Neil is working like mad and has repaired the wall above the barn door and with Keith's help has reconstructed what was a pigeon house above the barn door and made it look much more attractive.

You may be wondering why there is a spray bottle with 'no cat wee here' written on it. That was originally a concoction put together by a friend of ours, who swore that it would stop our elderly cat using the entire house as a litter tray. Although we miss our old cat Romey we don't miss that annoying little habit and the bottle is now just being used as a water spray.

The next photo is Neil insulating the ceiling. As you can see the work is going on into the night!!

Finally my good mate Judi came to visit and we had a lovely hack out on Sunday. Although Judi and I were suffering rather badly with hangovers, we were still smiling in this photograph!!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to you - and here the New Year has bought a new spurt of activity. Jason has somehow encouraged some good friends of his to come over for a working party next month, one of whom is an expert in heating, so the race is on to build the stud work for the upstairs rooms so that we can have a chance of getting our heating installed.

Here are some pictures of the bathroom being built. Do you really think I have a chance of having a bath this year?

Well in any case it is fantastic seeing more progress. Neil always said once our first floor was in he would be able to make great strides. The weather is abysmal at the moment so at least he is warm and dry working on the house. Unlike myself, getting soaked on a regular basis and yesterday getting pushed over into the mud by a very large horse. Occupational hazard I guess!!!

Happy Christmas!!

First floor for Christmas

He's only gone and done it!! My lovely husband has managed to get the oak flooring down and we no longer have to risk life and limb walking from one end of the house to the other. It looks great, and now we can start building some rooms and insulating the house properly.

My boss treated all of us and our partners to the bar for fish and chips for a Christmas treat. I was feeling sorry for Tess as she had spent a bit of time on her own that day, so I wrapped her collar with tinsel and took her along. The fish fryers were so taken with her festive look they cooked her sausage and chips as a free treat - which didn't touch the sides!!!

Off to work now so will add more about the floor soon - Happy Christmas everyone!!!

Getting Christmassy

This is my friend Rosie - I dragged her into the woods yesterday to collect lots of green stuff to make some Christmas decorations. I like just using the stuff that grows around us here

Neil is very excited as we are starting to get our first floor laid. He even muttered the words "light" and "end of tunnel". Just to be able to walk across the first floor without risk of death by falling through gaps will be an enormous improvement!

This afternoon we are off to choose a Christmas tree. Last year it started snowing just as we were driving over and it really added to the occasion. No sign of snow yet and I'll just be happy to stay dry!!

I hope you like the photo above. Somehow a random Limousin cow appeared in the field and the photo is of my colt, Appie, treating it with some suspicion!!

This is Tom the stallion wearing our new all singing, all dancing rug which sends out electrical impulses to stimulate the muscles along the back. Could do with one myself. It also has a 'warm up' facility. These horses get treated better than us!!!!


Here - dah dah!! is a photo of the first thing to be made in the workshop - a lovely oak door for some people we know. I'm very jealous!! Hope you like it.

Mad!!

I haven't blogged in ages as we have been back in the UK, visiting family and friends. It's good to be home though, and as you can see, this pair are happy to be reunited!!