Snow, Seeds and Stuff.

Morning.

We have had our first significant snow of the year. This was yesterday; apologies for Radio 4 travel news in the background!

The boys have both got to school but one came home early; they are both praying for a proper snow day.

On Monday I received both of my gardening mags which is always fab and this month a mountain of free seeds came with them. Sowing and growing will commence soon!!!!

I've just ordered from Thomson and Morgan, thanks to Martin Lewis's Money Saving Expert website I have to say, a selection of fruit canes/bushes as it was an offer I just couldn't resist. Instead of paying £52 + p n p I got them for £17.49 total. (Sorry about the poor photo.) 

The offer I think is still available until early next month/whilst stocks last and they are posting out after the cold snap. The temp in the poly house yesterday was 5 degrees but I think these will have to stay indoors for a little while. 

I'll also have to get my bum in gear and tidy the fruit area in readiness for them. A bit of strimming is required and I REALLY do want to get it covered with matting of sorts and then wood chippings to properly keep the weeds down; soooo many jobs/plans.

I am also waiting for delivery of my seed spuds also from T & M. 

This year I have gone for:

- 1st early Swift (approx 16-18 tubers)

- 2nd early Charlottle, including some growing bags as part of an offer (approx 16-18 tubers)

- late maincrop Cara (32 - 36 tubers)

The spud order has prompted me to really get a grip on where I'll be planting things out. I'm not always very good at timing so planting out can continue once something has been harvested, but I am trying! 

We've had to put back the plan of making a new veg patch due to the work on the new Airbnb listing taking priority -  we it will be listed for the summer. Talking of which, here are some photos of the interior; Jon is well on the way to getting the plaster board up in the kitchen/living area which always makes things look great. It will be a lovely light space with 2 Velux windows, a door and a window in there plus a row of three windows in the bedroom.

We also recently celebrated my youngest's birthday, 11, how did that happen? Compared to my first boy which is always a struggle for most people I think, this one came into the world at 3.40pm in just over 5 hours from start to finish; it was a lovely birth being in the day time where as the first was night time as he arrived at 6.30pm with the experience taking a lot longer than that. I'll stop there as I could talk about my pregnancies for ever and it isn't everybody's cup of tea!

So pancakes with blueberries were requested for breakfast.

We're not given to big celebrations in our house but we asked him what he wanted to do. He asked for Domino pizza and this is a real treat for everybody as we have a 26 mile round trip to collect them, but worth it. This is his cake I made; he is not keen on lots of butter cream so we went for a Victoria sponge with a jam filling a couple of twiddly bits on top.....

As I write this we are expecting more snow this afternoon and possibly tomorrow. The temp is 0 degrees just now so really feel for people who still have very cold weather after the very chilly night most of us had, not to mention what is happening in The States! Brrrr.

Right, that's is all my ramblings for now. Off to get a few jobs done and then some leftover yummy homemade butternut squash soup for lunch.

Bye for now.

The Snow Came On Thursday at Teatime.

We had snow!

This arrived on Thursday at around teatime. It continued overnight with a little more on Friday but not much.

Now, Saturday, the temp has gone up to 2 degrees when before we were at about -9! It is melting but we have big drifts left because of the ferocious winds so they will take a day or two to go.

13 miles down the road in Aber you would not have thought two places could be so different weather wise. In the shops today the shelves were empty of lots of things because deliveries could not get through.

In other news Jon has been helping our elderly sheep-farming neighbour with lambing and brought a little visitor into the house....

It was one of twins and the mother had left it to fend for itself and got separated from the main flock. We are bottle feeding it for a couple of days in the house and then we will keep it in the shed and let it go outside before it is returned to the flock.The boys think it is very cute but totally understand that she is not a pet.

It is much better now....

and will be spending the night in the conservatory.

I love that Jon is able to get involved by helping our neighbour during lambing and that we helped prevent this little one from perishing; part of us living our dream here in Wales.

Bye for now.

Lou.xx

Cocktails A-go-go!

