Monday 31 October 2016

Summing up October.

Well it has been a month since I last posted!  Where does the time go?  We had a lovely week on the Isle of Wight with our older son and his fiancee at the beginning of October.  They then left to spend three weeks in her home, Nepal. Our son comes home briefly for a couple of days in a couple of weeks before joining his next ship.

We couldn't have hoped for better weather for our week away - it was a first for us to have good weather on holiday on this country - the last time we had nice weather on holiday in the UK was 2000!  Just a few of the photos I took while there.












I have been enjoying pottering in the garden, sewing and knitting the last couple of weeks which has been nice.

The garden is of course in constant need of attention at the moment, raking up leaves, and bringing in the apple harvest.  One of our trees produced especially well this year.  Bug free, very tasty apples.  I picked them all a couple of days ago.  I will cool store some and probably lightly stew the rest and maybe juice a few and freeze into cubes for smoothies.  Some of the roses are still producing some beautiful blooms.







To my delight we got a flock of Gold Finch visit the garden the other day.  First time we have had more than the odd lone bird.  This is just a few of them.  I would guess we had about 10 - 15 birds..  I hope they come back again!



Our Maple is changing colour.


What a difference a couple of days makes!




While raking the leaves I saw this fellow



When we got back from the Isle of Wight this flower had made an appearance in my salad vegetable box!


My pain levels have been pretty bad, but they are the same regardless of what I do, so trying to just get on with things.  Not always easy and some days I let it get the better of me, and other days I can just get on with things.  


I had a big change round of our lounge today as our settee just isn't giving me the support I need anymore - we either need to get it re-sprung and re-upholstered, or say goodbye to it, which we are actually reluctant to do as we can sit in it nicely whereas a lot of the new ones we see today you can't sit in them properly - the seat part is too long, backs are often not high enough, or feet don't touch the ground.






Rather an eclectic mix of things!

The guinea pigs have also had some long needed attention the other week, baths, nails clipped and I am slowly working on clearing out their shed which has become somewhat of a dumping ground. Still work to do, but trying to pace myself and work in stages.  

I have also been working on clearing and sorting cupboards in the kitchen.  The first corner cupboard was done yesterday.

I found some more Tupperware containers in the local charity shop for 49p each, and they match some of my others so they came home with me.  The next cupboard will be the 'baking' cupboard, so I can fill these containers. 



Our spa pool has stopped working - the pump seems to have malfunctioned which is a bit of disaster for me as I was using it pretty much everyday before we went away.  Not sure what we are going to do yet...it is out of warranty because it took so long to set up!  

The clocks changed back yesterday ... I am not a fan of winter, cold dark mornings and afternoons...but am going to 'ignore' the change in time for a while and continue as before, I wake up at silly o'clock anyway when it is pitch black which is hard, but once awake, the pain kicks in so I have to get up.

Well need to get on with dinner now, so over and out until next time!


Saturday 1 October 2016

Lydford Gorge


We have just returned home from a week away in Cornwall. on our way to Cornwall we stopped off at Lydford Gorge, a National Trust property.  This lovely valley had amazing rock formations which were carved out by the River Lyd over the last 10,000 years!  The woodland walk was really enjoyable and we had a really lovely time indeed.  It was the perfect place to take a break from the driving.

The paths were generally well laid out and pretty easy walking.  There were lovely trickling streams, charming vegetation and it was the perfect place to take a meander.  We had a bite to eat and then walked it off!





Carrying Stanley down the steps to save his young legs from strain.


It seems that the strange habit of putting coins into old tree stumps has hit here as well.  I don't think I have ever seen this in any other country.








The 30 metre high 'Whitelady Waterfall'.  


















Devils Cauldron and Tucker's pool.





This was pretty amazing in here, you could certainly let you imagination run away with you.














What a perfect place to stop and take a break on our trip down to Cornwall.  We were first told about this place while in Cornwall a few years ago by a couple we met and chatted to.  So glad we finally got to visit here.