The Fox Saga

Do you remember this post?  Cunning Mr Fox.  We have watched the fox over the last few weeks, sometimes it is in the tree and other times it is not.    We know for definite that it has no problem climbing the tree and will happily sit up there all day.  We think it must have found or made a comfy platform as we can watch it stand up, turn around and curl up again.

Mr Fox turning around getting ready to curl up

Sleeping

Today there is a new development:-

Count the foxes!!

TWO foxes in the tree!!  Before you know it there will be a whole family up there!  Just a reminder we live in an urban district and this tree is huge - much taller than our 2 storey semi detached house.  Unbelieveable  don't you think!

The tree at the end of the garden

As much as I dislike foxes having lost my ducks to one of them and the constant threat they pose to my chickens - the new one is really quite a stunning looking creature. 

I wonder how this saga of the foxes will unfold?

Alison  x

De-construction

I have been working on a quilt since Christmas.   This is a first for me and something I have wanted to try for sometime.

The initial pattern came from this book

As it was being put together we decided that it was a little too plain for us so the patchwork lines were added to break up the plainness and add a little more interest.  This theme was carried through to the binding which is a kind of patchwork stripe.

It has been fun to do,  although a mammoth task.  When it was time to add the batting and the backing I had to virtually move all of the furniture in the living room to lay the whole lot on the floor to baste and pin it.   It took hours to complete this step,  fortunately I had Mr Milly on hand as a spare pair of hands and voice of reason to keep me sane as I struggled with the three layers and metres and metres of fabric.

Once this step was completed it was then a struggle to quilt all the layers - it took a couple of evenings to do this as it is really tiring feeding it all through the sewing machine, folding, tucking, squishing and balancing the weight all at the same time.

Quilt in Progress

The final step was the binding.   One side is sewn using the machine,  the binding is then tucked and folded and  hand sewn to finish.    Eventually the quilt was put on the bed,  we stood back to admire our handiwork and it was immediately obvious that it was too small!!  How very frustrating and disappointing is that!

This Sunday was a perfect day to de-construct and work again on the quilt - too much snow to want to venture out of the house.  One side and part of the top and bottom  of the binding was unpicked,  a new line of pattern strips sewn and joined together and the whole thing put back together again.   The next evening I spent hand sewing the binding back onto the quilt and it is done.

Finished!

This time (it is the final time as I have now run out of backing fabric and batting) the quilt is a much better size.   The quilt is a fairly basic pattern and I would like to tackle something more complex - but not for a while.   I think that will be a job for next winter, which gives me plenty of time to gather the fabric and decide the type of pattern to attempt.

Mid Winter

The days are just beginning to get a little longer ,  we have had a little snow,  but nothing too terrible and today it mostly appears to be gone.  This winter does feel long and I am really struggling for things to Blog about - My Girl is away in Kent so none of her adventures to share.  My Boy pretty much does his own thing  with no tales to tell and me and Mr Milly feel like we are hibernating!   My week is pretty much working from home 3 days a week,  travelling and staying away from home for the remaining 2 days with no opportunity to get out into the fresh air.  Weekends seem to take forever to arrive and then are just gone in a flash!

Daily blogging is going to be difficult, so until the days are longer my Blog posts will probably just be a couple of times a week.

This weekend I managed a couple of hours at the Lottie - it was very cold and not really fair to inflict that on anyone else!  I pottered mostly, the ground was too hard to be digging.  I cleared a little path between plots 95 and 96,  cleared out the shed on plot 96 and tidied that plot a little.   The previous tenant of plot 96 had a real liking for beer cans and plastic bottles as cane toppers - they work, but are not my cup of tea,  too untidy looking - they are now gone.   I then made a bit of an effort cutting back some of the brambles behind my shed and some between the 2 plots.  I am starting to build little pile ready for a bonfire hopefully this coming weekend.    No photos of the Lottie today - I forgot the camera!

Saturday night we visited friends, not too late a night as the snow was coming down pretty rapidly and we didn't want to get caught out.    I was woken during the night,  well early morning to be precise at 4.00am with the phone ringing - don't you just hate that - complete panic as soon as you realise the time.   It was My Boy - "Mum I'm in Kingston and stranded, there are no taxis, can you pick us up??"  Exactly what was needed in middle of the only snowy night this year.   A slow drive to Kingston and back, dropping friends off on the way home 5.30am before I was back in my bed.   Mr Millys' only comment - You must love that boy!   I think he might be right!!

I love Freecycle

Freecycle is beginning to be interesting again.  At the end of the year and beginning of January,  there was lots of furniture and TVs being offered - I expect this was following the January sales and Christmas gifts.

In the last couple of weeks,  things are a changing with all sorts of things being offered.  A couple of female rats were offered and taken last week -  yuk!    We have been fortunate,  first there was the table for the lottie - Mr Milly gave it the second coat of paint this weekend and now it looks like new.  The Portuguese Housekeeper was looking for a bed as hers is broken - one came along in the middle of last week and it is a really good one which has obviously been well looked after, she is really pleased with it.

And finally on Saturday a Petrol Lawnmower was offered - I duly sent my email to the offerer and waited,  I must have checked my email every 10 mins for the next couple of hours to see if there was a response - and nothing.   Usually when you are successful with something an email is returned really quickly,  from experience the longer the wait the less change of getting the item.

 Not this time though........... I was lucky  the email finally arrived on Sunday morning and yesterday I collected the Lawn Mower.   It needs a little TLC which Mr Milly will do for me - hopefully My Boy will help,  but it is working and with the 2 plots to mow (had I mentioned that I now have 2 allotment plots??!!  :))  this will be brilliant.  Once the servicing and body work have been sorted - I think a little coat of paint might be in order....   I wonder what colour????

