WHAT CHANCE HAVE I GOT

Trying to keep up with the washing is really difficult here, as everyone goes out and gets lagged most days...but Squeaker really doesn't help, doesn't matter where I put the clean washing she will make a nest in it, she has even learnt to open the airing cupboard just to get to it, what is wrong with my family of felines!

STEAM TRAIN

Not sure how much it costs but there are steam trains that go up and down here quite often, this one was all laid up for evening meal it looked really smart. Not sure where they go but the food looked nice!

NORMAL PEOPLE GO OUT FOR DINNER

Normal people go out in the evening for dinner or something.... but not us ...no we live far to exciting lives...CHUCKLE CHUCKLE!!... Just had a bath washed and sat down early for a change about 9pm. Then Pete says oh we havent put the little chicks into their new big house..... OH no so I don my clothes on top of my PJ's, so very chic! and proceeded to follow pete down to the lunge ring where the chicks were.. COuld we catch them, could we heck as like, we were running around in the dusk trying to catch these ruddy little white things that move faster than concord.... so we had a plan, we would open their old place so they would go in at least somewhere and then catch them, so we opened the run and hid behind the shed so they would go in nd then jumped out like snippers at war and shut the gate behind them!.... well the first part of the plan worked, we got them in the old cage bit, but now we couldnt reach them. SO pete slithered his stream line body... cough, splutter.... into a small hole and crawled up the end and caught the chicks one by one whilst I grabbed them and shoved them in the other house where they need to sleep from now on. It was a right fiasco, if anyone could have seen us it must have looked funnier than a mr bean sketch, hey should have had us on that olympic opening ceremony , a typical fun family farm, so idyllic....!!!!!! Oh we did finally manage to get pete back out!

PAR BEACH

We try to walk the dogs to the beach at least once a day at the moment as the cardiologist says that will help, plus the dogs love it...actually just as I said that I remembered only this morning trying to drag Shadow out of the road as she is up to her old antics again and chooses to stop in the middle of the road and roll over, so I have to hold up the traffic, look stupid and drag my hairy dog of 60kg out of the road with her grinning ear to ear, whilst apologising to the road users and try to explain she hasn't got many brain cells....but she knows exactly what she is doing... I have a video of her on the path doing the same, anyone know how to upload it to this blog?? We are really lucky to have this on our doorstep, you can even walk a short walk along the cliffs (or rock climb around as me and pete do, cant do anything normally!) to the next little place Polkerris and eat in Sams or the pub, great food, would recommend it! Who wouldnt want to holiday with us eh!

BODMIN V LEEDS!

We are lucky enough to attract some of the professional teams to Cornwall for friendlies. This year Bodmin were playing Leeds. We took Steve and Ryan to watch them. Obviously I know all about football....even after watching it for years with Steve in various teams and Pete..I still find myself there for the chips and cuppa tea! ha ha It was a great first half quite exciting and Bodmin gave them a run for their money, second half wasn't so exciting...or was it that all my chips had gone??? could have been haha

BUTTERCUP

Buttercup Cottage is looking particularly cute in the sun at the moment, and the little garden really sets it off, I would love to holiday in it, and we have a great garden just across from Little Toms for them too, we even managed to come up with a home made BBQ table, so people can used disposable BBQs and not set fire to anything...hopefully!!! This week we even have a goal in the garden due to Will and Claudia gracing us with their presence. Great to see you guys and obviuosly mum, dad , nanny and grandad too! Glad the sun is here for you and you are able to go to the beach!

OUR FIRST BBQ ON THE BIG PIT!

After longing for some sun and then waiting until mum was well enough to come out after her operation, we finally had a very last minute BBQ, bring a steak and cook night we had. It was great, we cooked on the skillets and lit the bid fire pit a couple of hours early and banked it up with logs ready to cook a little later. You can see my photos I have the magician in the making, studying like harry potter there, or he prefers to be likened to Dynamo!....The hungry caterpillar that if she keeps still enough no one will notice she is there and wont ask her to help!...The three stooges, the cast from fraggle rock! (for those old enough to remember fraggle rock it was actually filmed across the mater from St.Mawes at a place called Place, see I am a mind of useless information! Cant remember date or year or my name on many occasions but I can remember fraggle rock, just about says it all really!.. Oh and then there is the Muppet's, I will leave you with those dilemma's and see if you can match the pictures to the descriptions!...might get a few emails about that one  ha ha

SUN AT LAST

What a week its been absolutely baking hot! The Mill is just about on as far as we can take it until we complete on Woodmill and money is released. Until then its borrowing money every month to cover the titanic mortgage! But the front looks great I think and the outside seating areas are quite cute too. So at least we now have a kitchen and a workable home to live in albeit in a shed load of unmanageable debt! It will be worth it in the end, hopefully September it will be sorted. We did have a bit of luck though as our buyers who are trying to sell their house (give me a shout if anyone is looking for a home!!)...have organised a gardener to cover some of Woodmills gardens, which is fantastic news, and it will look alot better for them when they do move in as it was slowly getting out of my control!. We can just about keep on top of paddocks and the road hedge but the gardens were proving really hard to keep up with as I cant work as hard as I used to.... I guess it catches up with everyone eventually, there are only so many years you can do 7 day week 18 hour days eh!!! well it caught up and I have to manage it now!.... But heres to good luck!

