Sunny.

A mostly bright and sunny day.

Tempting as it was to sit outside I spent the afternoon packing boxes in my study. Just sitting at my PC with the warmth of the sun on my shoulder with the view of of fluffy clouds in a blue sky is enough to put me in a good mood. Partly due to covid and because we're just waiting to start our lives in Wales I've felt disassociated from  life here. Getting on with the packing, albeit slowly gives a feeling of working towards our goal. I'm not looking forward to dealing with things in the garage. Because of the leaking roof it got a bit damp in there. Nothing dramatic but I'm going to have to repack the cardboard boxes with DIY stuff in as I think the boxes may well fall apart or at least have the tape come away when they're lifted up. 

Something I did do today was to check out customer complaints for Wickes fitted kitchens. And oh dear they weren't good. Too many reports of poor customer service. I had hoped that they would be a reliable place to get our new kitchen from. My next move is to go to the library and read the fitted kitchen reviews in Which magazine. That will be a more reliable source of information than on-line where you can't even be sure if the reviews are honest.

Sunny.

A lovely sunny day today with a hint of autumn crispness.

Perfect weather for everyone enjoying the last Bank Holiday weekend before the children go back to school. An even more significant event this year as many children have not been at school since the lockdown began at the end of March. While the children don't seem to be at a significant risk I wonder how much transmission there'll be from one family to another through the increased amount of contact.

With no plans to go out (Peter avoided holidaymakers even before covid.) I got some washing in the machine, dried and later ironed. I also cut the front lawn. It's been in serious need of cutting and today has been the first time the grass has dried out sufficiently to mow. I left the communal grass as it would be too much for my back. Also it's disheartening to cut the grass and then have people drive their cars over it. Later we sat out in the back garden enjoying the heat of the sun. The swallows are still here but no doubt they'll soon be off to Africa for a warmer winter. 

Windy.

A bright and windy day today.  

I did wonder if I was making a mistake as I hung washing on the line under the blackest of clouds. I made sure to keep checking but eventually the dark clouds blew away and the washing dried nicely. Later I spotted this tattered small tortoiseshell butterfly sunning itself on the back garden wall.

Full of packing zeal I brought another of the 'large' boxes up to my study to pack. It was only after I'd taped the bottom of the box that I realised I should have used a 'small' box as some of the remaining items in my study are quite heavy. That had me bringing in stuff from our bedroom wardrobe to fill the box. As in our last move the contents of every box are itemised in my trusty notebook to avoid long searches before we get to the point where everything is unpacked. 

I had another session of kitchen planning using the brochure from Wickes. Although the brochure is the size of a small book its not very useful. Lots of glossy pages - the first 120 pages show pretty pictures of the ranges with no prices and more annoyingly very few technical details. Only one double page showing 'key unit dimensions' with the caveat that not all units are available in all ranges. That's helpful. Even less informative are the pages showing the extras. For example the 'ovens' page explains the 4 different types of cooking but no details of any ovens. B&Q might be poorer quality but at least I can get my head around the brochure and work out my design. Yes, I know it's because they want customers use the design service and be pushed into spending a lot more than they intended. Choosing a new kitchen is supposed to be fun not a trial.

Sun and Showers.

Much more in the way of showers than sun today and a lot cooler. Right now it's raining once more and I'm sure I heard some thunder.

During a dry spell I did some cutting back of the tall buddleia in the front garden. I try not to cut off any branches that still have flowers though there have been few butterflies this year. Later I had a bit of fun photographing a couple of buff tailed bumble bees in the nepeta.

I've been sewing again. This time I was altering a dressing gown I bought at Tesco's. I decided that after many years of cosiness drinking morning cuppas it was time to retire my shorter fluffy dressing gown that I wear when sitting in bed. That sounds suspiciously like that item of clothing from history, a bed jacket. (Oh my goodness, I'm turning into an old person.) The Tesco's dressing gown was a good replacement but too long. So I chopped off a strip and re-hemmed it by hand. I did think about using the sewing machine but was concerned about the thick fluffy fabric fitting under the foot. Even hand sewing had to be done slowly pulling the needle through to the back and then again to the front. 

I also packed another box in my study. I'm going to need at least one more box for all the loose stuff around my desk and in the cupboard. Oh well, bit by bit. Peter's been putting pressure on the builder to get those roofs done though after all those weeks of hot dry weather they now have to wait for a break in the weather. 

Rain, Sun, Rain.

