Today I shall be Mainly...

[Wendyf]

Preparing for tomorrow's Book Launch. We have displays of old postcards, railway posters and holiday train timetables, a seaside scene to set and Cottages.com are bringing their display boards from Spring Mill. Lots to do!

[Sue]

Uk has had much better weather than us. We have had one sunny day. The rest have been damp and warm. Very muddy gardening conditions, but worth the effort. Just got to the same now when we get back home

[Stanley]

I saw the puff in the BET this morning.... Well done. I hope you have a well attended launch and plenty of sales!
Sue, sod's law says that you will arrive back to the change as the Atlantic weather systems win out over the Scandinavian blocking high. Hard luck.....

[Stanley]

The design committee has been busy and they have laid out a course of action for today that will lead to a major step forwards. Keep your aye on shed matters!
Enjoying the feeling of having a shaved head. I can't identify with the angst many people display on the matter of their hair. I think I am very lucky, I have a small bald spot at the back ('Pillow rash' according to my mother!) but the rest of the thatch is still active and if anything my problem is too much hair. I feel much more comfortable with it shaved down to the bone!

[Sue]

Sue, sod's law says that you will arrive back to the change as the Atlantic weather systems win out over the Scandinavian blocking high. Hard luck.....


Forecast for next week is 18 degrees and sunny, just to enourage all those little weeds to sprout. Brittany has a second growing season in October! I have never seen our grass here looking like this, a beautiful emerald green. You would think we were in Ireland

[Marilyn]

Spent the afternoon in dappled shade with balmy breezes...whilst sat on deck chairs.
First day of our island holiday in the motor home. An important football match on in Oz today, so everyone stops to watch it. However, it is not going our way at all, so I think Febby will have a long face when it finishes and he has a wine whilst cooking a BBQ for our tea.
Can't complain about the ferry crossing or the weather here. We had a beautiful beach walk on white sands earlier and the sea was like a mill pond. It all looked like a travel poster.

[Stanley]

Sounds as though or Barlick weather loses out all round. No sun-dappled beaches here....
Appointment for flu jab arrived yesterday.....
I shall be having an unusual morning, no shed but Malaysian Grand Prix live from 08:00 onwards as I cook and wash on free leccy.I have a feeling the vacuum will have to wait!

[Sue]

Packing and driving up to St Malo for the ferry. Staying there overnight for an early ferry. We usually drive up in the morning but it has been so foggy recently in the mornings that we have decided to go this afternoon. A bad crosding is forecast , yuk

Its been a very successful if damp week. Bob has managed to erect a dividing wall in the master bedroom ready for doing the ensuite shower room, as well as cutting hedges and chopping down half the wisteria so our builder friend can do some pointing in the wall over the winter. It looks a bit bare at the moment but will soon recover.

Of course I have done all my gardening . Its taken two days to chop down the raspberries, clear out the grass from tbe roots and apply organic fertiliser( dried horse manure from the supermarket) .Hopefully we will get a good crop next year. In our next visit we shall give the fruit trees a good prune.

[Stanley]

I don't envy you the transition Sue. It's a bit wild out there this morning, a good day for keeping in the warm and writing which is what I may be doing. The BET needs a top up!

[Sue]

There is a slight swell but thats all

[Stanley]

Good, you have been lucky...... The wind has dropped here this morning.
Two articles written yesterday and I think I have two more in my head. That will take me into November. I need to start thinking about my Xmas articles!
Later.... bad news for the shed but I've decided that the articles have won.....

[Marilyn]

Some exciting, yet bone-jarring driving on poor unsealed roads with massive pot holes, but dangerously sandy edges, today. The crockery in the cupboard was doing quite a dance despite a layer of thin foam between plates. Got to some stunning and pristine places, worth a photo or two. Campsite tonight seems to have a lot of Asian ( mainly Chinese) tourists in smaller hire vans. The younger ones seem to be happy and thrilled to be here, but the man parked next to us says his wife will only come out of the van to use the toilets! Oh Dear...not a happy camper! He is sat outside as night falls with a glass of wine, enjoying the many and very beautiful birds of the Australian bush. He was telling Febby that he has never seen such blue skies with no smog. Wife meanwhile, remains inside! ( I wonder if he got any dinner?!!!)

[Stanley]

Maz. How are the flies and mossies? Sounds nice, too cold to sit outside here!
Got four articles done in the end so I shall be back in the shed today.

[Marilyn]

Flies are the large variety but few in number.
Mozzies not a problem here, though I heard one zzzzing round my head the other night and slept with my head under the sheet.
We did have a bee find its way inside today!

The strange thing is that we have done about 150kms today, only to find the Chinese man from the park last night has come and parked alongside us again. We had been here about 2 hours when he arrived. He greeted us quite warmly.
His little hire van had a wheel spin when trying to reverse park, so he sent the ( previously unseen ) wife out to push the vehicle. She had a child with her, aged about 3 or 4. ( so both previously unseen!). Mother and child both looked unhappy, and I don't think they like the Australian Bush as much as Dad. His single chair is outside again and the reluctant duo are back inside.
( how very odd they are!). We have beautiful beach views tonight...

