We had a frantic few days re-packing everything to the point where neither Richard or I want to see another cardboard box for a while but the removal men were great and not only moved all our furniture into the unaffected rooms but moved all the personal bits and pieces that we were taking (including my industrial sewing machine!) to the new house at Culloden. It is about 15 min drive from here - 11 miles. Sarah and Joe are with us for a few weeks and then will be moving into their own place about 15 mins walk away.
On the day we actually moved I was taking part in the SWRI (Scottish Womens Rural Institute) choir competition which meant a few hours packing then off to don the tartan!
It was the first time that Inverness had entered a choir and we had good fun, despite the last minute stress of our conductor getting stuck in Dublin due to the volcanic ash flight disruption. Being good SWRI stock she made it back in the nick of time by train, ferry and car but none of us knew when we turned up at the venue whether or not we would have a conductor!! We did well although not placed in the top three (must have come fourth then!) but will probably continue to meet as everyone enjoyed it so much. Our local branch continued with a fundraising coffee evening on Friday which was well attended and raised £290 so we were very pleased.
It was the first time that Inverness had entered a choir and we had good fun, despite the last minute stress of our conductor getting stuck in Dublin due to the volcanic ash flight disruption. Being good SWRI stock she made it back in the nick of time by train, ferry and car but none of us knew when we turned up at the venue whether or not we would have a conductor!! We did well although not placed in the top three (must have come fourth then!) but will probably continue to meet as everyone enjoyed it so much. Our local branch continued with a fundraising coffee evening on Friday which was well attended and raised £290 so we were very pleased. Consequently I spent the day baking at Moy as we have been able to keep the kitchen and utility room accessible. It has saved having to move all the kitchen equipment and ingredients to Culloden as there really isn't the space to store everything there. I am having to get used to buying provisions in 'normal' quantities after thirty years of being able to bulk buy and Sarah and I will need to kit out two kitchens, having just managed to amalgamate all the baking powder, sugar, foil etc.
The builders were here for three days and have stripped out all the affected areas. Georgian houses have another layer between the floorboards and the ceiling below which is packed with a layer of ash about eight inches deep which acts as sound/heat proofing. The layer below our bedroom had to be removed as it was wet which was very messy! We were very pleased that the damage to the underlying timbers doesn't seem to be as extensive as was first thought so hopefully the drying out process will be much shorter. What may hold things up is getting listed buildings consent to re-instate all the walls and floors - can take up to three months...We are going to replace our en-suite bathroom and Sarah and Joes bathroom while there is so much mess around so hopefully those will be able to be done while we are waiting.
Unfortunately our puppy plans have been thwarted as the litter was very small with only one bitch in it which the breeder was keeping to continue the line. We are very keen to have a dog with a good temperament and so would rather wait than take a risk from a breeder that we don't know. Rhema has been such a lovely dog that we may wait until there is a puppy available with similar parentage.
We are still on track for the hens though and I am told that the coop and run have arrived in North Cheam so we will look forward to picking them up next week-end when we go down for a family funeral.
The wildlife is abundant here, sadly often seen as roadkill, but it is not unusual to see deer by the side of the road, especially at dusk and the birdlife seems to be getting more prolific by the day. The swallows are back and although we are pleased they are here we are going to try and limit their nesting to the hayloft as the previous owners used to leave all the stable doors and the garage open all summer which meant that everything in any of them was covered in bird poo!
Our red squirrel is getting very bold and prefers peanuts from the bird feeder by the kitchen window although there are two squirrel feeders elsewhere in the garden. We have a fantastic collection of birds that visit including a huge number of siskins which can empty the thistle seed feeder in a couple of days and we now buy birdfood and nuts in sacks. Richard was given a nesting box with integral camera for Christmas which he has set up in the front garden and although we are not expecting it to be used this year it will be exciting to watch in due course as he can keep an eye on it from his laptop wherever he is in the world.The days are noticeably longer here now - light at 5.30 and not dark until 21.00 so we are looking forward to some long days gardening here (well I am!). I am expecting to be here most days as there is much to be done and the weeds don't just stop growing. Tomorrow Pete is going to come and help us dredge the burn and the ponds and clear the overgrowth of pondweed before it becomes too prolific. We are still waiting to hear if we can erect a polytunnel and in the meantime the remaining greenhouse is bursting at the seams with veg. I am beginning to see what an advantage growing under cover will be as they are protected from the birds and slugs so much more. The council have been and inspected the site so hopefully we will hear next week. It seems unbelievable that we even have to get permission since it will only be seen by the sheep in the field behind us!!
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