We have had two days now of hard frost, following the weekend’s snow. Keith is trudging stoically up and down with barrows of logs, manning the fires and the cats are, as ever, keeping the bed warm. With Lachlan in Edinburgh, filling in time til his exam by acting as our remote shopper (today IContinue reading “We are not alone”
Category Archives: Pets
All the pretty ladies
Sunday morning broke to the first proper snowfall in December that we’ve seen for years. Naturally I was straight out casting for the starring role in next year’s Christmas Cards (this years are purchased and sit languishing on the library desk). I thought the lovely models deserved a post to themselves so here are theContinue reading “All the pretty ladies”
December Dilettantism
Oh my, I have been remiss! First post of December and it’s almost half way through! In my defence, it has been just a little frenetic the last couple of weeks. A quick catch up follows and I shall return to the usual beat of dog walks and hedgerow watching tomorrow. The first few daysContinue reading “December Dilettantism”
Fire and Flood
The boys have gone to play snooker, the steak and kidney pudding has an hour and a bit still to steam, everything else is ready bar a few last minute blasts in the oven and I am finally sitting down with a glass of wine, gently throbbing feet and a slightly dazed sensation. I’m notContinue reading “Fire and Flood”
Windswept and interesting
Friday was Lyra’s third birthday. It is hard to think we’ve had her for such a short time so embedded is she in our lives. Mornings without a sleepy snuffle when you come into the kitchen must have been a sorry thing indeed and what did I do for exercise before the daily field yomp??Continue reading “Windswept and interesting”
Kindling
It’s getting just a touch cooler. On Monday I lit the log burner in the evening for the first time in ages and today the chimney sweep is coming so we can finally get the living room fire going. Of logs, post Storm Arwen, there is a superabundance but I do rather miss the FinancialContinue reading “Kindling”
A middling type
Autumn, like spring, summer and winter, is definitely my favourite season. Everything just feels so much less frenetic. It is warm and sunny enough to make walking the pooch or pottering in the garden a pleasure, but there’s enough intermittent cloud cover to justify a little indoor sloth and pootering, guilt free. Lyra and IContinue reading “A middling type”
WWI and WWII
A few days of insistent downpour, and one misconceived outing in trainers which resulted in trench foot, has meant that we are back to Welly Walks. It’s a little toasty in 2 pairs of socks, but it’s very much “access all areas” so Lyra and I have been out yomping round the fields and checkingContinue reading “WWI and WWII”
Dropsy
We are still somewhat sweltering in the late summer heat. Evenings of light rain have lessened the stress on the plants a little, but it hasn’t really penetrated and a few centimetres down it is still dry and earthenstone hard. After a burst of enthusiasm getting four of the new peonies in, taking some “insurance”Continue reading “Dropsy”
As ye reap..
As summer ends I find myself jealously collecting in the fruits of all our labours in the garden for the winter. All my saved seed has been decanted into envelopes and labelled (hopefully correctly) and the summer’s dried flowers and herbs are sorted, tied and (mostly) bagged. It is, therefore, finally possible to walk acrossContinue reading “As ye reap..”