Sack of Coal!!

Just to the left of this photo is our final coal bunker. It was moved here 4 years ago when we had our bio mass boiler fitted. We put all our remaining anthracite into it with the plan of using it on the front fire in the winter.

So for four years it has sat here, full of coal and totally unused, so as it hasn't been touched for such a long time we decided to give it to someone who would use it. The lucky recipiant was our neighbour who has a solid fuel Rayburn.

So this morning my local coal man started to bag it all up

This is just half of it.

Then we passed it over the fence, as simple as that! Heavy work but its done now.

We are now trying to get rid of the coal bunker, but I don't hold out much hope, so I have sprayed all the nuts and bolts with WD40 to help, I hope, when we come to undo them and will take it apart later ready to go to someone or to the tip.

In May I bought two new cactus, Pachycereus pringlei and Trichocereus macrogonus, well, today I actually got them planted, without to much damage to myself.

I had to move the large trough at this end just to be able to reach to plant it and found a rather unpleasant surprise underneath the trough................. a nest of rats!!! We have been inundated with them this year, I have never known such a bad year in the 29 years of living here. I have no idea why, except possibly the neighbours who moved out earlier this year took there cats, so we now have no cats in the row of cottages!! Maybe we will have to get another one????

Quick Summer..y!

Life has been fairly busy in this household, and I can't think why I have left posting for so long?

Hubby is now redundant, his party went well.



We managed to get everything done in time, including my knee op. The garden was impressive and admired by everyone and plenty of 'Pimms' was consumed.

Two days after the party and 4 days before we went on holiday, the washing machine flooded the kitchen, we turned off all the stop cocks but the water still flowed apparently it was the hot water flowing through!!!





We went away to the Gower, our usual haunt. Darcy enjoyed digging lots of holes, but he was very unwell the first and second weekends.



I had plenty of cleaning and washing to do and he lost 10% of his body weight. He lived on chicken and rice and the vet we saw gave us some tablets and charged us a huge amount of money! When we got home we went to see out vet, ( as he was still not good)who took swabs, gave us food an injection plus a doggy type 'actimel' and the bill was £10 less than when we where on holiday?????? Unfortunately now Darcy seeks out food, its just like having a labrador again.

Mum and B came with us for the first week, on the Tuesday of the first week, mum was taken ill and we had such a battle to get a doctor to see her at the local GP surgery as mum had become unwell at 10.30am in the morning and she should have been there at 9.30am!!!!! I ask you!!

we came back early as we where rained out but the garden looked fabulous...









Since then I have picked pounds...



and pounds..



of tomatoes, definately my best year yet!

Chutney making is well underway



and I have had my hair chopped off!!!



I hope normal service will now be resumed and I look forward to catching up with all your blogs!

Operation and Preperations

Op was last Monday and has so far proved to be very successful. Totally different to last time, when my knee was double its current size and I needed 2 sticks to get about plus 12 sessions of physio! This time it is only slightly swollen, and I can do everything without any sticks and the physio reckons we will only need 3 sessions!



On the downside, because everything is so good I am having to be doubly careful not to overdo it!!

The house is more or less organised for hubsters party at the end of the month, I have stripped all the wood up the stairs, the front door and architrave and also the original exterior door frame of the front door. In particular, this wood, bearing in mind it must be about 150+ years old, has now been oiled and looks amazing, I am thrilled.

A new floor covering in both the downstairs loo and bathroom. Monday all the carpets get cleaned and also sometime in the next 2 weeks the oven will get done, (conveniently) I am not allowed to kneel!!!!

The garden is also coming on a pace this was it a month ago.



We have had very little rain till this week, when it has poured. Now as you can, see the plants growing!



I have planted the jungle area totally differently to how I have done it in the past and at first I wondered whether it was going to look as good, but since the rain, I think it will be fine!





My little friend has been rather poorly recently, he picked up kennel cough from somewhere, poor chap has been feeling sad for himself. He takes his tablets as if they where sweeties!! He is also currently not eating properly and is eating only half (if that) of what he is supposed to be having. The vets is having an open day tomorrow, where you can go along and talk to the specialists, etc. so we are going as they also have a photographer there and I would really like a super pic of him!

Hubbys 60th

Its taken a while to catch up, but, we succeeded in surprising my hubby.
All friends arrived at home, then we where driven in the limo to collect him from work, the chauffeur went in to collect him and the party began.
We where then driven to Jamie Oliver's Italian restaurant in Oxford where food abound, then home again later a great day was had by all especially my darling hubby, the smile never left his face.

Here are the pics for you all to see....