Last regular update for a while

Today is the last daily update I am planning on doing until the men come back next year and progress speeds up again to warrant updates. I'm not going to go away, just not spend every evening of the winter telling you how we sat around and stared outside at the cold and played Monopoly, or whatever it is we do. I will be updating, maybe every few days maybe as irregularly as once a week, as we do have plans and chores around the place to get done but what we really need is a holiday from that and so I'm also taking a short holiday from daily updates.

Do not fret; I've a corker for you today.

Winter entertainment ready

So I said I'd put the pool / snooker table up in the living room but didn't have a picture of it so here you go. It's tucked away in the back corner at the moment but isn't all that heavy so we can easily lift it out to play. We didn't do this yesterday evening but settled down to watch a film after I published the update. We chose a Mandarin film with subtitles called Curse of the Golden Flower which I've watched before but it was the first time for A. It's a gorgeous film with a great story and I'd recommend it to any of you. It isn't that long but by the time it finished after a few interruptions including one for dessert (unheard of in our house) it was time for bed.

Very foggy start to the day

I slept like a log last night and didn't really wake for anything. I think A took the puppies out early in the morning but we both had a fantastic lie in and made the most of the lack of alarm. Of course from now there is no early alarm call during the week either which is great. It was a really foggy start to the day and we took our brews in Room 13 where A got stuck in to her typing as she'd taken overtime this weekend.

Puppies in coats, with Rambo

I finished my brew and headed outside to get the first chore of the day completed. The puppies were wanting to join me so we put their coats on as it was still cold. There was a little sulking at first but once they were outside both of them ran around and didn't seem to mind at all. As it gets colder they'll be happier and happier for these. Rambo also wanted to get involved which was lovely. He lay in the sun just outside the garden (by this time the fog had all burned off and it was warm and lovely again) while I worked and never once tried to come in; he's such a good dog when he wants to be.

Lots of dead peppers to be removed

All gone and ready for composting

This is all for composting. Includes Tomato plants

My task was to pull up all the pepper and tomato plants that were now dead, and roughly weed out the existing beds. I was also thinking about digging another bed but didn't end up doing it. As I was finishing up and about to empty the wheelbarrow into the compost heap the Little Lady called me over and she had a slice of eggy bread for me. She must have seen me working and figured I needed some breakfast. I took it inside and ate it, then had some more toast as it really was time for breakfast. We need to plan the planting for the next year so we can decided what will need to be done to prepare for it over winter.

Laying out the edges of the path under the washing line

After my breakfast break I was straight back outside but this time not to the garden. One thing that I really want to get done this winter is finishing off the orchard. I want to spread about 15cm of soil over the whole area to improve the growing and allow for better scratching for the chickens when they are allowed in here next year or the year after. To avoid a mudbath around the washing line I am going to make a crushed stone path that will lead from the gate and all the way along underneath. I started this off by getting the whole bricks that Gyuner had stacked up and making a rough double height wall. I thought this would take ages but in the end it only took about half an hour.

Such a beautiful barn and background

By this time A had come to a point where she wanted to stop typing so we decided to go on the walk with the puppies that we had put off doing yesterday. We got them all kitted out and headed off up the hill, taking a diversion by the lower path that I like so much mainly as it takes you near this super photographic barn. Of course I did get another picture. The kmet's donkey was grazing the field so maybe he owns it. Whoever's it is it looks amazing and I love it.

All the colours of Autumn in one row of trees

Walking up the hill

A ridge covered in trees

We strolled on, stopping every now and then to take pictures, as we marveled at the colours of the trees across the valleys. A said it reminded her of national parks you see adverts for in America and she isn't wrong. We live in a stunning location and getting out like this only serves to remind us of that. We should get out more and, with the forecast set fair for quite a while yet, I think we'll try and take the puppies for walks more regularly now we don't have the men as well. They were walking well now after a bit of a ropy start with Rambo doing his over excited jumping and Thelma point blank refusing to walk for a while.

Rambo staring at the lovely still lake

And now he is in it finally

Swimming out after his stick

A very wet dog indeed

We headed towards the lake as our first destination so Rambo could have a swim. On the way we went past a large flock of sheep and spoke to the shepherd who was really nice and wished us a good day. He has three or four sheep dogs but they all ignored us which was good. Of course Rambo, Thelma and Louise ignored them also. When we got to the pond we let them all off their leads and Rambo went straight into the water as per usual. He really is a water dog. We threw a stick in for him and he swam out to get it and in this way got more exercise than he has for ages. Another reason to get out like this more regularly.