Last year I made an attempt to stock the drinks tray for Christmas and we did ok. However this year I really am determined for us to have some proper cocktails.

When we ordered a few festive bottles (Jon and I don't drink that much so we like to have something a little special at Christmas). We are also having people over on Boxing Day so it will be nice to have a jug of something nice on ice to offer.

This is how the sideboard is looking. Also, because this piece of furniture is of a period that PERFECTLY suits the idea of cocktails it would be a crime not to make the most of it - well that is my excuse!

I have also invested in a proper cocktail book; contents were important of course but it did have to look right, too. The circular shaker and glass holder was a gift and it's just right!

 

In other news father in law is out of hospital and home. Has to rest up with no heavy activity/work for eight weeks.

The wind last night was ferocious and the tarp has been part blown off the Poly House, again, so I am PROPERLY ignoring it now.

The boys had great fun in the snow this week, sledging and making snowmen. It has now all gone now I might add. They are back to school after two days off with most of the Christmas activities having been re-arranged so they all fit in before they break up on December 22, same day as Jon. Woop woop!

I managed to snap this little visitor at the top kitchen. May use if for a card next year!

Ok, better dash as it is our community Christmas lunch at 12.30 and I have made a big pot of bread sauce to take as my contribution.

Hope everybody is recovering from any snow/bad weather.

Bye for now.

Lou.xx

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

Bore da!

We awoke to the perfect version of A Child's Christmas In Wales, weather wise anyhow!

The forecast was snow from 4am today, we were awake at 5am and it was already coming down heavily. It is still snowing some now. Jon and the boys have gone to clear our neighbour's path and driveway then are going sledging - I am NOT!

Here are some of the views around the house; here from the top kitchen,

across to the chicken enclosure and....

the cars!!

I am of the mind to load the Rayburn up with baking potatoes and make a big pot of veg soup. 

We will have to see if the boys can get to school and Jon to work in the morning. I have just seen the first two vehicles, a land rover and a tractor. It said on the Internet that it was taking two hours to get from Lampeter to Carmarthen. We are going nowhere, hunkering down and just enjoying the time together.

I have just seen the Aberystwyth Neighbouring Policing Team go past so I guess people are being looked out for.

Hope all is well with everybody, Dawn I see you have had some winter weather at yours.

All take care please.

Bye for now.

Lou.xx

Vintage, Vinegar and Other Stuff.

This is a quick post, after the last one. The boys are at a friends house for lunch and 'hanging out' so I'm really just catching up with everything and to show n tell a couple of things I picked up this weekend. 

In Craft I found this gorgeous vintage cheese dish, even Jon thinks it is ace!

I picked it up for £2 and I LOVE it! It is from the Boston Warehouse Trading Corp in the US.

Also at Craft I came across this little bag of goodies; you just might be able to see for 99p!!!

There are SO many pots of different sizes for sowing and growing, including some good sized ones for chillies! Just could not walk past it. The shelves in the Poly House will be overflowing.

Yesterday I started to drain off the Apple Cider Vinegar. Not quite finished but it is coming on well.

It will be a treat for the chickens.

We have had some snow in the last couple of days but we are just wet now! Forecast says it should be drier from Wednesday/Thursday onwards.

Right I think that is enough from me for today. Let us see what next week brings us.

Bye for now.

Lou.xx

Snow joke you know!

Meant to post this much earlier today but had problems with my 'phone. 

It was trying very hard all evening yesterday to snow and at 6.50am we got some. Not a lot but it continued to snow, sleet, hail on and off up until about an hour or so ago.

Much excitement as this is the garden at about 7.30 I think just as Jon had gone to work.

The boys were out sledging as best they could before school.  

I was meant to go to Aber for the dentist, my Argos refund and a new chain for the chainsaw but I bottled it and managed to re-arrange things.
 
Temperature high for Aber today is 8 degrees but don't know what the actual forecast is.
How is everybody else fairing including those in my adopted homeland?