So I have gone almost a full month without blogging, it is now the last day of the month of January 2021. I'm not really sure why I haven't felt like blogging, although I have been taking some photos of what has been happening here. The first week in January I had to go up to London to have some more blood tests to make sure there wasn't anything else going on before I was allowed to go back on steroids to help the pain. Fortunately there wasn't although the question with the high B6 still remains, and I've yet to find someone to investigate this further. I'm not back on the steroids yet, I will probably have some blood tests to check my Folate, B6, B12 and Ferritin levels before I go on them, as they can sometimes interfere with the results, and then we will recheck the levels when I come off them three/four months later. Again it is only a short term solution, and to be honest I would rather be on them during the warmer and finer months so I can get the full benefit of being relatively pain free when walking, gardening etc during the summer, so may delay starting them. I haven't got them yet anyway, so can't start them even if I wanted to.
This lovely fire has been going continuously since I lit it a few weeks ago. I bank it up each night and now only have to put coal on it about once or twice a day. But boy oh boy are coal fires dirty and dusty! There is dust everywhere. I don't bother putting the vacuum cleaner away now as I have to use it everyday. The problem arises when you take the ash tray out. The ash bucket thingy doesn't seal properly as it is warped, so I will have to get a new one, and I might get another ash tray so I can alternate the trays. Taking one out and putting it in the ash bucket and sliding the new one in, and then removing the old one from the dust bucket outside. I wear a mask doing this as I was shocked at how much dust comes out. I also wear a mask when filling up the coal bucket from the bunker, as that is dirty as well and if you don't you end up blowing out black stuff from your nose. It does worry me a bit about health implications, but this is the only form of heating the house via the radiators efficiently and cheaply. The only other way is using electric, and you can see the meter spinning round clocking up the pounds if you use the electric! It has made me realise just how much I took the efficiency and relative cheapness of gas for granted! Unfortunately we aren't on mains gas here.
We have had flowers blooming in the garden which is amazing for January.
Not only that but this plant has often been full of bees!
I think I must have counted about 10 - 15 bees!
I couldn't believe it - don't usually see bees in January.
This is a snowflake flowering bulb (not snowdrops) Leucojum asetivum. It may be a slightly different variety as I thought they flowered in April to June, but perhaps earlier here. I don't know enough about these bulbs yet, so anyone more knowledgeable than me please let me know and I will correct what I have written.
A beautiful sunny day.
New goldfish
Naughty Heron, who I suspect has eaten my new goldfish...
A few photos I took of our old summer house which is getting replaced.
The view of the garden from my kitchen window.
Just some more views as we were contemplating having our garden room put near the tree house.
The frame is built
I was a bit shocked how high it was going to be and when looking directly up at it from the kitchen window I then proceeded to worry all night that I was going to hate it there as I was going to end up mostly just seeing the concrete base, and it was going to take up a large part of our green space in the garden. My husband and I (he is still in Hertfordshire) then had a conversation at 4 am in the morning and we decided to have it moved to the flat area above the vegetable beds. So the next morning I had to break the news to the guys who were doing the base, that it had to be moved. I don't think they were too worried as it was going to make the concreting job easier.
So it is now here...
This is the frame work for the top, where the little summer house will be going.
We brought it forward a bit, so that we have plenty of room behind it as well for maintenance etc...
It will look directly out at sea, and will have a little four foot veranda out the front of it.
So pleased the garden room won't be here!
Concreting done.
There will be room behind the garden room to put a couple of water butts either side, which will also mean they are going to be much closer to where they will be needed which makes so much more sense than here it was going to be.
Summer house base.
Unfortunately because I had to go into London for the blood tests we had to delay the building of the bases to when the summer house and garden room were going to be built, and they are so busy these two buildings now won't go up until May, which is a shame, but hopefully it will be a lot drier than it has been this month as the days they worked on these structures the weather was terrible!
The 24th January was stunning, so I had a lovely walk round the garden taking a few photos of some flowers.
Nice to see some vibrant colour in the garden at this time of year.
I am a bit concerned about the rather large puddle that forms in the middle of this base, but was told it will be okay as it will be under the building so this wouldn't happen once the building is up.
View from the front deck. I was thrilled to see a Green Woodpecker on the front lawn last week. Unfortunately I wasn't quick enough to get a photograph of it.
Up the garden. I look at this and am so pleased we changed out mind about where the Garden Room was going to go.
It was actually warm enough to have lunch outside on the deck wearing a t shirt... whilst up in Hertfordshire they had snow! Oh I do love living here.
Lastly my little creative endeavours this month have been rather few... two small knitted doll dresses, and a pair of socks for me:
Made with some lovely Waikiwi wool I bought in NZ a couple of years ago.
