90. First signs of spring 🤞

The daffodils are finally here, we did have a few crocuses but they didn't last long. I think they're a deer delicacy! The weather has been very mixed, we've had bits of sunshine but still having regular high winds and the odd hailstorm.

The pond has been a big mass of froggy bodies rolling around and we've lots of frogspawn. We've more this year than ever before. 

The tomato seeds we planted are doing well and we plan to pot them on in the next few days. We decided to start earlier this year. I've also got sweet peas which are doing well and yesterday I sowed Livingstone daisies, snapdragons, basil and cabbages. They are all in the cabin with us until it's warm enough to move them to the polytunnel. 

Work has continued in the house. The upstairs plasterboards are nearly done and the floors are nearly down. The sand and gravel has all been brought over, there's just one lot of blocks still to come. Rich and I will hopefully start bringing them across next week as long as the weather is favourable. 

We had a trip down to Perth to visit a sawmill to get wood for the windowsills. We got some nice pieces and Rich hopes to start fitting them soon as they need to be in place before plastering can commence so I've still not managed to actually paint anything yet. 

On our return from Perth we called in at The Hermitage, a National Trust place with giant Douglas Firs and an amazing waterfall. It was bitterly cold but we had a lovely walk. We plan to go back in Autumn. 

As always, it was good to get back home and we called for a shop so are okay for food for a bit.

Yesterday was surprisingly sunny so I continued to clear the veg patch and the containers outside the polytunnel which we're going to use for carrots. Bizarrely I also made a Christmas cake. I'd got all the ingredients in before last Christmas but never got round to it.

I'm still lighting the fire most mornings but it's not staying on as long and if the sun decides to appear we soon start baking and have to open the window. 

So things are moving on and the hope is still that we are in the house by the end of the year. How we ever convinced ourselves we were going to be in for last Christmas I really don't know.