Kenn Village

There’s an old arch thing getting in the way, so I propped it up against the kitchen window while I did other gardening things.  I needed somewhere to hang the bird feeders while I moved the bird table, so I hung them on the arch thing.  Went indoors for a cup of tea, and the birds were very happily feeding 4 inches from the glass.  So I left everything where it was, old arch thing and all.  I saw a bullfinch for a minute the other day.  This is all brilliant.

so I took my courage in both hands and lit the stove.  No dramas, no chimney fire, all good.  It’s probably the oldest thing in the house, and is the only thing that worked first time.  I’m blacking it today, and cleaning the glass and hearth tiles.  More pictures when it’s done.  We need a fire surround to tide us over (everything is just to tide us over – I wonder how much of this tiding over will still be in evidence when they carry us out (in either box or straight jacket)).

Then I lost it with the ghastly dogs in the downstairs loo…  A fingernail under the edge of the wallpaper led to ripping the whole lot off.  The wall underneath is neither flat nor square, but the new wallpaper covered that multitude of sins.  So that’s another job done for the time being.

So the floor was the main thing, and I got the one smaller room done:

Hideous colour of the kitchen cupboards. I thought I could live with it until the time comes for a new kitchen.  But I really can’t.

British Telecom has overcome its reticence and we now have wires to the outside world.  They’re a bit thin, and a bit slow and weedy, but no matter.  We are connected.

Thank you all for your cards and gifts!  (There have been a few tears – it’s easy to be brave and careless before the event.  It’s all real now).

All the old email addresses are the same.

I posted some pictures, as promised – starting at the bottom of the page and working up.

It is really wonderful – regardless of the leaky roof and lack of kitchen, the filthy tiles and the weird wallpaper, the artisans who say they’re coming and never turn up – it’s just wonderful.  The weather has helped – snow which only stayed long enough to look gorgeous, and then sunshine with the odd shower.  I watered the garden yesterday.

We’re finding our way around pretty well – we sort of knew it before from walking, but it’s not like being here.  Little independent shops are brilliant, but have odd opening hours, and close for lunch.     The recycling centre closes on a Wednesday.  I have turned up there THREE TIMES now on a Wednesday.

The drive to Northallerton on a Monday morning to take Andrew to the station is (at this time of year, at least, because it’s already light at 5.30 and the weather is clement) gorgeous.  I must remind myself of that when it’s pitch black and freezing and we can’t see the hills and dales.

The bird life is great – curlews and oyster catchers wake us up, barn owls sing us to sleep.  I hadn’t expected waders, but the river has boggy bits and shale banks and they feed there.  We hear a kingfisher, but haven’t seen it yet.  The usual suspects come to the feeders, with the addition of siskins.  There’s a little waterfall affair which empties into the little pond in the garden, and the birds come morning and evening to drink and have a bath.  It is impossible to work under these conditions.  Hopeless.  We find ourselves gazing out of the window – twitching while the house falls down.

Most important though, is that both Kate and Molly are happy now that we’re finally here.  They love the place, it’s safe for the children, it’s just down the road should either of them need us.  I think we did the right thing.

Enough twaddle.  More pictures another day should anyone be interested.  Meanwhile the email now works, so communication can happen again!

The weather has been amazing, so even though I should be indoors ticking things off the list, I somehow found myself digging over the vegetable patch.  We don’t even like runner beans.

We went to Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal.  We walked 6 miles.  We hadn’t intended to, obviously, but she just kept wanting to see a bit more…  We wanted her to walk with one of my Leki poles, but she won’t have it.  Thinks people will think she’s old and infirm.  (Instead of 96 and stubborn as a mule).  She is a bit of a phenomenon.  And the day after that she weeded one of the beds for us.  She looks and sounds so much happier just in these few weeks.  I think knowing that she can be here once or twice a fortnight, that we’re only down the road, that we cared enough to do it – well, I think it’s made a difference.