Mostly Willow Cutting and Wood Chopping

Since our return we've been trying to get the willow fences under control. We have now finished the long fence and have started on the one at 90degrees to it. We didn't manage to get to that one at all last year so the growth is pretty thick and much of it needs sawing. On the bright side, it will provide wood for Stanley.

Buster seemed to have had a good time at the kennels but he did smell! I think dogs always do after a stay in kennels. It seems to have worn off now. He has stayed with us a bit more since his return. Maybe he thinks of it as a punishment.

The biggest woe is that my new computer has stopped working. It hasn't worked at all since our return and the old one (the one I'm using now) is very unreliable and gives up with monotonous regularity. So if I disappear again, blame the computer. Jim's trying to get it sorted but as it came from the Internet and was delivered to our UK address, we may have to take it there and post it back to them.

We did receive a phone call from the builders who have threatened to start work on our alterations/extension. Mind you, they did say this week and it's Friday now with no sign of them! The Irish!

I have managed to get most of my Christmas presents made but still have the cards to do. I've also finished the 'raggy bag', which has turned out quite well I think. I'm taking it to my daughters in December and it will be collected from there.

Good news on the Luisa front. She is over her nasty asthma attack and home and improving all the time. Phew! Don't do that again Lu.

Our neighbours Pete and Sandra appeared yesterday for a cup of tea, so that was a relief. We had had a bit of a row a few weeks before and Jim and I had both been to see them but this is the first time since then that they have come up here. I hate it when bad feelings smoulder on for months.

Jim and his sister in Canada have been tracing their family tree. He's discovered relatives all over the place in the UK and one couple own a rather smart restaurant and have invited us there. Emails are whizzing all over the place between the new found if rather distant relations. All these are on his late mother's side as when ever they try to find out anything about their late father they hit a brick wall.

Life goes on as ever, it's turned rather cold so we're trying to keep warm in spite of Stanley's foibles. I have taken a few photos so will post them if the computer holds out.


Before we went away, Buster just wanted to be left to sleep
















A closer view







The finished living willow fence:

















From the other side with Buster












Buster couldn't work out how to get to me!














This is the longest fence we have to trim, also you can see how thick the growth is on the top.









I wandered around the garden and took a few shots to see what was growing or in flower:




The Kafir lily still flowering and the campanula thinks it's spring










A beautiful red autumn leaf trapped in a bush










The mahonia is looking splendid covered in yellow flowers. It was a horrid tall spindly thing when we first arrived. Much better since Jim pruned it.













The Mahonia close up












Fascinating Fungi











BlackJack escaping from Buster


















A pretty perennial geranium


















Buster decided to investigate my wool! It took some sorting out.















Lastly, Jim and Buster happily cuddled up on the settee