We’ve not seen much of the deer in the garden over the last few years – I think they must have had a huge cull and reduced numbers so much that the population has taken a while to recover. But they are back to some degree now.  First R saw a female out of his […]

I’ve spent what seems like weeks now packing all non-essential things into boxes.  Even after what I thought was a thorough clean out; a big give away of unwanted but useable things to charity and a major trip with a hired van to the tip to get rid of R’s cable collection (ok, that and […]

We haven’t seen an early summer like this since we moved to Argyll eleven years ago.  And just when we are about to leave it all behind. Well with a bit of luck we won’t see many midges this year – normally dry springs pretty much stop them in their tracks.  Anyway, we don’t see […]

The Victorians were very fond of all things Japanese (hence the Mikado), and I am planning for a Japanese influenced office in our new house. So what could I conceivably do with this?  A very modern laminate office cupboard which I was going to discard. But then I thought again.  An antique cupboard, or even […]

Yesterday we saw a large male – he loaped over the drive and then appeared at the kitchen window eating the bird seed.  We got a great view of him for several minutes until Saphy saw him off.  He was about as big as her, but martens seem to be terrified of cats. Today we […]

The flowers are all in bloom now.  The bluebell wood is looking fantastic. This azalea is nice. Wild strawberries are coming into blossom. And the black blob in the distance is Lucky enjoying the sun.  At the moment he is joining us for just long enough to schnarf down a pouchie before vanishing off on […]

I’ve done a few more pieces of furniture. This one is a gate leg table.  The top was completely ruined with damp and the varnish was half flaked off.  I cut away the damaged wood and replaced those bits with veneer.  In retrospect I should have cut more away to make it a regular shape […]

The fabulous weather is back. Today J and I went on the longest walk we have been on together since we finished the Camino back in 2019 – in my case the longest walk I have been on since my foot started to deteriorate in 2023. We walked over to Drymsynie, and then with some […]

The chair in the picture came from my Grandma’s house in Blackpool.  She was born in 1889 and lived to be 98, so even more than my father, she saw some serious changes in her life.  Lived through both world wars as an adult and saw powered flight, radio, films, television etc.  From the stagecoach […]

R is away on his travels again and missed my Mum’s birthday. She came over to Donich Lodge with my brother and J – this was actually a goodbye to the place as I don’t think they will be back before we move. We went to Bowmore Botanic Gardens in the afternoon.  My Mum can’t […]