more exploring

Not a long ride, only about 45 minutes including photo stops...but you can see by photo 4, the snow, small soft pellets, was on its way.
The wind is,literally this time, Arctic...but the sun in between the snow showers is welcome and the scent of pollen is on the air.

The new house needs internal wall coverings,but most other bits are in there...maybe someone has run out of cash.....put a veranda on there, I could see that in New Zealand....

we have doors....

reward for work

Last week has been busy, busy, slowly getting work done on the workshop...floor half painted and new doors gloss painted, free shed to cover the kiln whilst it gets mended collected.  It is just a foot wider than the kiln, but will shelter it enough,then do its proper job as a garden tools shed!

The shed roof is doing its job already....but no, the kiln will be upright to be mended!

The garden is coming along slowly, we may have sun,but we also have chill winds. Nearly all the soft fruit has been potted on, just the rasberries and a few currant cuttings waiting for top soil.  Possibly the next job, apart from planting out the peas and shallots in deep bed number three, is to provide windbreak!

The "lawn" progresses,we are raking more and more moss from it in the hope of giving what grass there is there a chance! There is no point in re-seeding until we can see earth to sow seeds into!

The reward for a week's hard work?    An afternoon out on the bike,of course!
We delivered things to friends in Girvan and near Colmonell before parking in Barrhill.

A showery drive down with dark clouds in the sky did not bode well for a good ride and as we sat in the car eating lunch before riding, neither did heavy rain showers...however by 2pm it had cleared and the sun returned..and we set off up the hill past Barrhill railway station (on the Girvan to Stranraer line).
The roads were dry, the sun shone we saw less than 20 cars in 36 miles.
Over the moors we saw and heard curlews and skylarks, buzzards and possibly a kite (couldn't get a clear sight of its tail).
  

 There was also much activity, wind turbine farm building, excavating and laying power cables...but if we demand electric power....

 On the way down to New Luce we saw this...

late 1950s, early 60s, International crawler tractor made in Doncaster
Who knows when it last moved but we're sure an enthusiast would love to buy it and get it going again...but that isn't the way around here,so much.

Heading over to Knowe from New Luce we were glad of a tail wind. In more sheltered parts we think we saw willow warblers and a yellowhammer and heard many others we couldn't identify.
Then back up to Barrhill turning against the wind..the last five miles were hard going!

We drove home through Barr and over the mountain to Crosshill and home,not wanting to face busy roads after a quiet day.

Spring (?) progress

Yesterday we ventured out on the bikes for 25miles round the local lanes...lured out by sun,we found a chill stiff breeze and short showers of pellet snow..or is it soft hail?
The beech hedges are still full of brown crispy leaves, with bits of bright green young hawthorn and soft grey green honeysuckle; then a bright yellow flash of gorse flowers.

Today started wet after a cold night....so "morning" was postponed a little until the sun decided to appear!

We got ready to work outside....and it rained and sent us in...whereupon the sun came out again! 
Inside work was the order of the day then, with the Pirate tackling His glory hole...partly by filling mine with Stuff so that he has room to sort...fair enough.

I'm devoid of inspiration at present so perhaps not being able to get at things and books will perversely nudge the spirit in the right direction....

After lunch was a little better...the sun brighter, the wind still chill...
he got the second half of the workshop floor grouting finished...

The third deep bed was filled yesterday and the germinated peas potted up. They'll need to grow on a little more and develop a good root system before planting out, but that wont be long now.
Today I finished off all the spare topsoil and potting compost potting on the fruit bushes.  Growing in pots isn't ideal, but with this soil and in a rented property,perhaps it is the wisest choice.

Tomorrow we have a small lawn to cut, hopefully we'll get a weather window to do it easily.  There is also a hedge trimming job to review...usually I'd say March is too late, but nothing nests in these privet hedges...
Then back home to start gloss painting the workshop doors at last!

slow progress

 Take one pallet....(viewed from the workshop)deconstruct...and construct...

 deep bed number three...being filled as I write..

 The "new" doors have been undercoated, but the weather isn't suited for fast drying. Work has been done today in shifts between showers of snow pellets with sunshine in between!

 Yesterday's bargain...I thought I'd bought a twin stemmed Bay Tree...turned out it was two in the same pot!...with some judicious pruning there are also five cuttings and some bay leaves for the kitchen...a real bargain!...especially as it was bought in a 20% off sale and came with a decent pair of gardening gloves free....

Hi Ho...continued..

 Our customer had groundcover down, covered with stones...as you can see from the grass past the Pirate,it isn't maintenance free....next to go down will be groundcover and artificial turf.....I think that a lawn and paying us to cut it would be cheaper!!
He does love his frogs and fish however....

housework

Bleugh!!

It did need doing though, as we have visitors coming to stay.  Now we have a tidy bedroom, a study that is reasonable and will be ours for the duration, a living room on the way to being sorted and all the kitchen things actually in the kitchen....

and the rain it raineth....and the hail.....and the lawn is looking like a moat...

The Tin Snail was making nasty noises, but seems to be behaving now.

I think the 405 estate may get a reprieve...put it in for an MoT test and see what it fails on!  It has more power, a tow bar,is more comfortable....and is still doing over 50 mpg despite an oil leak and 360,000 miles on the clock...just needs about £90 of parts and a load of TLC.....

Hi ho, Hi ho....

 before, and after four hour's hard work....

 next door's cat, dreaming.....

wet again

 One day it is fine and the starlings and sparrows are enjoying a newly scarified and cut lawn...today we have steady rain so far...

 and the amorous jackdaws are busy on the lines, after our neighbour mended his roof,again...they'll peck their way back in...

weekend out

 The Bell memorial, remembering a cycling author who wrote about this area of South West Scotland.

 Looking across the valley...I think this is The Awful Hand, the Meyrick (the highest) is just to the right. 
The Memorial is near the junction of two roads, one the main Ayr to Newton Stewart, the other goes via  Nic o the Balloch and Glen Ala, and over to Crosshill or Dailly on the way to Girvan.
The wind here can treat tall trees like matchsticks.

 After checking that the site was good for the following day's plans we followed the road down to Newton Stewart, and all the burns and rivers were full after a couple more days of heavy rain.

 In the riverside car park there is a sign asking you to watch out for the ducks!
These were on a dash to a splash...probably competing for a lady's attention....

The Sunday started damp, but we loaded the car with firewood,my bike and a few provisions and headed back to the Memorial...
The Cyclists Touring Club had organized various runs converging there for a traditional drumup....

 the Billy is made from a clean baked beans tin with a stainless steel wheel spoke as a handle..

 New friends are made, and a passing rider found a novel way to warm his gloves...

 the locals investigated and left...

 and groups of riders came to share lunch and a brew...

 Another rider had started the fire and The Pirate kept the billys boiling..

In all there must have been nearly forty riders out.

Afterwards he stayed to see the fire finished and safe and I rode the 25 miles home...thankfully mostly with a tailwind!

 past tree harvesting...

 and the signs of Spring.