Mixed up posts.....and holiday post

Not sure what happened with my last couple of posts. Something went a bit wrong somewhere. I blame technology. I'm sure my laptop told me a post had been published. It's all a bit confusing! Hopefully I can sort of get back on track now a bit. 

The best news over a week ago now was that Hamish is home after having the advisory work done on the front brakes. Yay! Thankfully this meant that we got Hamish home in time to pack ready for ours hols. 

Hence the silence for a while. 

We've just had a week in the Scottish Highlands with DD and her boyfriend. They're now home, and we're spending another week travelling round in Hamish. 

We've had a fabulous first week, travelling up to Durness for hot chocolate from Cocoa Mountain .....

....with time on the beach ....

 

.....a trip out to Gairloch along a long and windy road .....

.....to get cake and books....

......a climb up to say hello to Molly, which was quite emotional for us.....

....a climb up Stac Pollaidh, with everyone ending up in waterproofs ....

....and some magnificent views of the harbour as always .....

All in all its been a fabulous week ....DD is now home and time for us to spend another week travelling round. So, sorry for the gaps, but signal is pretty difficult to get in the middle of nowhere!

I'll be back soon! 

Weekend over again

It's gone beyond the middle of another month already. And, on top of that, it's also getting close to the longest day of the year. You'd hope that the weather would be quite nice by this time of year, and I'm sure it is, somewhere. Just not here. At all. In fact, it's been pretty miserable today.

After a dry, overcast start this morning, which meant that DH helped me in the garden (getting rid of some of the weeds that have been coming up over the last few weeks that we haven't had chance to do anything about), we set off after lunch for a walk with Oscar. Bad move. A very bad move. It was a bit drizzly when we left, but by the time we'd walked about a mile and a half it was more than just drizzle. And, by that time, it was too late to do anything about it other than just turn round and head back. And get very wet. So wet that by the time we got back to the car we were both soaked through completely. Although we had our raincoats on we'd failed to wear our waterproof trousers. That was the biggest mistake. Our trousers were stuck to us, dripping wet, and not very nice! So, a complete change of clothes when we got home!

Yesterday, on the other hand, was lovely and dry. And I was inside for most of it at my craft fair. It was  a small venue, but the other stall holders were all really friendly, and we had a chat and a bit of a laugh together. Quite a few people came and I sold quite a few things - some of my wooden shapes and some of my jewellery too.

And Friday I went to see my mum, as I've not seen her for a few weeks. We ended up going clothes shopping and then food shopping, before I had to leave to get home, take Oscar for a walk and get back out again to meet up with my 'ladies that lunch' for an early evening meal ( not the same ladies that I went out with on Wednesday night, but more friends who I don't work with directly anymore but we still keep in touch).

Sadly it's Monday again tomorrow, and the start of four days of early shifts for DD (although after having three early starts last week, albeit two that were unexpected, this week should be fairly easy!). It's then no more work for me until 12th July - yay! Nearly 3 weeks off work.

Maybe I'll manage to get some crafting done in that time…………. the wood and whittling knife are at the ready, as is the wool and the crochet hooks, so you never know!

#handmade #crafts #walking #gardening

Evening out and alarm clocks!

This should have been posted on 16th June. Not sure what happened. I thought it had uploaded. That's technology for you! 

I had a lovely evening with a couple of my friends last night. I used to work with both of them, on the same section. But with all the moves at work over the last couple of years we've ended up on different floors and in different buildings. We still keep in touch though, and try and meet up every couple of months or so. Last night we went to the pub just round the corner from where two of us live, so only a 5 minute walk away for me. It was lovely to catch up with them and keep up with all the gossip!

And then this morning, after a 5am start on Monday and Tuesday with DD and DH (going away for his nights away at work as normal), and an unplanned 5am start yesterday (as DD forgot to unset his alarm clock), I had another 5am start this morning. And the reason? Guess who forgot to check DH's alarm clock and make sure it didn't go off? Yep, I foolishly thought I'd switched it off yesterday, aiming to only wake up at 6am this morning, getting an extra hour (or so I thought). So I had also foolishly stayed awake a little bit longer last night, thinking I would still get enough sleep with a 6am start! How wrong could I be?! So, it has been a very long day today………I have since double and triple checked DH's clock to make sure it doesn't go off at 5am tomorrow morning!

