Well, how things can change in such a short time and what strange times these are.
Rich was due to go down to the Midlands just as travel restrictions were coming into place so luckily he didn't travel. We're very fortunate in that our lives haven't changed much here, we're still able to be outside much of the time gardening and working in the croft. Our only difficulty has been getting food, here like everywhere people are food shopping by home delivery/click and collect. It's been increasingly hard to get a delivery to Dundonnell Hotel and when we did a lot of items weren't available. The organic wholesalers we normally order from have been inundated so I was a bit stuck where to get bread flour from but finally managed to get a sack from a mill in Scotland. Luckily we've still got millet, Cous Cous, dried split peas and lentils so we won't starve.
Rich had just put an order in for plaster board for the cabin the day before the lock down but it didn't arrive as they closed the following day. Because we can't do any further building work at the moment we've decided to concentrate on the garden for the time being. We cleared the weeds from the vegetable patch and planted onions and early potatoes. We also cleared the raised bed in the back garden and planted more onions. I ordered some leek, butternut squash and sunflower seeds so am going to sort them out shortly. We're also hoping to finish erecting our new polytunnel, Rich has some tomato seedlings on our windowsill ready and waiting.
We've both spent time weeding in the garden and trying to get rid of more gorse and brambles. Amazingly we've discovered a pond in the garden, we just thought it was a place where water collects. We didn't realise it had a liner so it was quite an exciting find. There's a big area of frog spawn in it so hopefully we'll have tadpoles soon. This morning Rich fitted a weather vane to the house chimney, his Uncle made it him many years ago so it's good to see it in place and working.
Another very exciting move forward has been the immersion heater we've had fitted into the hot water tank, any excess electricity is now dumped into it and over time heats the water. It only takes a couple of days of sun/wind to have a tank full of very hot water, so we're now the cleanest we've been since moving here. Its utter bliss at the end of the day to sink into a bath of hot water. I never appreciated a bath like I do now, less is definitely more. It's amazing to have hot water without having to have the Rayburn lit all day.
Because the cabin is now watertight but we're unable to continue work on it we decided to make use of it and do yoga in it for the time being. Before moving here we'd started to do some beginners yoga every day but living in the byre we've not had the space so it's been good to start again.
The weather finally seems to be improving, it's brighter and sunnier. Our daffodils are all out as are the primroses. In the midst of all the turmoil spring has arrived. It's lovely to see colour in the garden again and the days are now lighter and longer. Hoping you're all ok wherever you are, keep safe. Xx
Rich was due to go down to the Midlands just as travel restrictions were coming into place so luckily he didn't travel. We're very fortunate in that our lives haven't changed much here, we're still able to be outside much of the time gardening and working in the croft. Our only difficulty has been getting food, here like everywhere people are food shopping by home delivery/click and collect. It's been increasingly hard to get a delivery to Dundonnell Hotel and when we did a lot of items weren't available. The organic wholesalers we normally order from have been inundated so I was a bit stuck where to get bread flour from but finally managed to get a sack from a mill in Scotland. Luckily we've still got millet, Cous Cous, dried split peas and lentils so we won't starve.
Rich had just put an order in for plaster board for the cabin the day before the lock down but it didn't arrive as they closed the following day. Because we can't do any further building work at the moment we've decided to concentrate on the garden for the time being. We cleared the weeds from the vegetable patch and planted onions and early potatoes. We also cleared the raised bed in the back garden and planted more onions. I ordered some leek, butternut squash and sunflower seeds so am going to sort them out shortly. We're also hoping to finish erecting our new polytunnel, Rich has some tomato seedlings on our windowsill ready and waiting.
We've both spent time weeding in the garden and trying to get rid of more gorse and brambles. Amazingly we've discovered a pond in the garden, we just thought it was a place where water collects. We didn't realise it had a liner so it was quite an exciting find. There's a big area of frog spawn in it so hopefully we'll have tadpoles soon. This morning Rich fitted a weather vane to the house chimney, his Uncle made it him many years ago so it's good to see it in place and working.
Another very exciting move forward has been the immersion heater we've had fitted into the hot water tank, any excess electricity is now dumped into it and over time heats the water. It only takes a couple of days of sun/wind to have a tank full of very hot water, so we're now the cleanest we've been since moving here. Its utter bliss at the end of the day to sink into a bath of hot water. I never appreciated a bath like I do now, less is definitely more. It's amazing to have hot water without having to have the Rayburn lit all day.
Because the cabin is now watertight but we're unable to continue work on it we decided to make use of it and do yoga in it for the time being. Before moving here we'd started to do some beginners yoga every day but living in the byre we've not had the space so it's been good to start again.
The weather finally seems to be improving, it's brighter and sunnier. Our daffodils are all out as are the primroses. In the midst of all the turmoil spring has arrived. It's lovely to see colour in the garden again and the days are now lighter and longer. Hoping you're all ok wherever you are, keep safe. Xx
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