Loss

 The Station Hotel in Ayr has had an arson attack.

And despite there being 13 fire engines there, the plastic cover prevented the firemen from doing their job properly.

It was a beautiful old building which had been standing empty, like a Marie Celeste...there is a YouTube video of the inside, standing as people left it.

Tables laid, the gym in the basement waiting......

It has had two owners from south east Asia (I think) who have done nothing to it. All the council did about three or four years ago was put the plastic cover over in case bits fell off.  No compulsory purchase order....

It could have been an asset to the town and had recently been surveyed for an association called SAVE, which found that it wasn't in as bad condition as had been feared.

And who has been arrested? Two 13 year olds and a 17 year old.....

Not so long ago the council owned Bellisle House went up in flames...

It looks like anything worth keeping here is being destroyed one way or another.

Autumn Garden

a butternut squash!!!!

The battered polytunnel..I have cleared out the tomatoes on the left, the courgettes are still going so far...

The remnants can protect the shelving until next spring 

 All the beans that are left will be for drying, and eating or sowing next spring.

Storm Agnes has left us battered and soggy, but we have had worse.

We just need some pleasant sunny weather every now and then to keep us going!

Two more sales to pack now, plus some Japonica cuttings to post.

An easy day

Pirate hibernated this morning, to catch up on a few zzzzz...I got busy...,

A dozen wine bottles worth of apple juice processed...

The kitchen floor needed a steam clean after all that juicing....

And a machine full of washing went out in the line...not a lot of work really, the machine did all that! 

Start bright and early...once the first aeroplane goes off from Prestwick airport just after six a.m., I am lying there thinking of what needs doing...so what better than get up and slowly and steadily do it instead!!

The nice breeze got everything mostly dry before the rain gently started... everything is hopefully tied down before storm Agnes gets to work.

The last one ripped the polytunnel, and today I cleared out the tomatoes from there.

A quick lunch, then off to Glasgow for Pirate to ride in circles for a while, and for me to have a break!!

And they have a good time too....

And not all hard work!

Back home through gathering wind and rain, and the storm got down to business after we arrived home.

Close the curtains....let the oven cook the supper..and relax!

Over the sea

 Looking towards Arran and the Heads of Ayr from Prestwick promenade...Monday afternoon, time out for a gelato and a walk on the prom.

Apple juice

 Cheers! 

Not alcoholic...but delicious!

Equinox , walk and apples

 And now the stormy weather rolls in!

Pirate is determined to exercise every day...even a small amount...

Yesterday we had a forage review walk ...and no bag between us..how remiss!  One of our regular apple trees from previous years had looked to have a thin crop....but it was obviously all "up top"...and the high winds have helped them down. They won't keep, but these will go well in the next batch of juice.

We found a tree new to us as well, going a different side of a hedge to usual...and it looks like an eating apple...must keep an eye on that one. 

Our usual cooking apple tree has hardly any fruit this year.. obviously cold wind at the wrong time.

Today we walked out before lunch, after I had my Winter Jags...flu in the right and covid in the left..as rain was forecast by 2pm.

There are bat boxes, but I couldn't get a decent photo 

Owl box

Apples!!!!

I tried to add a six second video of the wind in an aspen tree, but the system or my tablet wouldn't oblige..things have been a little slow today.

Pirate has been having a siesta, and I have just been "pootering" quietly..and the rain rolled in on time at 2pm.."doing what it said on the tin"!!

He hasn't been feeling too good for a couple of days..but I think the root of that is not getting used to how much more fluid he needs to take in at the moment. Hopefully we have got a handle on that.

Time to wash the apples before we start mincing, using an old hand mincer which is permanently clamped on the end of the kitchen bench....too much faff to take off and on..!! And then pressing the juice from the minced apple pulp.

Captcha...or rather not.. and life

 Blogger is having a little whoopsie again...so I can't publish any comments. It does that occasionally.

I can still read you all.

Pirate is not feeling good.  District Nurse is calling by this morning anyway, so hopefully she will be able to point him in the right direction.