All morning up to early in the afternoon we had rain, really heavy rain. Nothing like the storm hitting the US but quite severe. I needed to pay a bill at the bank so decided to drive in. Even on that short, less than 10 mins, drive the roads were starting to flood with great waves being thrown up by passing cars. I walked from the car confidently wearing my Navy (both in colour and being ex HMS issue) coat and hanging onto my large rainbow golf umbrella. My wellies came in useful for wading through several inches deep puddles stretching right across the pavement. By the time I came out of the bank the rain had nearly stopped and before long the sun was out once more. With the sun came heat and I felt a little overdressed. The sun lasted for a few hours but now the sky has turned white and the rain is starting up once more.

Latest kitchen photo from the builder showing the new sink with the old bottom units temporarily back in place. The cooker has been checked and is working, hooray. The fridge freezer will have to go back into the utility as I'd rather have our smaller and newer fridge freezer in the kitchen with the older one as an overflow in the utility. I am concerned to see the fridge doors closed. When we were there last year, after a very thorough cleaning I made sure to leave the broom keeping the doors ajar when the power was off. I hate to think of the state of the inside if it's been closed for a year. 

It's not the biggest kitchen area (the cupboard on the right has been pulled away from the wall while that bit is plastered) but more than enough for us. There'll be several more cupboards coming across from the left and of course there'll be wall units.

Still thinking about the ceiling light I revised my plan to have a bar with spotlights and Peter agrees. The kitchen and dinning areas were an addition to the original house and at less than 7ft 4ins the ceiling is much lower than in the rest of the house which has extra high ceilings. So why not have an ordinary ceiling light? Scrolling through all lights on offer at B&Q nothing looked better than this type which is what we have in the kitchen here. There were so many fun and exciting LED ceiling lights but this is a kitchen where all we want are clean lines and a bright light.

Searching eBay yesterday I found two styles of white border tiles which work out at £1 each. I've sent off for samples to check they match the wall tiles before I choose and buy enough to finish off the wall tiles.

Today is recycling day and we have now been issued with additional blue boxes, almost as big as the general black boxes. These are for glass containers, how much wine do they think we've been drinking? Our weekly offering rarely has more than one glass jar and no wine bottles. (Peter gets his red wine in a box from Tesco's.) After the usual washing of the food caddy and the black box I used a tester pot to paint the house number on the underneath of the blue box. The recycling men leave the black boxes upside down and I guess they'll do the same with the blue boxes. 

Windy.

Still quite windy today, a cold wind too. However the sun began breaking through later in the afternoon and out of the wind it felt very warm.

I've had a long day out, leaving the house at 9.30 and not getting home from shopping until after 3.00. My first stop was to the surgery for a routine blood test. I say routine but this is the first I've had in 5 years of taking strong painkillers. Needles don't worry me and it was completely pain free, not even the slightest scratch. Next stop was at the garden centre near the surgery with birthday vouchers burning a hole in my pocket. There I found this Tulbaghia violacea, a member of the garlic family which I'd seen growing in the gardens at St Michael's Mount. Definitely my sort of plant. I found another two grey leaved plants in BJ's but not the agapanthus I was hoping for.

It pays to keep a sharp eye on prices when shopping. ('Scuse my razor sharp wit.) Tesco's have a big display of 'Back to School' stationary with many or maybe even most items HALF PRICE! I had markers on my shopping list, needed for labelling moving boxes so I picked up a pack of 5 Sharpies half-price at £3. Imagine my surprise when going past the regular stationary shelves, next to the pack of 5 for £3 were the same pens at £1 for a pack of 2. That's cheaper than the reduced offer. A good thing the hand scanner lets you take items off your total. 4 pens for £2 will be fine for us.

In BJ's I picked up a couple of £1 feathered things for Speedy as the original one is looking rather battered. 

As well as supermarket shopping I called in at Wickes where I had a long chat about kitchens with one of their staff who was very helpful. Now I know that the reason that the ovens with the slideaway doors are so expensive is because they are patented by Neff who can charge what they want. I came away with more brochures and price lists. The next step is probably to take Peter there to see whichever kitchen I decide on. Naturally the handles that are the best both practically in terms of Peter's swollen knuckles and visually are the most expensive at £13 each. Something else I found to be surprisingly expensive is border tiles. As the wall tiles in the toilet are only going half-way up the walls I thought about topping them with some sort of white rope design tiles. I went in a big tile store and the 20cm border tiles I looked at are £6.50 each. Surely I can find something cheaper than those. I went into B&Q again but still haven't decided upon the kitchen spotlights. The one I sort of like just doesn't seem very bright with 40w bulbs.

Speedy gets very lively before his evening feed time of 5.00 though as far as he's concerned it's feed time as soon as he's woken up from his daytime sleep. While he's waiting he gets very playful with any loose objects on my desk in danger of being grabbed or sent flying. Something I don't think I've mentioned about Speedy is that he doesn't miaow. He often does a silent miaow or croaks which is different to the chatter which he makes when he sees birds.

 Got it!

Stormy.

