Sunny.

Once again we got up early to make sure the place was looking its best for yet another viewing. We didn't get the feeling that these people had fallen in love with the place but they were most thorough with lots of questions and were the first people to ask to look in the loft. I put the ladder up and plugged in the inspection lamp so the chap go have a quick look. I offered to move the ladder so that he could have a look in the lofts above the old part of the house as well but I think all he'd wanted to do was to check on the condition of the roof beams etc. They did comment on the tractor noise from our neighbour's workshop above the bog garden. Of course once they left all became relatively quiet though this is a very busy time for all the local farmers. When we were out on our brief walk quite a few tractors passed us. In between the tractors the air was filled with the sounds of skylarks high above and bumble bees in the flowering gorse.

After the viewing Peter wanted to see what condition his knees were in after the weekend so we walked up the hill and then before collecting my car we ambled on to Ashelford Corner.

When we set off on our long journey 'upcountry' on Friday it was noticeable, even just on the other side of Barnstaple, how green the hedgerows and trees were compared to ours. Up here in the hills the spring growth is usually a couple of weeks behind that in town and beyond. Also the majority of the hedges and trees here are beech which comes out a bit later than some of the other trees. When travelling out of North Devon I like comparing the different topography and geology which is reflected in the construction of older properties. In North Devon we have long steep hills which make the Link Road feel like a rollercoaster ride. The underlying subsoil is shillet, a grey clay mixed with slate. In the past buildings were made from the orange tinged grey slate which as it is porous had to covered with a coat of render giving the typical white or pink painted houses with thatched roofs. Moving eastwards and up onto the Salisbury Plain the subsoil is chalk containing flint and in the few cultivated fields the soil is very pale almost white. Some houses were made with flint embedded in cement? but many were made from bricks made from clay found further  afield. The soil in South Devon has a high iron content and is a rich red/ terracotta colour. In North Devon the soil is less red and more brown and up here in the hills most of the land is pasture as the soil and the short growing season are not that good for crops. (Here ends my geological knowledge, apologies for any inaccuracies).

Once we got back home I could finally, like the lambs in the field above, take a proper rest. Having been on the go all weekend and out again yesterday I think the next few days will be taken quietly.