And my veggies? Well, they're doing ok so far, with peas and mange tout finally sprouting …I might get a crop of something eventually.

Walking Oscar has been a bit eventful this week - more like jungle walking! The mild, wet weather has encouraged all the plants to grow at the side of the canal, with poor Oscar having to work his way through some very tall and bushy plants.

Still no crafting for me this week. It seems to have been a bit chaotic, with so much to do. I still have so many ideas that hopefully I'll be able to get round to do doing very soon. 

And our motorhome has been in the garage yet again this week. For those of you who have read my previous posts, you might remember our 'Hamish' was in the garage for a while before we went on holiday at the end of April, and ended up having lots of work done and we had to go on holiday without it. Well, the MOT was due so DH took it to the garage on Monday, only to be told that although it had passed the MOT, there was advisory work needed soon - including the front brakes. So we've opted to get them done now, as we're due to go on holiday (using the motorhome as our home) very soon - always useful having the van fixed if it's due to be your home for at least a week and you have no other accommodation for the week! Fingers (and everything) crossed we get Hamish back in time.

So, hopefully no 5am start tomorrow, a fixed van by the end of the week, and hopefully a successful craft fair on Saturday for me!

#gardening #crafts #

Pretty flowers

After weeks of being busy at weekends I've finally had a weekend to try and make a start on sorting out our back garden. It's been getting a bit overgrown and full of weeds. So, time to start tackling it to get it looking reasonably ok. 

I'd brought some plants home last weekend intending to plant up some tubs, but not had chance to do them. But they're done now - finally! 

And the hanging basket is now up too. 

I've also replaced a few plants that were beyond saving, putting more hostas and fuchsias out now. 

My vegetables are still doing ok, with buds now coming on lots of the tomato plants .....

......while the mini cucumbers seem to be going mental! 

And all that lovely weather we've been having? It vanished. Yesterday. As I was in the middle of weeding. So only half of my garden looks sort of ok! 

Better luck next weekend ...... 

Veggie update!

Did I say that I'm growing vegetables again this year? I'm a bit behind really, as I didn't plant any seeds until late. I've been keeping my fingers crossed that everything catches up and grows quickly with all the warm weather we've been having. So far the tomato plants are doing ok, although they haven't got any flowers on yet ....

The mini cucumber plants seem to be doing better.....

It's quite exciting to see the small cucumbers forming. 

And I admit to cheating ever so slightly. I bought some chilli plants instead of growing them from seed. But, I figured it was too late to sow any seeds now. 

I seem to have quite a few raspberries growing too. I'm just hoping we get to eat them before the birds get them! 

I've also sown seeds this week - radish, lettuce, chives, coriander, peas, mangetout and parsley. Fingers crossed that everything does ok. The radish are sprouting already and I only sowed the seeds on Monday! 

Walks with Oscar for the last few days have been very uncomfortable. I've been taking him out a bit later in the hope that it will have cooled off a little bit - it's been so hot during the day. We managed one longer walk last night as there was a bit of a breeze, but had to settle with our standard walk tonight because of the heat. 

Sadly I don't think this lovely weather is due to last much longer, but it's been lovely while it's here!

Sun, sun, sun!

What glorious weather we're still having! It's beautiful. It makes everyone feel so much better when the sun shines. 

I've not much to update tonight though. Being busy with working, housework and taking Oscar = no crafting and little spare time. 

However, DD went back to work on Thursday after being off for 3 weeks after her operation. I think it was a shock to the system for her as she's just got used to being at home, taking advantage of the nice weather. 

I've had yet more lovely walks with Oscar by the canal. And today we went to see DHs mum as its her birthday on Tuesday. She'll be 87. Quite an age! We had a lovely meal out, but it's been far too hot today. I went out in the garden when we got home this afternoon and did some weeding in the shade. I've also potted up some of my tomato plants in to bigger pots. I think they're a bit behind but I'm hoping they'll catch up with all the nice weather that's forecast. 

And yet again it's Monday tomorrow. Another week. Another list of jobs to get through ( including sowing radish, peas and lettuce leaves - it's not too late is it?.......)