn't chosen for timber. These logs are then split into many splints which easily burn with a rather sooty flame. Burning too much of this type of wood and also birch with the bark still on, can cause chimneys to be rather too sooty too. Birch bark is also a highly effective fire-lighter. We have ash and oak logs for the winter. I hope we have enough.

In Poland, it's corruption time again. Irregularities with public tendering have been quietly smouldering and now there are so many suspects that they are being asked to turn themselves in to save time or maybe discount their skins. Questions about an expensive watch have been causing some discomfort too. None of it is really that shocking, it happens everywhere else too, but it's certainly a delight to the toady leader of the opposition. The iguana at his right hand is however doubtless bankrolling naive old people in Chicago to bolster fading resources and fight democracy in the name of patriotism. It's just to be hoped that the flames of progress fuelled with a very generous helping of EU funding will overwhelm them. Now it's more than just chocolate and all those further left than Ghengis Khan appreciate that. Those further right of him don't have his intelligence, that's quite clear. So, it's not so bad. We will be able to warm ourselves on those thoughts and six-year-olds will go to school.

The Rev Kajtek blesses you for yesterday's contributions. He thinks the choir might struggle with some of the more modern suggestions and out of particular consideration for the trembling hand of Mr Oto Malpko suggests "The Holly and the Ivy/The Red Flag" as a compromise solution.

I was going to show some rather splendid walnuts but they were eaten.