Meet the Family

Old vintage prams look so comfy and cosy. My mum had a lovely big silver cross pram, that she would wheel me around in. I expect she took me for walks down to the duck pond at the end of the road and beyond getting all the wheels muddy. A lovely lady in the village takes her grandchild out for walks in a vintage pram, it must be wonderful seeing the world from from your little carriage.

Talking of meeting ones family, Captain Rupert has plucked up courage and would like to introduce his daughter little Miss Laura. He was not sure he wanted anyone really to know, I have told a few people and he has told me of, he feels ready now.

It happened, while he was on holiday with Miss Snowdrop and Great Aunt Velvet back in May. I had not idea they had kept it a secret from me. Great Aunt Velvet did her best as a chaperon of her two young charges, but she is getting on bit and nodded of for twenty winks and well... I don't need to say what happened.

Snowdrop had 3 in the litter the other two having a suit of grey just like there dad. It was all so unplanned and first time pregnancy that, Miss Laura's bothers sadly died.

I only found out about all this in August after picking Captain Rupert Up from his holidays. I asked who is that living with Miss Snowdrop, she looks like a new rabbit, how come they are getting on and then the story was told. I was a little worried Captain Rupert would have to take up his fatherly duties and she would have to come and live with us. Which I offered but she has decided to live with her mother. Captain Rupert will of course send parcels of carrots and dandelion leaves, and visit on his holidays.

Saying goodbye on his last visit. You can see she has her fathers ears. I have promised her she will grow into them. She is very proud to have grey spots like her father and some of her mothers snow white coat.

Well Captain Rupert sneaked off digging to eat strawberry leaves, I sneaked off to paint the kitchen.

It all started on Sunday morning, K had gone sailing and I stayed home to get more digging done, so he could come home and relay the patio slabs.

I just wanted to paint this picture frame, which was a waxed pine and did not look right in our bedroom. So I took it down to the Kitchen to paint.

Just as I was half way through my brush slipped and on to this dark kitchen unit. (Sorry about the photo, I thought I had a better before photo, this was taken ages ago and I have painted the walls since then)

It reminded me of when I was little and I was left inside while everybody was busy in the garden. I think I had a cold or something so mum thought it best I stayed inside. I felt a little annoyed about this so decided to paint the glass on my bedroom windows. Just with poster paints nothing that would not come of easily. I remebered it was very good fun. I think I painted flowers and stars in oranges and blues but can't really remeber. Mum was of course a little cross when she returned, but soon relised that no harm was done - I hope thats right mum.

K came home from sailing and wondered why I had white dots in my hair, I said I have been painting. He wondered what. I said you will have to see. He soon found the cupboard and was very pleased with the change.




I'm very pleased with the result so here is another picture of it. I can put my mugs and glasses in with out them being lost in a dark hole. I was so pleased in fact I started on the rest of the cupboards. They are not finished yet but I will show you when they are.

This is the oil rayburn waiting to be fitted which will replace the old solid fuel one. I getting excited about having a little heat in the mornings, with lighting a fire. I never could get the old one to get up to temperature with coal. I could with logs but you need a good supply because it eats through them so quickly. Coal was good for keeping the fire in over night or in the day. I will miss the little fire going when you opened the door, it made a nice sound too. I'm planning on using the log burning as much as possible for heating in the future.

I have just been reminded about a website that has some lovely pictures of our village, they are much nicer pictures than I could take. If anybody is interested please have a look at the gravel roots website

More Digging

IMG_6493[1], originally uploaded by j.twinn.

Yet more digging. Captain Rupert has been helping us dig the new oil pipe in ready to to very sadly get have a oil rayburn to replace the solid fuel one. It was a bit of a big job for just captain rupert and he sneaked off to eat some more of the strawberry leaves and my nice blue houseplant pictured a few posts below which sadly has no flowers now..

I have just ordered the oil and its due to turn up early next week. Its going to be very sad for the old rayburn to go but I will be very happy not to have two rayburns sitting in the kitchen its just not big enough. The new old one has been with us for about 5 months. Its been really hard to find someone willing to fit a second hand oil rayburn.

Captain Rupert is looking forward to warming his toes and cooking carrot stew in front of the rayburn when its in and fitted.

strawberry patch

strawberry patch, originally uploaded by j.twinn.

Oh dear, is that a new type of strawberry plant, no I don't think so its a funny grey colour. Oh no its Captain Rupert in my newly dug strawberry patch. Still he did help with the digging so a little munch here and there won't hurt. I have managed to fill the hole bed with runners from just two plants brought earlier this year. I will have to find more rabbit proof fencing!

A little bit of colour for a cold morning. I'm not sure what these yellow sunflower like flowers are but there is a huge clump of them in one corner of the garden. They last for ages when cut which is lovely, I'm going to have to work on some colours to display with them, I seem to have alot of yellow flowers in the garden at the moment.



The sweet peas are still going strong, although just getting powdery mildew.

In the bedroom I have picked the few hydrangea flowers we had and am letting them dry, they look lovely as you walk along the landing and see them sitting happily on the chest of drawers.

K has been very helpful in helping make these raised veggie beds. I have slowly been filling them up with soil. It was so exciting to get the first plants in. There is a temporary rabbit proof fence, in time the whole raised bed area will be of limits to rabbits. If you look really carefully in the top right of the picture below you can see captain Rupert sulking at the thought of not being able to eat the tender leaves of spinach. I don't feel to sorry for him because he still has lots of garden to bounce around in.