Sat by the pond with the puppies

They actually went in the water voluntarily

The girls were much less impressed by the water and spent most of the time running up and down the bank squeaking. A did manage to get them to chase a stick into the water a couple of times but then, having got impatient and thrown them in, they both avoided her and the water like the plague. They are not fans at all. Bless. At one point Louise jumped in after Rambo in a fit of excitement but she immediately jumped out before I could get a picture. They were shaking themselves the entire way home to try and dry themselves of.

These should not be around still

We decided to head on as the water was getting quite stirred up and mucky and walked up the hill further towards the other lake. As we were walking a stork flew over which is incredibly late for them. To be honest it probably won't survive the winter as it's not left already. Further up the hill Thelma spotted a large tortoise (Rambo didn't which was lucky) which was also enjoying the unseasonable warmth. It was so warm that A had taken her cardigan off which is unheard of in November.

Three trees next to the pond edge

Rambo splashing and Thelma watching

The other pond had a little more water than the last time we were up here but not that much and it was really stinky and horrible when Rambo went through it. No matter it is such a beautiful spot with lovely old trees right near the water. The rushes are so tall as well, maybe up to 8 feet tall, and there are loads of them. In the spring it is a magical location but even more so now with all the colours from the trees as they change. The puppies ran around quite a lot and enjoyed themselves with sticks and chasing each other until we decided it was time to head back down. We walked past the ruined building that is just there and again I ruminated on whether it could be bought; my idea today was a hunting lodge and restaurant. We'll see.

Avenue of trees back towards our village

Trees on the horizon

The walk back down was magical as well, through the woods with their awesome colours. The damage from the snow last year has largely been cleared away though there are still quite a lot of smaller trees left which weren't worth the loggers' time. The big trucks have been driving away full of logs for the last four months as all of this is cleared. We walked through the village this time to get home and met a dog out of its yard which is unusual. It sniffed Rambo and then we walked on and there was no problem which was a relief. The Other Brother came to the edge of their land to say hello and was all dressed up to go hunting. One day I'll get to go with him hopefully.

It clouded over

I was pretty hungry when we got back so we heated up the rest of SandS's potato dish, to which I added some fried bacon which was great. I had two bowls and then felt quite stuffed. The forecast had been for clouds and I made a comment earlier about how wrong it was so it was typical that when I went outside to do some more chores the clouds had come over completely and the sun was gone. I didn't really mind as the sun had been quite warm and the work I was doing was quite intensive and even with the clouds hidden I was sweating profusely when I paused to get a brew and take a break.

Shoveling stones into the wheelbarrow

And emptying them onto the path

The task was to clear away the spoil from the holes and move the broken rock between the two small walls I'd built earlier. I went into this again thinking it would take me ages but my first break was as I got really close to half completed. A came out with the camera to see what was going on and approved of the plan which was a relief after the effort I put in. My concern was that it wouldn't be easy to walk on initially however it's actually quite stable and comfortable.

Broken cloud makes a dramatic sky

The finished path

The sky had continued to be cloudy though it was broken cloud with the sun appearing every now and then to keep me from getting chilly as I shoveled stones, wheeled them to the path, and emptied them into place. I was starting to flag and get tired by the end but managed to achieve way more than my goal and actually got the whole path between the washing line poles filled to my satisfaction. Tomorrow I will build up more of the wall as it turns to go parallel to the chicken fence towards where the new gate will be and will fill that in with stones and then I'll start the huge task of shifting all the soil into place. I think I may well need to order several more trucks of it before I'm done as well.

Really gorgeous sunset again

I came inside and made a brew, put the hot water on for a shower, then got another chore done (though not to my satisfaction as it happens) by putting up two of the thermometers. The one on the other side of the internal bedroom window is actually impossible to see from inside the bedroom and where I put the larger one outside the external bedroom window is also hard to see. That one I am sure I want in that location as it is always shaded and will never be influenced by the sun so I may try and rig up a frame to angle it inwards so it's visible. You live and learn. My shower was epic and after I was done with it I came into the living room where the fire is on and have typed this up. A headed out to shut away the chickens and told me to get onto the balcony for a photograph of the sunset and she wasn't wrong; what a stunner.

So now I'm going to get this published and then eat some stew and some pudding. The internet is up and down a LOT at the moment so I don't know whether I'll even be able to publish this any time soon. I'm not sure if we'll be watching a film later again or just chilling out and reading. Either way I'm sure we'll have a lovely evening. The puppies are currently fighting on the beanbag which is better entertainment than most films. I'll be back in the week, probably, and will not leave you without update for too long. I promise.

Ciao for now.