HOMEMADE SCONES

What I'm discovering about country life is how long it takes to do the simplest things and how quickly the day gets eaten up.

This morning, for example, plans to have a leisurely breakfast and do some chores before heading up the hill to Dawn's for coffee were scuppered by a phone call from TNT, who would like to deliver a package from Australia. I imagined they were calling to check the address but no, I had to fill in a six-page customs form and fax it back. By the time I had printed off the form, filled it in, gone to the village shop to see whether they had a fax machine (yes), the post-mistress had had three gos at faxing the form before it went through, and had a natter to pass the time of day, it was time to telephone Dawn to announce my imminent arrival.

Dawn met me half way up the hill and I followed her car along a semi unsealed, pot-holed single track to her Norwegian log cabin which she and her husband Tony had built in the early 70s as their weekend escape. It looks back down towards the village and has a wonderful sweeping vista. The log cabin was originally sent across in pieces from Norway - an early kit home!

Dawn, now in her mid-80s, was immaculately dressed and had baked cheese scones and banana bread for us to have with our coffee. My first coffee of 2009 but Dawn is not the sort of person you can tell that you've given up coffee, especially when no alternative is offered, but it was delicious and I think I've fallen off the wagon.

Dawn talked for nearly two hours and I listened. I heard about how she met Tony in Canada, their whirlwind romance and their happy 54-year marriage, the other man she jilted, her nine grandchildren, the various places she has lived and how they came to retire to the village. Although now on her own, she seems to have masses of friends, is fit, lively and sharp as a tack. On December 13 she is throwing a party in the village, for no particular reason other than that she likes to give parties. I am invited.

Filled with cheese scones, the rest of my morning was spent filling a bucket firstly with ashes, then with several loads of wood and finally with two loads of coal. Having cleaned off my blackened hands, I then emptied all the bins, watered the flowers, swept the grate, did the washing up and generally tidied up because the cleaner is coming tomorrow. I can't have word going around the village that I am slovenly.

Paul knocked on my door to tell me the golf club phoned - they have found my camera!