Well in between guests Neil has undertaken the heroic task of repairing the waterwheel. This has involved removing and replacing all of the spokes and back boards. And repainting it NOT claret and blue.
It's all done now - took about 3 weeks all in all and is amazing. Goes like a bomb, forgot what it's like when it goes properly and bits in the rooms upstairs start moving.
And Mick has plastered the wheelhouse ceiling. Must have been fun.
We wedged the wheel stuck - were tempted with the man on a moving waterwheel comedy routine but thought better of it.
Am being seriously bothered by Blackie the silent killer at the moment. All over the place, purring and salivating away. He manages to kill by the sheer power of being blackie. No signs of injury whatsoever. Whereas Moleskins efforts look like they have trodden on a landmine.
And isn't the most irritating thing when you mistakenly put your rubber glove under the tap and fill it with water when you are washing up. Horrendous - can't wash up with a glove full of water, worse than no glove at all. Then bloody soaks you when you turn it inside out to dry. And talking of annoying, what is it about pease pudding. Do a nice dinner for the guests, home baked yorkshire ham with egg, chips, parsley sauce and homemade pease pudding. Served in rather a nice cheffy disc sort of shape and noone ever touches it. Time and trime again everything else gone but the pease pudding. Well I'm not going to bother any more. Makes the kitchen look like yellowstone park bubbling away for hours and nobody like it. Except me.
Serious business. Now really good royal blue and red.
The guests continue, really have been much busier than we thought we'd be, tailing of a bit at the minute but the main holiday season ends in November and we're still getting quite a few in - and lots wanting dinner which is good. Always smell of cooked breakfasts these days. Everybody we've had in has been great so far, really nice people, even had a couple back for the second time last week.
Starting to get colder up here to, tho still lovely weather. But it's actually warm in the house. Unlike this time last year when it was usually colder outside than in - really grim. Now its all heated and really nice. We sit down in the big sitting room with the range lit if we have no guests - very nice. And Dennis is no longer the coldest dog in the world. In fact as he doesn't have to spend most of his time keeping warm he has had time to practice a few more impressions. So here are .....
A chicken - needs to work on the colour of the comb a bit but not bad and ...
A giant squid.
Actually think thats his best yet.
