Keeping you up to speed.

So...we have both been pretty busy with work over the last few weeks but that is OK as it means we have more spending money for our imminent trip 'Up Over!' Will has been doing extra shifts at the cheese factory and I, even though it has been the school holidays, have been busy at the 'Book Cave' and cleaning down at 'Harvista'. It has meant that we have had very little time to do anything on the new house really. When we have had free time we still haven't been able to do anything on the house because we don't have the materials we need and haven't ordered any because we are saving for our trip again.We did cut some planks from a couple of felled trees one day and are hoping they will make lovely steps up to the deck on 'Blue Moon'. 

The three lots of guests that I was responsible for at 'Harvista' all left rave reviews after their stay so that was a relief. On my last clean I unknowingly grazed my thumb cleaning the B.B.Q and then putting the duvet back on after airing it outside noticed blood on the cover! I soaked the stains in cold water and rushed up to wash it just as our neighbours returned from their 4 week trip. They were not concerned but said to leave it with them. I just hope they got it all out even though they were only tiny little spots.It has been very cold here the last few weeks and we have had frost quite a few mornings. It doesn't get as cold up here on the hill as it does down in the valley but we have been sleeping under three duvets as Blue Moon has no heating yet.With the Sun lower in the sky at this time of year last month we were struggling to get hot water as the water heating solar panels out the back barely saw any Sun. You might remember we had to set them up because the water jacket in the stove, which was how we used to get hot water, burst last year. However, in the last few weeks Will fixed it by fitting a loop of copper pipe into the stove and reconnecting it to the water tank outside and now we have loads of hot water again.We have been doing a lot of cutting and collecting of wood to keep Frogknot warm and heat the water.While it has been cold it has still been very dry. We have not had decent rain for about three months now. A few weeks ago we got about 25 mls over a couple of days which did bring a little green back to the grass and did fill up the tank at the back of the house which was great, but then Will went and accidentally left the hose pipe, that was connected to it, on all night and drained half of it.Our nocturnal intruder is still about but has only managed to get in a couple of times over the last few weeks and has not caused any mess. We have found patches of fur down by the dam and suspect that some possums have fallen victim to foxes. Our little Ring Tail has not been sleeping in the shed for about three weeks and disappeared shortly after we discovered the other dead Ring Tail. I was worried that I had not seen one eyed Caliban for a while but then he turned up again one night recently.All our 'chooks ', Arke, Pacha, Sheng-Mu and the newly named Branwen are all laying so we have dozens of eggs again. We have separated them from the three roosters and the Guinea fowl, by dividing Fort Yudhisthira, as the Guinea fowl had begun to peck at the hens as well. Before we go away we will be getting rid of the roosters and some of the guinea fowl so we can open up Fort Yudhisthira for the hens to roam in while we are away. When I say 'getting rid' I mean they are for the pot.I need to make two doors for the pen so that our neighbours can easily gain access while we are away.I have been busy the last few weeks sorting our trip 'Up Over' with visits to London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and Bristol planned.Will is working everyday now, except Sunday, until we go away. I have two days at the Library and two days in schools this week. It's all go!