Spring is definitely here now

Welcome back, and welcome to the eight HUNDREDTH update on this blog.

800!!

Think about that for a moment; it is hardly believable.

Thank you, loyal readers, for sticking with me and reading my ramblings and seemingly enjoying them; I'll endeavour to stick around for the next 800 updates at the very least.

A glorious start to the day

Duck eggs for breakfast

Such an amazing colour in this egg

Digging bare foot

Cuttings from the vine

A clearing out the spud tower

Watering in the seedlings

The path re-emerges from the weeds

A cleared bed, ready for spuds

Glorious sun set

A cloud catches the last rays of light

Anyway, to the update. I begin on Monday morning which was purely glorious and made doubly so by my cooking Dippy Duck Eggs which we ate in the living room (it was a bit fresh to sit outside at that time) and both of us enjoyed so much. It was the final day of the Easter Weekend so I took advantage to get out into the garden and start digging. At first I began up by where the spuds had been last year but when A got back from her trip to town she re-tasked me with clearing a bed nearer the entrance to the garden. It was so warm that I was barefoot and took my t-shirt off; the small pleasure. I also took some cuttings from the vine which are now in water hoping they will root and I can plant them (thanks to Nick for the advice on this process). A was working really hard at the same time clearing out one of the spud towers and planting tomatoes into it. While I was working I also cleared the path in the fenced garden; it really was a satisfying day of effort however right now I can still feel the pain from all that effort! To top off an awesome day (which reminded me why retiring is something I absolutely must get back to) there was a stunning sunset which I enjoyed from the roof terrace.

Another glorious morning

Sat on the patio for Double Puppy time

Another brilliant breafast

A with the milk pail

Duck sleeping stood on one leg

The border of the path is just beautiful

Amazing colours, with the tulips now out as well

A digging over the hugelkultur

Sniffing and exploring

Tuesday started off just as stunning again and I was sat out on the patio with double-puppy while A made bacon and egg butties. Just as we sat down to eat we were shouted by the Little Lady who handed A a pale of fresh milk; this went into the fridge and I've since drunk it and it was amazing. We had a good giggle at one of the ducks who was fast asleep standing on just one leg; she stayed like that for ages. After this I took a stroll around the garden to take pictures of the beautiful flowers; the bulbs are proving their worth once more. A had a quiet start to the day, while I was back to my work, and so she got back into the garden and continued clearing the Hugelkultur while the puppies sniffed around and hunted things.

Munching curry sat on the patio

In attendance

Loving my washing chore

Tomato seedlings planted out

Taking a weight off

An awesome way to end the afternoon's effort

Lunch time was spent sat on the patio again with reheated curry which was superb, and I had the puppies joining me and they are now so good; they don't bother us at all and even Rambo is learning. Finally. A headed out to get her hair cut and pick up some stuff and I did my chores including hanging the washing out and once more spent that time appreciating our surroundings. When A got back she did more work in the garden and then took a very well earned rest on the hanging chair underneath the walnut trees on the front lawn. This is something that we both missed a bit last year and this year we'll be doing more of.

Beautiful Tulips

Bee buzzing around the garden

Coals glowing ready for BBQ to be begun

Really tasty skewers

New corn on the cob dishes, and they are great

Hungry hordes waiting for their feed

The garden continues to bloom and the bees are out in force and so I took another stroll around before heading back to my desk. A was cooking a BBQ and did some really awesome kebab skewers with pork and vegetables and we also used our new sweetcorn dishes which proved to be a huge hit. I was down in the garage for some reason, I can't remember why now, and this attracted the attention of the chickens so I snapped an amusing picture of them hopping onto the windowsill to wait for feeding time; I've actually just now gone out to bring in the gas bottle from the car and caused exactly the same excitement; it's still too early for their feed, however, so they will have to wait.

The Games Room needs clearing

The corridor needs clearing also

A getting stuck in shifting stuff

Goodbye to Wednesday

Wednesday was a busy day of work for both of us however we did get a few things done. I had rung Bekir and confirmed that he would be starting back with us on Monday (tomorrow as I write this) so we had some tidying to do to get the Games Room, Art Room and upstairs corridor ready to be worked on. We shifted stuff out in a few break times through the day which at least made a start. This was not something that would be finished in one day. The sunset was absolutely stunning and for a change I went onto the balcony to appreciate it.