Meanwhile I did a housework catch-up this morning... yesterday's washing up, steam cleaned the kitchen and bathroom floors, pushed the carpet sweeper over the living room floor and did most of the ironing, all before breakfast.

I hate coming down to an untidy grubby kitchen.  I like a fresh start to the day, but sometimes that doesn't work out.

Still windy and raining here , which doesn't help the mood of the day...and it's the Equinox this weekend.

Showers

 All day...

Kier Hardie

 

Pirate had his Winter Jag (immunization) here today..Cumnock Town Hall.

It is a beautiful building. 

Roosting

We grabbed a chance for a walk today, as the rain eased for a while, and went round part of Hannahston. Not much chance to see wildlife with several dogs being walked..but the wires were full of starlings preparing to roost, despite it being not long past 3pm.

Then I picked a large bag of the Kidds Orange pippin lookalikes from the tree over the road...grown from a discarded apple core I think.

A late night tonight...from having the Vuelta Espana highlights at 7pm, tonight's were at 11pm!!  Perhaps that will help pirate sleep, and wake a little less frequently... hopefully!!
 

Day out...

 Taking my dad's old school clock to be mended..again. 

It got the sulks last year just before we went to NZ....and in March we were sidetracked by Pirate's problem....so it is now outside it's 3 year guarantee on the work. Still, it's not the first time it has been back to the clock man!! So I can't complain at having to pay this time.

While we were in Castle Douglas we had lunch with a friend, then posted a fleabay sale and a mooch around the shops.

Pirate had a rest after all that working and we kept our ride short...just 10km...keeping it in double figures!! We were lucky we didn't see too much traffic and it was a beautiful afternoon.

A willow Beltie bull...two years old now.....and the marker for National Cycle Route 7 by the information office.

Then just before we headed home in the car....

Just above the lorry driver's door is written "waste not, want not"

Back on track

 Up bright and early, I got a wash through and on the line..not too much sun but a nice stuff breeze which dried clothes quickly.

Two fleabay sales...a pair of pedals for a change and yet another chainring!

The District Nurse came on her Wednesday visit, and answered some of Pirate's worries. Working on pain management now, which should mean that he will be in a better mood and more relaxed...and hopefully sleeping better. She will be back in just a week this time to see how he manages.

Off then via the post office, to the Velodrome at Glasgow. We met a friend there first for lunch, and he will be helping us with work on some wheels and next week helping me sort out some of the bits we have to sell. 

I haven't much experience with modern tribars and triathlon kit...so he will be able to show me what goes with what so that I can sell them.

He is almost exactly 20 years younger than Pirate and they are great mates..

Just lately he has been riding some of the off-road routes..the Rob Roy Way for one, and another up to Buckie. He did the West Highland way two years ago with a couple of friends.   Lucky man!

Pirate did 9 more laps than last week and really enjoyed himself..and has booked the same time next week!!

Then home again, and after supper I bottled 7 bottles of apple juice..and Pirate drank the glassful left over! It has just finished being processed now.

It is a nice mix of sweet and sharp, not so dry as some of last year's but still very pleasant.   I am looking forward to filling up the bottle racks!!

A productive and sociable day

 A bright and early start today..fleabay work meant other things to do had been neglected....so first thing all yesterday's washing up and ironing from a few days ago was done and all kept!!

Then it was back to making shiny bits of metal shine properly for a little during our morning neighbourly cuppa...and he came bearing gifts...two fresh eggs from his new hens. 

A quick lunch and two friends dropped by on their way home from a nice bike ride out...just in time for a cuppa! And of course other friends phoned Pirate at the same time!!

Pirate decided to join in the selling, if he isn't using kit, there is no point just having it sitting there. So the afternoon's job was cleaning four chainrings, while he started on mincing apples ready to be pressed for juice.

After supper...which included runner beans, garlic, sweet jalapeno peppers and courgettes from the garden...I cut up the rest of the apples to be pressed and am getting them pressed now.

Hopefully bottling tonight and processing first thing tomorrow.