And it goes on!

Alison very kindly did the morning dog walk today, as I was late back last night after babysitting in Bournemouth which was lovely. The girls were great and we had a proper giggle together before their bedtime stories, following which I dozed for a bit, checked the football scores and read a library book.

After the chores, I was out running and managed just shy of 4 miles, a good distance for me at the moment and in the quicker time of 10 mins 30 secs per mile, which is an improvement compared to recent slow times. Still a long way off where I was but progress.

By lunchtime the rain was back and poor Juno got soaked again but nothing compared to the late walk round the golf course. She was filthy and I lit the wood burner so she didn't get too cold drying off in the utility room. 

The weather put paid to my plans of finishing the cleaning of the motorhome and to make a start on cleaning the outside of the conservatory, windows, frames and sills etc. Plenty of time but not tomorrow which is forecast to be as wet as ever. I am planning my seed planting and can spend a bit of time in the conservatory sorting through seedlings tomorrow instead.

Allotment visit

It finally stopped raining so I planned a ride to the allotment at West Moors but when it came to it, boy was it cold instead. And windy too!! Nevertheless, I got on the bike and braved the several huge puddles which punctuated the pathways. It wasn't too bad, although I did feel the wind pushing me into the road on occasion.

Once at the allotment, I almost waded through the path to the padlocked gate and found myself the only person on site, not surprisingly. With water squelching as I made my way to the far end where my plot is, I was quicly aware there wasn't much point in doing anything other than checking how things looked. It was far too wet for any work and I just took a couple of photos to record how the broad beans and garlic were looking after autumn sowing, and then a longer shot to note how the beds looked. I am pleased to see the beds are well manured and won't take a lot of preparation once the warmer weather arrives. Hope it comes soon!

Once home, Alison and I set up the conservatory so the seedlings can be placed on the shelving system and it was noticeably warmer in there with the sunshine beaming down but the cold wind excluded.

We have coriander, parsley, lettuce, spinach and rocket on the go. I am not having any luck with sweet peas as yet but there are more to try. Fingers crossed.

Bloody rain

It seems to have been raining all week again, maybe the whole of February, which means I have struggled to get all my miles done. However, I will have walked and run the target miles this week, falling short in the bike riding only. I was off the main paths in the golf course and noticed a heron flying up from what is usually a very small stream. The photo shows it in full spate with plenty of mud being churned up as the banks empty into the ditch.

The front door cost us yesterday. Having been to the cinema on Thursday evening to watch Strangers All of Us, which was excellent, we returned home to find the front door key had become stuck in the lock. There was no shifting it and it took a proper locksmith to get the whole mess sorted out, at a cost of just under £300! For a while we'd had to use the back door as a means of getting out and it seemed like a long walk round! 

Last day

By Friday we had lost quite a few of our party but we still had a lovely day, this time setting out to Heddon Valley, a local National Trust site neat the Hunters Inn. We had a beautiful walk down to the sea and back in spectcular countryside and with a river rushing past us, loud and fierce from the recent rainfall. The play area was fantastic with all these sculpted logs to climb on and to admire.

In the evening we headed back to the Pack of Cards and a meal out to save having to make more mess to clear up ahead of leaving the next morning.

Thursday half term

I would not have thought of going to a bee farm but Alice, the owner of the house, suggested we visit as other guests had recommended it as having something for everyone. We loved it. Quince Honey Farm has been at the present site for 6 years or so but started after World War Two and it is a big deal in the world of honey. There was so much to learn about during the visit including talks by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide, videos, hives in different set ups, displays and opportunities to sample the different honey types and to make candles using beeswax.

The children had a great time before heading to the cafe for lunch and then on to the shop to buy honey and honeycomb. 

Nice to have photos reminding us of the dining room where we spent several meal times together which was quite a feat!

Tuesday and Wednesday half term

Joe did a lot of remote working during the week and so missed out on the trips we had out. We took a drive to Woolacombe and had a blustery walk along the beach which was beautiful with huge dunes, as well as some great places to check out the rock pools. There were so many dogs there and family groups getting through the half term, that the aera around the bridge was fairly crowded but the beach is massive, so they quickly dispersed so you could enjoy the fresh air and time to think.

I was impressed by the cafe which is just off the beach. There were great vegan options and a nice buzz about the place. 

Monday half term

Monday was a much better day with the weather and we got to properly explore the site with the dog walk up a steep hill where a row of solar panels had been installed, by Jordan's company I believe, and a fun play area for the children with pirate ship, playhouse and the soft play area. There was just so much for the children to enjoy and our visits from Emma, Koby, George and Harry saw plenty of games, tabletennis and hide and seek proving very popular.

A few of us drove the Ilfracombe and had some chils and a walk to the harbour where we found the statue of the pregnant woman by Damien Hirst which was in two parts, one allowing the viewer to see 'inside' the body. 

Glen and Harry had a nice night in the separate cottage we had to take out because of numbers and Roxanne and Koby got good use of it the following night.

Having expected a quieter night, we found ourselves still up at 1.30 and we were able to enjoy Alison falling over in the corner and very drunk. Happy days!