Burried

There's nothing like the impending arrival of a new puppy for getting some progress on the list of garden jobs.  We have had a solitary gate post installed for some years, but this weekend saw the hole dug for the second gate post, and the gate actually hung.  We are puppy-proofing the garden, in the loosest possible sense of the term - if she has anything at all about her, it won't take Pippa long to find a gap in the hedge to wriggle through, but it might work for the first half an hour.  And as with all good holes in the ground, they need to be got into first by an eight year old boy before they serve their final purpose, and James willingly obliged.

One of life's little ironies

Just as the external works are progressing and the garage is beginning to take shape, disaster strikes.  Driving home from work one evening last week, the Passat breathes its last before conking out a few miles from home.  It has served us well these last eight years, and at 190,000 miles I suppose it had a fairly good innings, but we were hoping to squeeze another year out of the old girl before trading her in for a newer model.  But fate would have other ideas, and as we begin our search for a new motor, we ponder the irony of this beautiful new, but for the time being empty garage.

Digging the vegetable patch

I think this is called making hay while the sun shines, or not looking a gift horse in the mouth.  At the end of a hard day's work landscaping around the garage and patio wall, it seemed a shame not to squeeze a bit more value out of the digger we hired, so we put it to work on our vegetable patch, with Hannah at the controls!

Marle Place

It has been a week of discovery.  This place is yet another of Kent's hidden treasures, visited for the first time just yesterday.  We were one of only a very few visitors, treated to tea on the lawn, wandering around the place as if it were our very own.  Beautiful gardens that feel lived in and loved.  What a special place.

By the seaside

Where better than a trip to the beach on a gloriously sunny day in April?  We ventured a little further afield this time, heading for Walmer instead of our usual jaunt to Camber.  And it paid off, what a stunning stretch of unspoilt coastline this is.  After a picnic on the beach, collecting pretty pebbles and flying the kite, we explored the old fishing village of Kingsdown in search of ice cream.  Despite having no sand, the beach got the thumbs up from the kids who enjoyed being burried up to their necks in pebbles.  I guess it must get a little more busy in the height of the season, but judging by today, this lovely beach would seem to be one of Kent's best kept secrets.  Shh, don't tell anyone!

Mr and Mrs Barry

We have great pleasure in welcoming the newly-wed Mr and Mrs Barry to Sunnyside!  Mr Barry is having a lesson in the art of gurning.  Come on Graeme, pucker up!

Chicken love

Our feathered ladies are growing up, their combs and wattles have grown and reddened which is a sign that they are reaching maturity and will soon be ready to lay.  Darcy has already started laying beautiful pure white shelled eggs, and we are waiting expectantly for the others to follow suit.  The bets are on for the next hen to pop one out, my money is on Myrtle who has been demonstrating the submissive squat for almost a week. 

Pippa

We've been planning a new addition to the canine contingent of the family for some while, but it has all happened a bit more quickly than I had expected.  An evening's speculative searching on t'internet, followed by an exchange of text messages and then a visit this afternoon to the happy home where this little bundle was born, and suddenly Pippa has become our newest family member, or at least she will be in four weeks time when she is ready to leave her mum.  Pippa is the product of an illicit union between a Border Collie and the boy next door, a golden Labrador.  We don't yet know what we are going to do about holidays, we will need to do some work to secure the garden, and I feel a little nervous of the Labrador streak only having ever had Border Collies before...  But all of this can be overcome, and we are all very excited about the turn of events in the last 24 hours.  Welcome to the mad house Pippa Burgess!

Building progress

The retaining wall is finished and the garage base is taking shape.

Spring walks

This is what the Easter holidays are all about.  Long walks in the woods, playing sticks in the stream, plenty of sunshine, and generally enjoying the great outdoors.