Pink Table

Pink kettle and mugs

Pink Trug

Pink kneeler

Freecycle is great and even if the lawn mowers costs £10 to get it up fixed up a little it will be well worth it!

Exciting News

This morning at 9.05 on I was on the phone to the council and the result - Plot 96 is still available and yes it was no problem for me to take that one over!  The tenancy agreement is on its way to me,  and that now means that I have a whole plot to play with!   My current plot - No 95 is a 5 rod plot which is 1/2 a plot.   No 96 is also a 5 rod plot -  with the 2 together  I am now a full plot holder!

I have had my eye on this plot for sometime now as it directly joins to mine,  it has been worked last year with 3 reasonable sized beds having been in production.  To get this one up and running will probably take a weekend - to actually have it how I would like to run the 2 plots will take much longer.   There are some of the dreaded brambles to be cleared, however these are at the very back of the plot and could be left for now, in fact they probably will be left for now!  There is also a very small tin shed I think these are the original sheds put up on the site as there are a few of them scattered here and there - this will be useful though as I can store the pots I have accumulated and a few other bits and pieces too,  these will clear my shed a little and the back of plot 95 which is a bit of a dumping ground.

Plot 95 on the left and Plot 96 on the right,  the over grown bit in the middle separates the 2 plots.

Good timing really for this one to come up - right at the start of the year so there is plenty of time to prep the existing beds ready for planting!   This weekend the Portuguese Housekeeper and I cleared the front of Plot 95 WooHoo!!!  A double celebration!!    This is the very last bit of my plot to be cleared,  it was a hard slog to get it done but massive sense of achievement once it was completed with the last barrow load of weeds and rubbish taken away.   The Portuguese Housekeeper was fed up yesterday - 'I'm bored with moving mud' she said at one point, but we were so nearly at the end she kept going.  It has taken 2 weekends to clear this bit and without her help it would have taken me 4 weekends probably to do - I am extremely grateful for her help and the company!

All cleared - ready for digging over and making new beds.
The picture makes my plot look empty - in reality this newly cleared section is about 1/3 of the total plot,  the perspective of the photo is just not quite right!.

Clearing the last section of the front of my plot.   It definately isn't glamorous work!!  LOL 

The Smurfs came to help.........  
The Portuguese Housekeeper was cold,  we teased her all day  as she looks like a Smurf!

Plans are now afoot to sort out the  whole big plot I now have - pen and paper will be out tonight!  I wonder if I have enough seeds!!

The end of a long week

This week was exhausting,  it ended on Friday evening collecting a bed for the Portuguese Housekeeper (PH) - my little car to collect a double bed.  That meant driving to collect the PH,  driving to collect the first half of the bed,  delivering it to her flat - which is a very long walk from where the car was parked,  driving back to get the second half of the bed and repeating the process.     Not much blogging from me this week, but with the hours and hours spent in the car, I really didn't have anything remotely interesting to say and I was tired beyond tired!

I couldn't wait to get out in the fresh air,  minimal driving and do something enjoyable.   An early start for me yesterday,  a little shopping for essentials (chicken and parrot food),  collected my bag of goodies and off to the Lottie.  It was cold - a hat, scarf and a few layers of clothing sorted out that challenge though.   I had a very sore shoulder - from spending so much time in the car I think - so didn't want to do anything too strenuous, I decided to paint the table!

It took a while to do, but I was well wrapped up,  a cup of tea or 2 on hand, paint brush to the ready and the table has had its first coat of paint.    It is a bit lighter than I thought it would be,  but I do like it!

Table Before

Table after

I had a very interesting chat to Barney from plot 102 with some exciting news - the lady from plot 96, this is the one directly next to mine - has now given up her plot.  If you remember this post We have been Busy you will know that I have been thinking of taking on another plot and this is the one that I wanted.    First thing on Monday morning I will be on the phone to the council to see, well beg and plead actually, if I can take this plot on too.

Now I am not going to talk about Plot 96 any more until I have had the conversation with the nice lady at the council - hopefully with fingers and toes crossed I will have some good news to share tomorrow!

What awful weather

I left home this morning to travel to Colchester,  I moved precisely 15 miles in one whole hour.  The traffic was an absolute nightmare with all roads blocked in every direction.  40 mile an hour speed limits on the motorway and endless signs saying 'Caution Queue after Junction'  to top that it was absolutely pouring with rain.  As Colchester is 100 miles from home,  I could see it taking nearly all day to get there and then do a days work.  I gave up!!  Turned around took the 'A' roads home,  having travelled 15 miles and home again the whole trip took 2 hours!  What a complete and utter waste of time.

For my sins now I have to attempt the journey again tomorrow morning - this will be a round trip though 200 miles as I have to return home again in the evening.    Thursday I am off to Cheltenham - just a mere 180 mile round trip.  By Friday I am going to feel like I have lived in the car.......

To cheer me up with what I knew was going to be a busy week I have been shopping in my most favourite shop - Cath Kidston.  They now have all the lovely new season bits and pieces in together with a few left over sale items

My goodies look like this;-

Bargain Blackberry case,  I have been waiting for these to come down in price!
 And fold up shopper,  I use these all of the time.

Some lovely bargain fabric and a brand new design too.  Plans are afoot for both of them.

A little gift for My Girl as she is poorly at the moment. 

At last a doggie collar to fit a big dog

Star modelling her new collar - lovely!

Nestled under all the goodies,  did you see my very pretty new nightie???    I held it up for Mr Milly to admire,  hoping he would say something along the lines of  " that's pretty you will look lovely in that"  you get my drift I'm sure ;),  Oh no - not my hubby -  so what did he actually say??   -  "That looks very warm and comfortable"  Oops  LOL!!

A little message for My Girl - Love you lots and hope you feel better soon x x x Mum