Thawing at last!

Since my return last Monday, activities have been mainly 'firewood focused'! There is so much fallen wood that, having persuaded Richard to join me on a foraging expedition, we were able to practically fill our high sided trailer after only an hour or so of cutting. It is very satisfying to feel that we are able to at least cushion the effects of the rising Calor costs ( two price increases in a matter of weeks) with what is effectively waste wood.
I have emptied the first log store, re-stacked the usable wood and spent a couple of hours with a chop saw turning a large pile of broken fencing, pallet slats and various random bits of scrap wood into pieces usable for the fire. All that is left now are the large blanks left by the previous owners from a fallen tree in the garden which I am hoping to split later this week and then the second store will be empty ready to re-stock with green wood Hopefully then we will be able to maintain a system of cutting/ drying/ using, as the wood needs to dry for at least a year before being burnt.

On Monday Richard and I had a ski-ing lesson, a first for me and a 're-start' for Richard as he hadn't skied for forty years. Perhaps naively, I had envisioned a fairly gentle slope where we would learn the basics - crucially, how to stop once in motion.....but no... we were taken to the top of Cairngorm in poor visibility and given a 'crash' course - I think we had the opportunity to snow plough twice before we were expected to zig zag down the hill! There were 11 in the group which I have since learned is considered too large for a beginners group and despite pointing out to the instructor a number of times that I hadn't mastered the basics after lunch (soup and painkillers), he sent us up the hill on a t-bar ( which everyone 'fell' off as they were too terrified to go down the slope it took them down) and then proceeded to continue the lesson in the middle of a run (not a nursery slope) so that we then had to contend with experienced ski-ers and boarders hurtling past us at speed (not to mention the humiliation of all the pre-schoolers!!) and had to try to avoid major pile-ups as well as stay upright ourelves. I finally lost my cool with him when, while attempting to turn round and keep my balance, he pushed me, saying I wasn't moving.

Fortunately, I have got to know a couple in Tomatin a little and they have offered to come up with us to spend some time with us until I feel confident that I'm not going to slide all the way back down to Aviemore unable to stop! I have some spectacular bruises which I'm not going to put on the blog! Richard escaped pretty much unscathed having discovered that ski-ing is much like riding a bike and quickly picked it up again. His only injury was spraining his thumb whilst putting his boots on, which causes great amusement whenever he tells anyone so doesn't generate much sympathy although it is very swollen!

The veggie seeds are germinating well and the remaining greenhouse is filling up nicely. We are waiting to hear if the insurance company will allow us to put the money for the flattened greenhouse towards a polytunnel. If they agree I should be able to order it and get it up by the time the young plants are ready to plant out. In the meantime I need to start dismantling my 'pallet sculpture', as Pete, our neighbour calls it, to make some raised beds and more compost bins. Pete brought me round two carrier bags full of 'Country Smallholding' and 'Kitchen Garden' magazines so plenty to keep me occupied.

Today I co-hosted the community coffee morning. This is held each week in the village hall and is a good way to get to know people and keep up with local news. Two of the women host it each week and provide home baked goodies. Everyone sits around a long table with cloths and napkins and because the hosts top up drinks it means it is possible to have a proper conversation with the people around you without everyone disappearing at intervals to get another cup of tea or piece of cake - very civilised.