WE HAVE A MONKEY!

When we bought the mill we were told of a story that the mill when it was working always had a pet monkey in it. I was seriously thinking about getting one until I looked into it! So we left a beam a little too long and had a monkey carved in the end of the 400 year  old beam, we were unsure whether we could as the grain was quite open and rotten. But we managed somehow to get him holfding the end of the beam and his tail goes right up around the top. I think he's cute...you may think a little odd, but thats normal to us!, but we love him!

I THINK LAURA HAS FOOD!

Not sure but I reckon Laura has food, not that the dogs know that or anything. They can sniff a sausage roll or a bacon butty a mile off, and you will have no chance of eating alone as long as they can get to you. Mind you you have to have your wits about you as they will take it clean out your hand without you even noticing until its too late!!!you have been warned!!

STEVE TRIES HIS HAND AT HAIRDRESSING!!

Steve oh gentle one, with as much finese as a Rhino, decided to have a go at hairdressing whilst Laura sat eating her tea, this is the best he could do, so I guess its a good job he isn't planning on doing this long term eh!

CHICKS OUT

The little chicks that hatched not too long ago have their white adult feathers and are out and about with the big boys. Their Auntie took them under her wing and showed them the ropes. Mind you I am not sure that Ringo was that gentle, he was so excited he ran around in circles for about an hour, thinking...yippeee...I have new friends to play with. You can see him on the right flying off the goat mountain!

WELL DONE STEVE!

After passing English , Maths , medical and a really high score on his Barbs, Steve is well on the way for his application for a bursary from the Army. They will pay for him to attending college for two years with a view to entry in 2014. He was up against 80 men for a fitness test and he was one of only 12 and the youngest to pass. He has been training hard and there is a lot more training to come over the next two years. But it was great news, he was so chuffed. I think it was the hardest thing to date that he has achieved. SO well done STEVE!!!!XX

I did my bit, whilst I was waiting nerve rockingly...I took these photos on Portreath beach, I am not so sure I was having a hard morning, taking a few photos and having a quick coffee!

SWANS!

Swans are the Victor Meldrew of the bird fraternity. They really have got an attitude around here, they are a nightmare. Walking along happily minding my own business and go past a swan, don't even look at them and up they get and hiss and chase you for the hell of it.... Now whats that all about. So now when we walk the dogs I have to go the long way around them just so their personal space of 10 sqm is not encroached upon., thank god I don't live next door to them. Don't get me wrong they are beautiful but they have stinky attitudes!

CATS

You know what I still can't figure out why I can't be a cat!!. Seriously they have the life of riley here. Just as I returned home from a manic few meetings, with shopping in one hand for the evening meal, whilst trying to balance Sassy (another cat) on my shoulders, keys in one hand, arse of a cat in the other whining for food. Then just as you think you have managed to negotiate the front gate open the back door, balance cat on head, and hold on to shopping the phone rings in that manic tone, that has only yourself to blame, you probably set it on on of those nights in or over a glass of wine and thought how funny would that be....Well when it goes off ...not so funny now is it, and it goes on and on and on... So drop shopping and keys luckily not in drain, open door, find phone and the ruddy thing stops... then the whole performance starts again. when I finally get to phone its Steven asking whats for tea???!!!! TEA, its only 11.45am! So as you can see when I saw Smurf another of our cats lounging about in the sun like he is king cat or something, almost leaning back and asking for grapes, not a worry, debt, work or kids uni fee in sight.... I really wish I were a cat!! How was your day??? Just wondering....

PRESSIES FOR DOGS!

All the dogs have been a bit miffed in all this bad weather, They are still going for walks but they like to ounce about outside and look miserable in their beds...So we bought them a toy each. Gem thought balancing on her head was the thing to do, Lucky ran around like a looney trying to ill it apart and shadow just held it like she does a packet of crisps and tries to pop them and get the contents out with her nose. No idea what she thought it was!!!

NEW LOOK PETE!

Pete got it all going on, a fashion icon of the times. If you need any handy hints just call Pete! He is thinking of advertising as a side line of our business ha ha... We went up to the Eden sessions to watch PlanB, The Vaccines and Noah and the Whale, both nights were good, Plan B was best but both nights we got soaked and had to buy a couple of these very desirable ponchos!!! We looked a real state, but at least we got out, forgot the tickets and then the money and then our jumpers but at least we don't live too far to go and get them. I think it was the shock of going out that confused our brains!!!

