Ciderrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Pili Pala, Colon, Moi, K...useing Colons' heath robinson apple masher!!

It's that time of year again and i love it a cider making session with my friends . And extra lucky this year as pili pala and her other half are over from france.

Picture the scene! A dark night, a lovely warm workshop the woodburner was doing well that night,, a big pan of goulash, and a very large sausage! supplied by k,, pork pies and baked apples by me, Cream and Posh chocolate by pili . Throw in some crusty bread and a big pan of mulled cider last years harvest simmering on the fire. A record player and a pile of LP's ! perfect

I'd also discovered in the depths of one of the stables 12 bottles of coffee and raisen wine that we made 20yrs ago BC [before children] boy is it good!! it brought back a memory of when we where making it and after about 6 monthes fermenting we threw the raisons on the compost heap, and dear old kim our elderly GSD ate them all, She was soooo drunk we had to carry her back to the house and she just lay there completely floppy wearing a stupid grin all day, and was very ill the next Bless her she never learnt her lesson, a bit like me .

Our apple trees have done really well this year, we collected 6 sacks or so, and hopefully i'll get to collect some pears this week and try to do some perry.....

Next week weather permitting i'm off on my scooter with Nel to New Quay in wales. so if anyones in the area let me know we could meet up....

Autumn days..

Well i've heard of tree frogs !!!

A lazy day today after yesterdays jaunt.
But the sun is shining again and everywhere look's pink and all the web's are glistening like gossamer.................but i do hate it when you walk through them .............

So today i thought ! [another grand plan] I'll go to the beach with the dogs, and stop in the vets on the way to get them weighed and buy a treatment for their fleas. as much as i like catching them and squashing them !!!!! i just can't keep up.........

Well what a palava ??
5 furry beasts in the back of the car being amazingly good. And "lord Ben" the jrt on the front seat to stop him causing trouble....
I stopped at the garage on the way, and looked in the back! ! it's to quiet ?....... and they where all looking back at me with BIG eyes! ears back! and tails down! and swallowing!, then it struck me the only times they have been in cars is to be taken away from what they know and left by their owners.................
Lordy they thought they where going away again....
I flew into the vets with them in one huge tangle of miserable dogs, parted with £67 for the stuff, i nearly fell through the floor blurdy ell ! ! and booked honey in to be spayed........ Tumbled back into the car and came home What absolute joy as soon as they recognised the drive the smiles came on their faces and their tails began to wag....................Now they're all sleeping after there adventure............Ben was the only one looking slightly peeved because i didnt leave them..........

The beach was a bad idea i should have leapt on to the scooter and gone????? HHhhhhmmmm where next...................................... toot toot...

The Drive to shropshire was stunning, i've never gone that far before about 160miles or more in a day. but its a nippy bike iwas a bit disapointed it only does 60mph !but i know thats quick enough.........
On one of the little lane's i saw a sign post for Rowley [surname] so i had to take a look imagine there could be "The old Rowley mansion" just awaiting our arrival ,Yeah right ! there was a crossroads and a chapel humph very dissapointed.......
Sbs was as welcoming as ever yelling" OY! ! missis where you goin !!" ...As i drove passed her house............ to hear that through a helmet takes some doing...lol
A fab lunch and a glorious walk, and time gone to Quick ................i really wanted to get a certain horrible bit of road behind me before it got dark, not knowing how bright my headlights are.
So there i am wrapping up in countless layers, and i moved the chair And the blumin back came off in my hand! ! mortified i could feel myself going red! and they were both in hysterics!!! evil !!! it was a trap i'm sure..........but thank gawd it does it all the time.....
Needless to say i didnt get to were i wanted before dark but i got home.........xxxxxxxxx

Putting the garden to bed..

Theres home, looking quite tidy for a change..It's time now and i'm sure we've all started to put the garden away for the winter, i started last week by putting the parasols away and the plastic garden furniture that tends to blow away.Non hardy stuff is in the polytunnel and and the rose as been cut back so we can get through the gate again,anymore cutting back will get done this week..I've repainted the iron furniture and want to paint the woodwork on the house before i set to on the stone sheds at the front of the picture..

We went down to Knighton yesterday to see what it was like, i'd forgotten i'd been there before with S's, we started our walk along the offa's dyke there 10yrs ago and still haven't finished it!! It's also very close to the spooky campsite we stayed at no we didnt stay!! we paid but then got bad feelings and ran off !! so i wasnt impressed, first impressions and all that..

We where going to stay away over night but S's had split with her first love and was in pieces she needed her mum!! we've all been there!! and watching her and listening theres nothing you can say, nothing will help, just time but try explaining that............xxxx

The picture at the top is of the window in the porch which colon made ages ago ,.............................