Storm Francis has been blowing all day. The news reports tell of 80 mph gusts, flooding and power cuts across the country. The empty wheelie bin stayed upright in the middle of the grass until midday when it gave up and hit the ground. It's now been blown half-way across the grass.

This morning a lovely bouquet from Vytas and Sally was delivered by a local florist. Speedy took an interest in the flowers so after checking I made sure that the larkspur which is poisonous to cats if eaten in large amounts, went in a vase in our bedroom. Luckily I hadn't yet packed away the big glass vases.

This morning I spent a full hour cleaning grease from the cooker controls. That sounds like the cooker was really grubby which I didn't think it was. I do wipe the cooker over most days but grease has habit of sticking. Even after using detergent and a green scrubby thing I find it has to be physically removed. Today I found that cotton buds were the best to use to clean out every nook and cranny. I'm happy with it now.

In the afternoon I filled up a couple of big moving boxes with loose stuff from my study. Still a bit more to go before I can tick off my study as packed.

Chilly.

The day has lived up to the forecast for scattered showers and in general it has been quite cool. I've finally had to resort to putting on a fleece to counter the breeze coming through the open window. I suppose I could shut the window instead but I like that connection with the outside world.

Earlier I went down to the garage to fetch a tub of network wall sockets which I'd offered on the recycle site. A chap was supposed to collect them this afternoon but annoyingly he's been a no show. That can be a problem with this group though the admin team keep asking people to have the courtesy to let people know if they can't collect or change their minds. While I was in the garage I photographed a couple more things including these glass and ceramic door finger plates. Maybe somebody will want them.

Speedy's sitting on my piano stool waiting for me to go down and feed him. Since his bucket came off and I got the feathered toy he's livened up and even chases his own tail at times. 

As well as the usual housework I did some packing, emptying one cupboard into boxes. After the chaos of the last move this time I plan to be very organised. I wrote on the boxes last time but the removal men didn't take much notice. Peter didn't know where things should go and I was still clearing up at Dingles. This time I'm putting a labelled sticker on each box because I really need to avoid having to shift things around. That was what set off all my heart issues last time. However there's yet another problem at Red Roofs. The builder is now going to board off the end of the corridor closing off the back end of the bungalow before removing the flat roof over the utility, toilet and my study. Very sensible to keep the mess out of the rest of the place but ..... If the work isn't done/finished by the time we move then all the furniture and boxes that were going to be put in the utility and my study will have to be stored elsewhere. Probably our bedroom and Peter's study and maybe everywhere else. I foresee even more chaos. Ho hum.

Yesterday evening I had a phone call from Vytas and we had a really nice long chat which made my day.

Cool.

Cooler today with the occasional shower.

It's my birthday today and this morning I had a surprise visit from a friend who brought round these dwarf chrysanthemums and a card. I was glad I had made those cookies to go with our coffees.

Reading yesterday's post I wondered if I'd been a bit harsh about the water quality at Combe Martin only to find an article saying the same on a local news site.  

With nothing planned for today I thought I'd have a try at making cloud bread, something I'd seen on-line. The main attraction of the recipe being that you can add colouring and flavouring to the very light whipped egg whites to which is added a small amount of cornflour and sugar. You can also add broken up biscuits and/or sweets. The colours made for some interesting and Instagramable photos. I only had some ginger biscuits (wasn't going to use yesterday's cookies) so I broke those up and added ginger to the mixture as well. The result was tasty but very sticky. Looking at alternative recipes I think the one I used didn't have enough cornflour. Also other versions used the egg yolks as well. These are not to be confused with a savoury version made with cream cheese into individual fat pancakes. To use up the egg yolks I made bread pudding with left over seeded bread and used dates instead of sultanas. That was much better than the cloud bread.

More photos of the new flooring. Peering through the darkness at the kitchen I can see that some of the old cupboards have been replaced, as Peter and I planned. But Peter and the builder decided to put back the original sink. So all my efforts to choose and then order the new sink, cupboard and tap were for nothing. Even once the new kitchen is chosen and ordered it will take at least three months before it is installed and I really wanted to have a clean new sink to use in the meantime. In the top photo it can be seen that the windows and French doors have yet to arrive. Such a shame to be losing the bay window but instead the terrace will be bigger without major building works.

Combe Martin.

Once again it's been warm and very windy. My washing out on the line dried quickly though I did keep a careful watch in case it rained, which it didn't. I was ironing a duvet cover when the ironing board began to sink slowly towards the floor. ?? When I checked I found that a screw had worked loose from the wooden under structure. An easy repair using a fatter screw from our well stocked tool cupboard. Earlier I'd worked in the back garden to dig up a few of the plants in the planters that I want to take with us. Just the chives, a lavender, some blue grass and a clump of the grey leaved, clove scented white Old English 'pinks'.  Back indoors I baked a batch of Peter's favourite peanut butter and chocolate chunk cookies.