POOR WINSTON!

After tirelessly feeding WInston every two hours to make him live and he was really spritely yesterday, he took a turn for the worst over night and died. I have no idea why, it must just be genetic, but we tried our best and it was only yesterday that he was merrily hopping around the kitchen and tweeting away. I had even designed his house for when he was a big boy! I guess Pete won't have to make that now. Poor Winston,,, we tried X

RELEASE DAY

Today was the day for release of Winston, we took him on the patio and saw if he wanted to go free, and he appeared to do just that, he hopped across the stones and flew in a fashion down to the mound of plants, he seemed to know where he was going, we thought great, no more feeds and he is happy....But got back with the dogs to find him out side the bifolds asking for food, the cats hadn't bothered him and shadow hadn't kissed him(if you know what I mean!).. I couldn't believe my yes, so we fed him for a while and thought  "I know we will take him up to the woods and give him a chance to mix with a ll the other birds....3 hours later he was back yet again this time by the back door...how weird is this, I didn't believe Pete at first  as he said Winston was back with suitcases this time!!!! We then thought we will have to make a makeshift home in our brand new kitchen.. I really thought those days were behind us, I really didn't want to be hand rearing anything again, just wanted a calm clean life....but winston had other ideas, he was moving in whether we liked it or not!!! so we made him (rather ironically) a home in a cat box to keep the cats out not in!... He has been singing in there ever since and wants feeding now so I will have to go shortly as he is getting louder and louder!!!... All this was after we went to check on the swallows in the feed store, their mum had left them, they can fly now, but they were stuck in a bucket with water in, so we had to dry them off, we think we had saved two but the third doesn't look hopeful. After sitting in the feed store watching to see if they were ok for a couple of hours, we made them an easier landing pad and more comfy, they seemed to dry off quite nicely....talk about a doctor dolittle day!!!! what a nightmare I thought The Mill was a change of lifestyle, not looking hopefully right now!!!>.. anyway must go ruddy Winston is really going for it now!!!

ODD DAY!

Saturday was a little manic, we were a little taken aback at the state of one of the cottages, and it took absolutely forever to clean it! It has made me rethink my kindness of accepting dogs once again. all our regulars who bring their pets are lovely and always leave the cottages as they wish to find it and even the dogs behave, never mind I guess you have to have the rough with the smooth....Well after a marathon clean in the rain, and boy did it rain, we got soaked walking our dogs, and then quick change to see our will-be buyers of Woodmill, which I must say was reassuring. I think you tend to think about the what ifs when you have a while to think. So glad to see them! even if I did have a basket with a colander on it in my hands, all normal here at The Mill, different house same pickles!... we found a fledgling who we had given some dog food too as he was lost and had no mum, it looked like the ensuing night was going to be lengthy as they need feeding every two hours or so!! We named him very briefly as Winston! I say briefly as he has most of his grown up feathers and we were going to try to release him the next morning! Photos to come soon, as my download is taking ages, will update later!

GET WELL SOON!

Well been at the hospital with mum today, we thought she would be out today but as the night dragged on until now actually, it became apparent she wasn't coming home tonight, for one reason and another, I think she wants better presses!! only kidding, hope you are out tomoz!. I seem to be spending far to much time at that hospital lately, Dad last month mum this month and me every week at the mo, whats going on!!! Still at least when I got back it was easy to get through the electric gates!! NOT! Shadow decided to interrupt the sensor by sitting in front and wouldn't move!! She is as big a a person.. What a day. Hopefully tomorrow be better eh!

WALK IN THE PARK!

I am not quite sure if Pete is just a little bit unhinged or if he is winding me up. We walked to the beach and we always have a cream tea on a sunday if the portable cabin is there. It was raining and blowing a holy but nothing could stop us, we sat on a bench with the dogs and I sorted the cream tea, it was about to blow away so I asked pete to hold the plate, he then carefully (bear in mind it was really really windy) and purposefully put the tip of one finger not he edge of the plate, hardly holding it at all. I looked at him and asked if he was serious? He couldn't see what I was on about I was in stitches, I think you had to be there really it was really funny but probably doesn't transfer to paper well!...I might write a book on Petes helpful moments, I have hundreds and it would be really funny...... OOOHHH yeah tailing about books, we think we will be writing and producing a book for Purl Design when we have completed on the house, to show our projects and initial concepts, might take a while but a plan was hatched so that normally means we will be doing it in the near future....well at least we aren't moving again yet !!!!

ROYAL RED!

I bought a new pair of shoes ...posh ones for the Garden Party, as I only had wellies (although given the weather they would have been better!!) I suppose I could have put sparkles on my wellies!! Well my feet got very very wet and my very posh red suede shoes dyed my feet red, I still can't get it off!!!! So at least it was only at the bottom!! See it always happens to us, nothing goes quite right eh!!