[Stanley]

Nowt so queer as folk Maz. But you knew that.....
I shall be enjoying myself making new bearings for my engine....



Lots of brass chips to tread round the house!

[Sue]

Bob has gone to Anglesey to take the keys to the cottage to tbe estate agent. We should complete tomorrow. The end of an era. We love that cottage but time has come to let it go.

We were reading through some of the documents again last night eg a Will dated 1854 when tbe cottage was left to a farm worker.its steeped in local history. I hope the new owners love it as much as we have. They have bought a beautifully renovated and extended original welsh cottage dating back to the mid 1700s. We would love to keep it but we can’t, and unable to get long term tenants who look after it, it had to go.

[Marilyn]

Home on the ferry today.
Can't wait for a nice, long soak in my beautiful big bath! ( facilities on the island range from primitive to 1960's era. OK for a week, but I would hate to have to live that way.)

[Stanley]

Sue, I know what you mean but far better to do it now while you are active and able to deal with it than wait until it becomes a pain. I have happy memories of Anglesey from holidays during the war. Maz.... I wonder if the Chinese couple will follow you?



I shall be enjoying myself making bearings....

[Sue]

I agree Stanley, nothing to stop us still going to Anglesey for the day, lovely place. Well its done now, the new owners collect the keys tomorrow, a new era for the house. We are pleased we too k the time and effort to give it a new lease of life two years ago.

[Wendyf]

A sad day for you Sue, though having two houses and gardens in different countries to look after should be enough for anyone! I shed a tear on Wednesday at the sight of removal vans outside my friend, neighbour and walking pal's house. She is only moving to Gargrave and we will still get together to walk but it is very strange to think there is someone else in living there now.

[Stanley]

I know what you mean Wendy but remember what Machiavelli said about change. He said that "every change leaves a toothing stone for the next". I hope you get another enjoyable neighbour!
Sue, my dad hated wind and I clearly remember the first time we ever went to the farmhouse near Camaes where we stayed we had to cross the island of course and he groaned when he saw the thorn bushes bent over almost flat by the prevailing wind! My sister and I had a bedroom that was swept at night by the light from the Skerries lighthouse, I treasure that memory and later on I think it was the reason why the first non-fiction books I ever read were on lighthouse construction...

[Marilyn]

Catching up on the washing. One load to go. I felt I was knee deep in piles of washing this morning!

[Stanley]

That's the downside isn't it. Never mind it will all look fine when you get it out on the line! Then you can sit back and have a drink. Not a good day for washing here!

[chinatyke]

Flies are the large variety but few in number.
Mozzies not a problem here, though I heard one zzzzing round my head the other night and slept with my head under the sheet.
We did have a bee find its way inside today!

The strange thing is that we have done about 150kms today, only to find the Chinese man from the park last night has come and parked alongside us again. We had been here about 2 hours when he arrived. He greeted us quite warmly.
His little hire van had a wheel spin when trying to reverse park, so he sent the ( previously unseen ) wife out to push the vehicle. She had a child with her, aged about 3 or 4. ( so both previously unseen!). Mother and child both looked unhappy, and I don't think they like the Australian Bush as much as Dad. His single chair is outside again and the reluctant duo are back inside.
( how very odd they are!). We have beautiful beach views tonight...

Maybe they're not used to being in a place with hardly any people. My wife asked me "where are all the people?" when she came to the UK. Strange, I've found the Chinese to be sociable people. Ask them across for a BBQ and throw on a couple of chicken feet or dingos, that will make them feel at home.
Sounds a lovely trip, I wish I was there. Enjoy it.

[Marilyn]

Maybe you are right China...stress from the lack of people and wide open spaces.
I fist thought she may have unfounded fears about bugs/spiders/snakes. ( I can understand that because I have a few fears myself).
Hubby did catch up with the Chinese man in the shower block, and he said they had enjoyed themselves, apart from the food. They don't eat hot chips or salad it seems and can't understand the lack of Noodles/Rice/Veg meals on offer. It's probably because they hired their vehicle at the airport and drove straight to the ferry without giving too much thought to stocking their van. Maybe they had unreal expectations about what would be available. We bought all our own food and drinking water. There was water available from tanks and taps, but I am very sensitive to changes in water because I drink up to 2 litres of it every day ( love my water!). And no-one wants "traveller's tummy". It spoils everything. I don't mind washing up in strange water but I am not putting it in my belly!
We didn't see any takeaway shops on the island except one Pizza Shop...several day time Cafes offering Coffee and Sandwiches...a couple of Pubs...one supermarket...we passed one Bakery but it was shut as it was a public holiday.
Our van was well stocked. We dined like Kings!
The last we saw of the Chinese man, he was headed for the ferry, direct to the airport from there. He says they will be back to see Tasmania next time he has holidays.