Dismal Day..

Woke up this morning to rain. All I could think was at least the plants were getting a good watering.
Been busy with the Ponies today, the normal routine of mucking out and then did the mass worm. Was hoping that the weather would improve so I could get the rest of the plants in, but it hasn't stopped.
Took some pictures the other day of the Buzzards that visit our fields nearly everyday. They are magnificent creatures. They always seem to perch on the rails in the fields. Their definitely not fazed by the Ponies and will quite happily swoop down onto the ground with the ponies all around them. We counted four of them the other day. I wonder if its Mum & Dad with their babies.

My 3rd Follower...

My 3rd Follower is Swallowtail from Northern California. I've just been over to have a look at her blog. Fabulous pictures and poetry on there. Hello Swallowtail and welcome to my world...

My Second Follower..

My Second Follower is Ben's Girlfriend Katie....

My First Follower...

My first follower on both my blog's is none other then my dear friend Tash aka The Boot Sale Queen...

Planting...

Spent most of Sunday, putting in the Plants that Jackie & Alan brought over for me. Hoping that they all take. Also cleared some more stuff out of the Barn. The stuff we have accumulated is unbelievable. Moved all the furniture that we no longer need into the bit of the barn we cleared out on Saturday. I'm either going to get the local second hand furniture shop in or put it in the local free ads. Really need the space.
Today, I've been planting again, along the bottom of the bank in the little paddock. The compost heap has come into its own today, talk about black gold. Did have to laugh today, while I was planting Warrior was following behind me, it wasn't till I turned round that I realised that the little bleeder was pulling the plants out that I'd just put in. So had to replant the whole lot again! Still loads more to put in, but I've definitely made a dent.
Harry came home from school this evening saying that he'd hurt his foot. Well when I took his sock off you ought to have seen the lump. So straight down the Doctor's praying that he hadn't broke it. Luckily its just a bad sprain, so he's now in a Tubigrip stocking to support it and he's currently laying on the Sofa, with his foot elevated. So he will be off school for a couple of days until the swelling has gone down.

Followers...

I've added a followers gadget to this blog. Have seen it on other blogs and would love to know who's following mine. I've also added one to Hericus Blog as well, wonder which one will get the first follower?

Grand Clear Up..

On Friday decided that now all the Hay is cut and away, that the corner of the bottom field, that backs onto the cottages, really needed a good clear up. It was totally overgrown and full of Brambles. We normally have it cut every Autumn, by Andrew who does our Hedges for us. So went down there with the Bush Cutter and I'm so glad I did. I don't know if it was the builders or the new people in the Cottage, but someone had emptied the remnants of a bonfire over the hedge. But not only that they'd also chucked over broken bottles, jam jars, bits of old rusty metal and broken china. I was absolutely fuming, can you imagine if I'd let the ponies in there and one of them had stood on the broken glass! It doesn't bear thinking about and also the consequences if the ashes hadn't been out, and it had set light to the hay growing in the field.. Now its been cut right back, I'll be keeping a very close eye to see if anything else appears over the hedge.
Saturday, we started on the downstairs of the barn, which as you know is full to the brim with stuff. Cleared one part of all the stuff , into the yard and sorted it out. The amount of crap that had accumulated in there was unbelievable. The floor in this part, had a couple of gaps, and the floor was uneven, I want to use this as another stable, but was worried about the floor, so that's now been filled and levelled.
Tash's Mum & Dad, Jackie & Alan also called in with a boot full of plants for me, to plant in the banks. Thanks Jackie really appreciate them. Looks like that's what I'll be doing later on today, planting... Off to bed now, before I turn into a Pumpkin....

Making Hay While The Sun Shines...

Haven't been doing anything on the house this week, been too busy outside. Did some weeding on the bank in the little paddock. Still have loads of Flowers in bloom on there. Hoping that all the seeds will drop and the bank will be covered next year. The lovely Pansies, I planted in the bank on the drive, are not holding up very well, seems I have a large Slug problem. I don't want to use slug pellets! But they could be my only option.
Now we've made the Hay and it is stored in the Barn, want to concentrate on getting the outside of the House finished, while we have the good weather. Kitchen has taken a back seat.. Story of my life. I'll save the painting for a rainy day. Also want to clear some overgrown gorse & bracken from the very back field. Need to take the Loppers down there and the bush cutter.

Busy....

Been really busy. Lots going on here. Please see Hericus Blog..

Happy 17th Birthday Ben...

Its Ben's 17Th Birthday today. He opened his presents and cards before he went off to School, this morning. Katie had made him a beautiful Dream Catcher, to hang in his room, plus a bottle of Aftershave and a T-shirt. He also got Smellie's from Tash & Co.. He got money from Tanya, Nan & Grandad and Katie's Parents. We got him a set of "L" plates, all the manuals for the Driving Test etc, his provisional license and will be paying for his driving lessons!
He wanted for his Birthday Dinner my Chicken Casserole, so that's been in the oven all day. I've also made him a Chocolate, Caramel, Hazelnut Tart. Never made it before, so just hoping it tastes as good as it looks.
Happy Birthday Son, I hope the year ahead brings you all you wish for. Love You xxx

Surprise Visitor For Ben...

