Gorgeous sunny weekend

Our favourite motto.

The weekend weather was absolutely gorgeous, the sun shone and took the edge of the cold breeze first thing in the morning, and then got warmer and warmer throughout the day. The sky stayed clear and bright and everything seemed fresh and waiting in anticipation. There was only one thing for it, a quick trip to the shops and then get stuck in!!

We have lists of things to do as long as your arm, all stored in our heads and, in Hubbys' case also written on pieces of paper, dotted around the house, cars and anywhere he happens to be when an idea strikes!

First on my list......finish the en-suite bathroom. 

So on Friday I painted the window frame, jazzed up the plain roller blind with an offcut of CK fabric (a tea towel actually!!) and a piece of shelf edging lace, then arranged a few pretties and some new towels. Et voila........a room that looks pretty and is all ready for action after a hard day outside.

First on Hubbys' list was finishing off the second veggie bed ready for Jason to top it up with manure and compost later in the day.

Sophie sloping off on a rabbit hunting mission.

The far corner of the pond by the house. 

 Then it was all hands to the deck and another clear up around the pond. We have one side almost finished nearest the house and are now aiming to get started on the far side of the pond, (it is split in the middle by an overflow system and the path that leads to the barn). But Mr and Mrs Duck have taken up residence and there are signs of imminent nesting and the arrival of another Mrs Duck over the weekend (lucky man........two wives to tell him what to do!!), so we may have to go slowly and carefully and leave them a bit of untouched pondside.

Far pond - the home of Mr and Mrs (and Mrs) Duck.........

Ten tyre stacks filled and ready for action.

My next job was filling the tyres with a mixture of compost and manure ready for veggie planting, we are using these this year for herbs, salad crops and some carrots and parsnips as we may not have to time to do all the double digging required for all the main raised veggie beds. It will also be slightly easier for us to protect this area from the deer we have roaming the area. Ten tyre stacks took nine full bags of compost and four of manure, so that involved lots of digging mixing and pushing of wheelbarrows!!

Whilst I was doing that Hubby took delivery of his new toy.............a great big JCB to help level the earth that is in mounds all over the place and eventually this will be used to dig a drainage ditch along the side of the orchard. Of course a little play had to be had and a mound of earth that had stood at the end of the pondside has now vanished!

Then he got stuck in and started painting the farmhouse doors, we found out the reason they were flaking SO badly....they had been painted with interior grade gloss paint and only a thin coat at that! So after a good rub down and a coat of undercoat they are now almost all wearing a lovely coat of gorgeous green paint. This is my absolute favourite colour in the world and is also traditional to houses in the area, a very happy coincidence.

Where have all the people gone.........inside for a lovely cup of coffee and a round of chicken salad buns and a well deserved sit down.

Then we unearthed the petrol mower and gave the grass nearest the house its first trim of the year. Bushes and trees near the orchard were trimmed and lots of the wild brambles ,that are seriously overgrown were trimmed back. Then there was only one thing for it, to finish the weekend off in our now traditional way with a huge bonfire, and then into the house for hot bubble baths and a lovely homemade beef casserole in front of our roaring log fire.

A good productive weekend, hope yours was as good and as fun as ours only not quite so tiring!

Til next time

Sue xx