Last autumn I plants about five hundred daffodil bulbs as well as other assorted bulbs.

I just thought you ought to see a picture of the very first daffodil to flower!! And before the end of February, too!!

Just a quick note to show you how the veggie patch is coming on - pathways installed and the beds starting to be dug over. I can tell you that the bed by the wheelbarrow is now finished and the bed to the right of the picture is done up to the first batten. Hard work, but I am pretty proud of our efforts.

Some of what has been done over the past months is extremely difficult to photograph (or perhaps I forget!!) but I have to say that Gavin has continued to go out 'to work' virtually every day over the winter and work is accomplished. Even though it is work which will not show very much - it is certainly work which is producing the inner framework of our new home and will, in part, be holding up the barn!!

But to end with - just a little spot out side our rented kitchen door - which catches whatever winter sunshine is about and makes quite a colourful little corner.

I will certainly try hard not to leave it so long before I add more to this saga!!

Sorry Andrew . . . .

. . . . . A few nights ago we had a HUGE wind storm and when we got up a hole had been blown through the wall. I have to say that the hole was not nearly as big as these pictures would suggest. But more has had to be knocked down so that it will ALL be sturdier when repaired. We really do not want to take time to fix this at present. But, the property surrounding wall is important to us and so several half days of work will have to be fitted in to deal with this set back.

These things are just sent to try us . . . but after the first awareness we just knuckle down and get on with it.

We do have a fabulous dry-stone wall surrounding our property, of which we are very proud.

However . . . . .

Another major task dealt with recently is the reduction of the size of the chicken run. This are will now be pathed, dug over and prepared for being a major part of this year's kitchen garden. We are still using apples (stored), raspberries and blackberries (frozen), jam and pickles made with some grown and some purchased produce and of course we are still getting plenty of eggs from our nine lovely chickens.

But this year we hope to do even better!!