Tuesday 28th May 2013

Altogether a pretty damned awful day, wet all day.
Day spent pulling down walls in the useful room.

Bank Holiday Monday 27th May 2013

A  beautiful day. Warm, sunny with a little breeze.
Lawns cut and trimmed and ceiling now removed from the useful room.
Once again just the one Moth in the trap, not must moth activity this year.
Picture 1 - Moth.
      "     2 - This is what happens when you let a 16 year old loose in the garden!

Sunday 26th May 2013

A  warm, sunny, dry day.
Not a good start to the day, Fobney taken over by travellers. Trucks full of scrap, mobile homes and caravans. This, just a week after the official opening. Words fail me. EA and RBC were grateful for my contacting them but with being a bank holiday it will be Tuesday before action can be taken.
Unable to park at Fobney I moved on to Green Park and enjoyed a circular walk. Plenty of nesting activity and recently hatched chicks enjoying a morning swim!
                   Rest of the day spent taking up the floor in the useful room. Was hot work but needs must.
                   Enjoyed an Italian meal in town celebrating Leilani's 16th birthday. Growing up to be a sensible young lady, currently taking school exams.
Picture 1 - Fobney invaded by travellers.
     " 2 - 6 - Green Park.
     "      7 - Useful room in bits.

Saturday 25th May 2013

Brilliant, summer returned today. Sunny, mild and little wind.

Day spent removing all the feather edge from the side of the useful room.Removing the ceiling & floor tomorrow.

Moved back into the conservatory while this work is going on. 

Friday 24th May 2013

Another wet, windy & cold day.
Front door installed today, thankfully fitted to perfection. Delay now as the first floor windows have to be re-made.
Started taking down the Useful Room ready for the replacement Conservatory.
With all this work going on the poor birds are somewhat confused!
                Enjoyed an evening meal with John & Hillary at The Crown at Nuffield. Another well known pub threatened with closure. A 16th Century public house with all the character you would expect now likely to be sold as housing.

Thursday 23rd May 2013

What a change in weather conditions. Cold, windy and wet.
Four ground floor windows replaced today. Windows now in the style as when house was built in 1899.
The bad news is the issue with the first floor windows, do not fit. Surveyor appears to have the width & height measurements back to front. With triple glazed anti glare glass this will cost the company a fortune.

Wednesday 22nd May 2013

A  stunning day with plenty of sun.
Happy now, builders turned up. Two very good tradesmen, worked hard and carried out a 100% job. Replaced the conservatory roof today with a triple glazed glass roof. Amazing how much lighter the kitchen is now.
Planted out 30 sunflower plants, I must win the competition this year?!
Picture 1 - No roof.
      "     2 - Replacement roof.

Tuesday 21st May 2013

Mild, dry, very little sun and overcast most of the day.
At a loose with the builders letting me down, the young Squirrel cheered me up. So facinating watching Mumsy showing how to feed.
Good to see many Bees about the garden despite the lack of sun. Not doing very well with the Moth Trap, not seen one moth yet. Already more butterflies in the garden than last year so that really is good news after such a wet spring.
Picture 1 - Young Squirrel.
      "     2 - Bumbler.

Monday 20th May 2013

Mild, dry but very overcast.

Difficult day today.

Sunday 19th May 2013

A beautiful day, mild, sunny, little breeze.
Bluebells at their best, in fact the best I have ever seen in the garden. Just a mass of blue at the moment. Ideal weather conditions although a week later than expected.
Almost filled the compost with cherry blossom and still loads more to fall.
                      Entertained 10 Woodley OAPs to afternoon tea and cake on behalf of Age Concern. First time we have used the house and garden for such an event. All greatly enjoyed themselves (weather helped) so have agreed to be placed on the hospitality list.
Pictures 1 & 2 - OAPs enjoying themselves.
       "             3 - Swept heap of cherry blossom.
       "      4 & 5 - Bluebells.

Saturday 18th May 2013

A  mild day, very little sun but at least dry.
Lawns now looking good after a trim. Baskets all hung on their respective hangers. Greenhouses sorted, tomatoes staked and cherry blossom swept up.
Pictures of Mum Squirrel with young showing how to bury nuts. Fascinating to watch.

Friday 17th May 2013.

A  brilliant day. Must make most of it as wet and cold conditions due again on Sunday into next week.
Day spent manning the Friends of Fobney stand at the official opening of the Fobney Wetland, Nature Reserve by Martin Salter.
Picture 1 - Martin explaining the history of Fobney from the eighties.
     "      2 - Official opening.
     "      3 - Interest being shown on the FoF stand.
     "      4 - Recent photographs taken at Fobney.
     "      5 - Mayfly emerging from the lake.
     "      6 - Mayfly now settled on a notice board on a display stand.

Thursday 16th May 2013.

A  sunny, cold, dry day on leaving Crail, same conditions on arriving home at 4.30pm.
Garden looking very green and fresh. Bit of work required now, lawns to cut, baskets to hang out, greenhouses to sort. Can't believe how everything has grown in six days.

Wednesday 15th May 2013

How lucky were we, last day of the holiday and again a sunny, dry although still very cold.
Visited the Fisheries Museum at Anstruther today. The Museum tells the history of Scottish Fishing with original fishing boats housed in the collection. The Museum will be featured on Country File on June 2nd.
During the afternoon paid a visit to Crail Pottery before enjoying my last walk of this holiday to the Harbour.
Picture 1 - Crail Pottery.
      "     2 - Crail Harbour.
      "     3 - Anstruther Fishing Museum.

Tuesday 14th May 2013

A  dry, sunny, windy and very cold day.
A  visit to the Secret Bunker today. What some history. How wrong was I, thought it was built for WW2. Was in fact built as late as the sixties to during the Cold War when there was a real threat of a Nuclear attack. Frightful. Images from a film I watched will be with me for ever.
Late afternoon went for a further walk to Crail Harbour before enjoying an evening meal at Crail Golf Course restaurant.
Picture 1 - Crail Golf Course late evening.
      "     2 - The Bungalow entrance to the Secret Bunker.
      "     3 - The Secret Bunker computer system!

Monday 13th May 2013

Another dry, sunny, windy and cold day.
Dundee today with a visit to the Discovery Ship and museum. Had not appreciated this expedition by Captain Scott, hard to believe a wood constructed ship could survive such conditions.
Enjoyed an afternoon dinner at The Links golf course at St Andrews. Just love St Andrews, this being my fifth visit now.
Finished the day with an evening walk to Crail Harbour.
Picture 1 - Ship Discovery.
       "    2 - St. Andrews.

Sunday 12th May 2013

A  dry, sunny but a windy and bitterly cold day.
Best day of my life - five hours spent on the Isle of May. An amazing Island with so much wildlife it was difficult to take it all in. Will definitely visit again on next Crail holiday. Have never been able to photograph birds and wildlife at such close quarters before. A truly magical day.
On return to Anstruther we enjoyed a Fish & Chip meal at the famous Anstruther F & C restaurant.
Picture 1 - Anstruther Harbour.
All other pictures were taken on or from the Isle of May.

Saturday 11th May 2013

A good start for the holiday being dry, sunny although on the cold side. Same weather conditions on arriving in Scotland.
Arrived in Crail (staying with Mac & Pauline) at 4.30pm. Greeted with a most welcome cuppa before an early evening walk along the coast to Crail Harbour.
Picture 1 - Kings Cross.
  "   2 - 4 - Crail sea front.