Haven't been able to write about this on my blog before cause it would have spoiled the surprise! When Katie was down at Christmas, she asked me if it would be OK if she came down this week for Ben's Birthday, which is tomorrow. So we hatched a plan to keep it as a surprise.
You ought to have seen his face when I called him downstairs last night to help me unload the car and he found Katie sitting on the Sofa.. Priceless... He said "its a wonder Mum, you didn't have the camera handy." Needless to say he was over the moon...
Tried to plant the Pansies, I brought the other day in the bank, but it was a no go. So instead I've planted them in the bank that runs down the drive. Hopefully the slugs will leave them alone and we will have some Autumn colour.

Busy Bee..

Been really busy today. First off this morning, went down to meet the builder, who's brought the cottage at the end of our land. He's got the digger there today, digging the footings for the new retaining wall. He just wanted to talk about what they were doing. Came back and started painting in the kitchen again, but this time on the scaffolding. Managed to get the rest of the ceiling painted and the undercoat on the beams, that I couldn't reach the other day. Just got to give it all time to dry out and I can get the top coats on. Also the render went on the outside wall of the kitchen, and I've just finished putting the pattern back in on it, to match in. Marvellous what you can do with a blunt pencil..

Vampires...

Something weird happened in my house last night! Both my boys now have vampire fangs. OK, I'm only kidding.
Ben is going to a costume party in a weeks time and wants to go as a Vampire! But he wanted the proper Fangs, that they use in films and the TV series. He'd found the web site in America Vampfangs.
I ordered Ben & Harry a pair each on Monday this week and they were here yesterday, how was that for fangtastic service! (excuse the Pun).
Anyway, these fangs custom fit over their own Canines. They come with all the stuff in a little coffin box. You get this special glue and capsules of powder, which you have to mix up put in the fangs and then put this over your own teeth and allow it to set. You then have to click them off and let them set. After they've set, they just click straight back on and stay there.
Harry did try to sneak out of the house this morning with them in, he wanted to wear them to School. Can you imagine the teachers faces if he had.

Merlin..

Took these piccies of Merlin this week. He could really do with a trip to the grooming parlour!

This Week..

Tuesday, spent most of the day putting a coat of white paint, over the new plaster work in the Kitchen to seal it. You now need sun glasses on to go in there! Its so bright.
Wednesday, went back into Carmarthen to change the wrong colour paint I brought on Saturday, to the Ivory colour that I should have got. Also popped out the Garden centre while I was there and there were some more trays of Pansies that had been reduced to 20p and 50p. So brought another couple. Also some more Lilies, which had been marked down to 50p. Called into TK Maxx as well and managed to pick up a loose bottomed tart tin and a cake tin. The boys want me to make a chocolate, hazelnut and caramel tart! Also treated myself to a new blue enamel Wok from Wilkinson for £3, our old one has had it.
Today, our friend Rachel called over this morning for a cuppa and catch up. I then popped down to my other friend Diane's to pick up the Horse wormer's I'd ordered and some shavings. Want to get on with the painting again tomorrow, but need to put the scaffolding up for the end wall!

Rain Rain Go Away...

Well it has for today, but another lot due tomorrow!
Saturday, we popped into Carmarthen, to B & Q, so that I could get some more paint for the kitchen. Picked up the white paint and the cream for the walls, only to realise when I got home that I'd picked up the wrong colour! So will have to take another trip to swap it. While I was in B & Q, popped out to their garden bit, and boy did I spot a bargain. All the beautiful Lillie's had been reduced from £4.99 to 99p. Managed to find four pots that haven't been totally devastated by the rain. Also picked up a plant for the bank, another bargain at 99p, it looks a bit bedraggled but by the time I've split it and replanted it, I'm sure it will perk up. Properly get 4 smaller plants out of the one! Also picked up 3 trays of Pansies that had been reduced from £4.00 to 99p, these are also going to go on the bank. Don't you just love a bargain.
Today, while the rain has held off, managed to get the new guttering and facia boards up, along the outside of the Kitchen. Another job ticked of the list.
You can just see Merlin's nose in the picture of the trays of Pansies, well he was trying to get in the picture.

Severe Weather Warnings...

Well what can I say about the weather... OK for Ducks.
The whole of Wales has severe weather warnings at the moment. Been listening to the Radio and there are loads of floods, landslides and River's bursting their banks. Its absolutely chucking it down here. Took these photo's on the Veranda a couple of hours ago, just look at the sky, rain clouds everywhere. Weather report said that it may clear up this afternoon, but then another load is on its way.
Ben was supposed to be going out with the School this morning on a beach clean up, for his Welsh Bacca Laurette. He took all his wet weather gear, but I have no idea if the school took them, I won't know till he gets in tonight.

Flowers....