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Hello, Elle!
Yes, snow still falling.
Winter at last!
Does your lady visitor ask a lot of questions?
Maybe you should be careful?
Four visits a day is unusual in my book.
I have finished my puzzle.
Yes, a good tester, in my opinion, but.....
....25a, is a dreadful homothingy!
Took me a good wee while to solve it, with the help of the blessed Anne Bradford and Google!
I do not have a printer anymore.

Hi, Rusty!
I spoke too soon of sunshine , daffodils and Spring...
The threatened rain has arrived!
Still, at least it is not snow!
I don't think there is anything to worry about, Rusty?
I think the "lady next door" is just trying to be friendly......she is not young....nor does she have a good command of English..... but I think her intentions are genuine.
She doesn't talk much.......just smiles!
It is just a tad overpowering!
Her son has introduced himself and asked us in to show us what he plans to do.......
or , more precisely, what he has already pulled down!
The alarming amount of work looming will probably take months to do.......and he may still sell the property eventually!
It is all "pie in the sky" at the moment.......
I got "Silas Marner" from the "weaver" description , but couldn't affiliate it with "mana" - and they don't sound alike?
Now.....I need to rally the troops - rain or no rain - it is time for a walk!

Hello, Elle!
Yes, I am ajudging things from far off, and you are there with personal knowledge of the lady.
So, pay me no mind.
I did not know she was not a native English speaker.
I was speaking to a Bulgarian girl (her English is good!) who works in ASDA, earlier.
She told me that today is "Wine Day" in Bulgaria.
I would not have associated Bulgaria with wine!
Anne B has "marner" under "weave/r".
That is how I got to the answer eventually!
I knew there was a book called Silas Marner but had no idea that was only part of the title, and that "weaver" was actually in the title, too.
And that apart, Marner, to me, sounds completely different to "mana".
It has two distinctive "r" sounds in it.
That apart, it was a fine puzzle!
My snow has stopped!

Hi, Rusty!
Wet, cold and muddy out!
Ugh!
I have washed the dog's towels and bedding!
I much appreciate your looking out for me ........you gave wise advice about my "visitor"!
But I thought I had mentioned that her English was poor? Apologies if I did not?
Not so her son...he apparently went to a local school and speaks fluent English.
Yes, I should tread carefully in such circumstances - I shall beware in future and not be too trusting.
Now I am stuck on three clues........
One I cannot do....
12a: Endless chatter around a fellow's clubs (6)
L?T?I?
And two for which I have answers, but cannot parse.....
14d: With something large in the environment, lose out completely (9)
wholesale = completely (def)
I cannot see how this parses?
17d: Inscribed within church window maybe see knight (8)
Lancelot = knight (def)
but the rest?
So how deep is your snow?

Hello, Elle!
Just be careful, that would be the sensible thing to do.
My snow is about 2 inches but we are due rain which should help clear it.
12, Endless chatter is "tal(k)" around/reversed.
"a fellow's" is "his".
"Lathis" are clubs, used in India I think by policemen etc.
"Wholesale", this is a bit iffy.
I think an anagram of "lose", inside "whale"
I suppose a whale is something large in the environment?
Best I can do!
Now, a "lancet" is a narrow church window.
Insert "lo" for "see" and you have "Lancelot" who was a knight at one time, I think, or at least, was in an old tale!

Hi, Rusty!
Well, let us hope that the rain does get rid of all the snow and that the icy wetness doesn't all freeze over tonight!
Be wary underfoot when you go out in the morning.
It is still pouring down here!
I should never have got those three clues....thank you.
I have never heard of a "lathi" - that is a new word for me.
Nor did I know that a "lancet" was a church window.....
To me, it is either a medical journal, or a surgical blade!
But I do know about Sir Lancelot, who was one of the Knights of the Round Table.
Wasn't it he who had an affair with Queen Guinevere?
But it wasn't too bad a puzzle - I did the rest without too much trouble!
I think I shall play catch up tonight...
I have several recorded episodes of "Call the Midwife" to watch.
I shall at least make a start......

Hello, Elle!
My snow has gone!
Rain washed it away!
I have came across "lathi" several times, in puzzles, and "lancet/window".
I am not up on Queen Guinevere's fancy men, I'm afraid.
There was a Galahad and a Merlin knocking about, too, I think.
She is "reputed" to be buried in a village churchyard just a few miles from me.
Just watched Team GB women curling.
They played well.
I was chuckling at Steve Cram asking co-commentator Jackie Lockhart to translate some of her Scottish words!
Steve is well up on the curling!

Hi, Rusty!
That is good about your snow's disappearance!
Maybe you will have a bright sunny day tomorrow.
Did you not read about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table?
I used to love the stories!
Merlin was the Wizard.
I like Steve Cram...I am amused at his asking for a translation!
That sounds like I often was with my cousin Ken......sometimes, the only part of the sentence I would recognise was my name at the end!
Though often that was due to accent, rather than vocabulary!
I never made it to watching the TV after all....I fell asleep!
The ringing of the phone awakened me!
It was a friend asking if I were free for lunch tomorrow. That will be nice!

Hello, Elle!
Our forecast for tomorrow is quite good!
No, I have heard of King Arthur and the Knights, but I have not read the tales.
Yes, Merlin was a wizard.
"Easy-oasey" was one of Jackie's words that Steve did not know.
There were one or two more!
They are a good pairing as commentators.
Jackie is an ex World Champion, and Steve is very clued up on the curling.
I have a small wager on Lara Gut in the Giant Slalom tomorrow, winds permitting!
Hope you have a nice lunch!

Hi, Rusty!
We are predicted rain throughout the night...... with light showers early morning and then hazy sunshine....
We shall see!
My plan tomorrow is to go out walking first thing with the dog......and be home 9.30 to 10 am as usual....
Then my friend will arrive about 11.30am to collect me, and we shall go out for lunch.
I am going to browse the Internet to see if I can find any worthwhile lunch offers!
Often the Toby Carvery does cheaper lunches if one has a voucher.
I hope Lara does well!