Now for some photos from yesterday's jaunt.

Combe Martin has a small mainly rocky beach. The stream that flows into the beach is often contaminated by sewage overflow when there's been a lot of rain. Like now!. The general information sign on the way down to the beach has a no swimming symbol but not everyone takes notice. There were surfers out and a few youngsters paddling. As I walked along on the road I saw a mum with three small boys one of which was paddling and washing his hands in the stream running down the side of the beach. I simply had to go down the steps and let her know that the stream was contaminated with sewage and it wasn't the best place for children. Luckily she didn't take offence, people can be very touchy if they think you're criticizing their parenting skills.

Walking out of the car park I was amused to see this van negotiating the narrow lane.

A glimpse of the sea between the old fishermen's cottages.  

A solitary fishing boat. Most local fishing boats are used for tourist trips but there is some fishing for lobsters, bass, cod, mackerel and pollock.

Looking back up the beach and road. Being in a steep valley (combe) the village is basically two miles of one road with some tiny lanes branching off.. 

A Trip Down Memory Lane.

Wild and windy today. Last night I woke at 12.30 and had my usual peer out of the window rewarded by frequent sheet lightning to the north-west, (no thunder) which was still visible an hour later after I'd watched tv. My attempts to photograph the lightning came to nothing. Today has been very warm with ferocious winds.  Coming back from Combe Martin I had to drive under a tree that had fallen across the road since I been that way earlier. A man was standing there talking on his phone presumably reporting the tree to somebody. I first stopped then sped under the tree. Going up the winding road that climbs the side of the combe I kept an eye out for waving trees and drove quickly past any that looked suspicious.

My trip to Combe Martin was to collect this Ikea ceiling light that I'd seen being offered free on the recycling page. When my thoughts had turned to the lighting in the kitchen and dining room I'd originally said that I'd have a big paper sphere lightshade in the dining area. Then I wondered, considering I'll probably have the dining room door out on to the terrace often open, if the sea breeze would send the light swinging back and forth. Next I wondered if I could buy a spherical glass ceiling light. That was before I saw the offer. What a coincidence. 

Having not gone that way since we left two and half years ago I decided to take the marginally longer route back along the way 'home' to Dingles.

So many happy memories of our lives as country folk. I didn't drive back past Dingles but instead went down the long and very steep Whitefield Hill to Muddiford for a change of route. Not so many memories that way but the Dalek is still there in a roadside garden.

Once I'd collected the light I parked up in Combe Martin for a  photo stroll around the small seaside village. (Will post photos tomorrow.) It was quite crowded with visitors but I was able to keep a safe distance. Most of the businesses are places selling food but I did go inside the two gift shops that were open.

I wanted to support local businesses and amongst the downright tacky plastic offerings and the expensive jewellery was able to find some items I thought weren't too bad. I thought the sign would be handy if I disappear off to the beach in the early hours before Peter wakes and I rather like this string of metal seagulls with a bunch of fish. I also have to admit to looking for craft ideas as well though I didn't take photos with that in mind.

The unwanted wheelie bin got pushed back into the middle of the grass again and right now has been blown on its side by the strong winds. 

Windy.

The winds began picking up yesterday evening heralding Storm Ellen the main brunt of which is due to hit us tonight and tomorrow. Today it's been very warm and windy and the showers held off until I'd got yesterday's and today's washing dry.

Something strange happened with the recycling collection today. The big recycling lorry came as usual about mid-day but at about 9.00 a small recycling vehicle came and collected some but not all of the cardboard. I'd gone outside a bit later thinking that we'd just had an early recycling collection only to find the boxes still full but most of the brown cardboard bags empty. And of course our bag was nowhere to be seen. Again! However there was a bag blown into my neighbours' garden so I claimed it. If somebody returns my bag with the number written on both sides they can have that one. 

My sewing kit was back in use again today. Yesterday I bought a reduced white sleeveless t-shirt in Tesco's. As usual I bought a larger size which then needed taking in under the armholes. Another small job done was taking down my cork pin board and wrapping it in bubble wrap.   

The postman bought my long awaited photobook of our trips to St Ives. It took; one copy sent to Dingles, one copy with a damaged cover and lacking the high gloss pages sent here, another copy sent to Dingles and finally  a fourth copy arrived here. They did offer me a full refund instead but I didn't want a substandard book. This is my favourite page showing me and my mother sitting outside her gallery (we lived in the back). I must say that I did a better job of recreating the 1960's shot than Peter but he's most reluctant to take photos. Strange when he used to work as a photographer.

 I fear there will be no roses left after this storm blows in.