Early morning Thursday

And here comes the sun

It was too warm for the ducks

Very pleased to see green on this favourite tree of mine

Set up for a game

I woke up crazily early on Thursday morning, about 3am, and just could not get back to sleep so I came through and worked and watched the sun come up. It isn't my ideal way but I'd rather be productive than lay in bed not able to sleep anyway. It was another glorious day, and the ducks took shelter at one point in the shade cast by one of the trees. I had a sleep in the afternoon before a bunch of meetings kept me tied to my desk for a chunk of the evening. One thing that has been awesome to watch is my Favourite Tree is still alive and is indeed showing a lot of green shoots. Hopefully this year we'll harvest more pears and I can make that amazing Pear Preserve again. Finally for the evening we played a couple of games of Battle Companies that went dramatically badly for me but were still fun.

Thelma in her favourite spot

Very pleased with this addition to my stash

A dug this out of the ground in the hugelkultur

A beautiful creature indeed

Clearing the sods of turf from the hugelkultur

The Tortoise Garden just gets better and better

Spuds in the ground; A is happy

Louise giving Rambo a Look of Love

Cuddles for Rambo from Louise

Friday was another early start, but not as bad; only about 6am, and I got some work done again before we had to head out to do a few chores. First of all we headed out over to drop Thomas off to get his suspension fixed as the bushings had gone and then after I was dropped back A went into town to collect the ekont and among other things my B29 model airplane was delivered. This goes into the stash until I can retire again but it looks amazing! A was in the garden and I was in and out helping her a small amount, though I was busy with work again so I couldn't get out as much as I wanted. She called me down in a hurry at one point and she was holding a leaf with what we thought was a stick insect at first, but now I'm pretty sure it is a preying mantis! A bit later on it was climbing the wall of the house so she grabbed her phone to get a quick video. The work she was on with was clearing the hugelkultur a bit more. and she had already planted the spuds in the bed I cleared the other day. I joined her to finish up and was so amused to see, and pleased to have the camera to capture, as Louise did her loving thing with Rambo. She's a sweetheart indeed.

Thomas has never been this clean!

Another game set out

Saturday morning we were out looking at tiles for the Games Room and Art Room and we found some lovely ones at a good price at our usual supplier. On our travels I received a call to tell us that Thomas was ready for collecting so we headed over there and I was so shocked at how clean they had made him. I almost felt like I was in someone else's car. It was a good day away from working and the desk and we set up a large game and played it until we were both too tired to go on, so left it. All in all it was a very satisfying day though I didn't get many pictures. We did do some more tidying and moving from the Games Room and the corridor which left a small amount to be done today, on Sunday, to be fully prepared for the men.

The property we are considering

A stunning view indeed

We found a waterfall

Can you see the two faces?

Flowers in a field

Another outstanding view

This is a very ancient ivy tree

Bird of prey circling over head

And so we reach Sunday and, long as this update has been, today has been a pretty full day itself. I was up once again quite early while A had a terrible night and so had a much needed lie in. We had breakfast (amazing scrambled eggs made by A) and then headed out without the puppies to go and look once more at a house that we have been offered that we liked; the last time we were up there we couldn't go onto the land as we had the puppies. We were able to walk all around the land, and met the friendly neighbour again who told us a little about where the boundaries are, and we've gone away from it feeling positive though the building is in worse repair than either of us realised. On the way back home we pulled down another road that A had identified and found first of all an amazing gorge with a waterfall - it really is very dramatic. In addition to this we've identified yet another option for the new home. We live in such an amazing place it's so easy to turn down a track and find heaven.

Flowers I bought for A a week or so ago doing very well

The Favourite Tree is covered in blossom now

A's garden, by the parking area, has bloomed massively

Lots of blossom in the Orchard as well now

Louise saying hello from the balcony

Thelma was also interested to see

The Twin Room is our temporary storage area

And so the sun goes down in a blaze of glory on another week

Final light catches the blossom on this tree

When we got home we commented on just how beautiful it is where we live but then I had to go and shout at the trouble-maker from the farm who had his car radio playing really loud, parked up with the boot open. He refused to do anything about it so in the end I just went and shut his boot for him. Some people! Anyway I calmed myself by a stroll around the house looking at beautiful things, like flowers and blossom on the pear tree and A with Louise and then Thelma saying hello to me. I was pretty tired, as was A, after our drive and we've also both had a nap this afternoon. I finished up the tidying of the Games Room (leaving only the heavy items that we cannot move on our own) and we also finished the game we had started the night before. Dinner was a super tasty hot curry and now A is watching a film while I finish this update.

As I warned you it was a monster update with 69 pictures and one video. Bekir and the men are back tomorrow so it may go to a more regular update schedule but we'll see how time and energy goes; I'm concerned that I'm coming down with a cold.

Thank you, once again, for reading and sticking with my ramblings.