Hello - long time no post huh?

Well we have had a very tough year this year - hence my lack of any posting of depth - but things are on the up.  Normal service will resume next year - fingers crossed.

Despite not being able to grow many vegetables up the allotment, I did manage a very good fruit harvest - and have a freezer full of bags of fruit - mixes and individual varieties. It was my best year ever for blackcurrants, redcurrants, and I had 47 lb of rhubarb!!  10lbs of strawberries and 13lb of gooseberries - quite a haul!  Plus a bumper harvest of potatoes - all of which are hanging in sacks in the roof of my garage - looking rather gruesome at night like dead men!  Plus lots of veggies from my garden - but not enough to last until next year!

 I decided I needed a 'Pick me up' - so treated myself to a makeover!

 It's been years since it was last done - and I am really pleased

with how it looks.  It makes me smile every time I look at it.

I think that I have managed to spend time in it every single day since it has been re-painted!

We are having a lot of rain lately so I have invested in a new rain cover for Peckingham Palace.

The girls are not too impressed as this one isn't the 'clear glass' look like the old one.

After the deep snow of this past winter, I decided on a really strong reinforced cover

in case we get the same conditions this winter - they'll thank me for it then - or not!

They are getting really old now - so not many eggs this year.  I really should 'do the deed' and get some new stock - but when they all have names, and are just so sweet, and come when they are called - except sometimes at bed time when they have to be bribed - they'll just carry on until nature takes its course.  

After spending this morning packing and freezing the cauldron of  thick vegetable soup I made yesterday, and making another big batch of a different mix of veggies, pulses, beans and added thick bacon 'ends' (no fat) from our butcher and Herbes de Provence - after lunch    I decided that an afternoon crafting and just chilling out my studio was my reward.
So with CD's for me to singalong with, views to look at..

 It rained and rained and rained

The garden is looking a bit bare now that I have picked all the veggies which I grew at home, but most of the weeding has been done, the lawn mowed - probably for the last time this year - but it's still a nice view from my crafty cabin.

Thanks for paying me a visit