Chilly Easter

Well, what an odd Spring it has been!

We have just returned from our Easter holiday and found fir trees down everywhere we looked, including in our fields and along the lane. A couple of weeks ago the area had a snowstorm that resulted in drifts 2.5 metres high along our road, keeping inhabitants to their homes for three days until it melted.

We were lucky that only the telephone line was affected by several fallen branches, and as we arrived at the house a young man was just re-attaching the crucial wires. So now we have both telephone and internet, with a skype-type free line to call England.

We gathered lots of fallen wood, and Ben spent some time up a tree on the little island sawing off damaged branches. He and Martin also fixed the wood and tiles on the stables so everywhere is now looking better.

We also stripped a lot of sturdy ivy from the boundary of the paddock, leaving very little in the way of greenery and creating a huge burn pile in the process.

Our problem now is how to stop the chimney leaking smoke into the house: somewhere there is a leak and we have had builders in to find the source. Hopefully they will get it sorted out in the next few weeks and everything will be in working order for a lovely warm summer!