Oops!

Good heavens, has it really been nearly two months since my last post, am getting slack!

Yes, yes, you say, you are busy, well aren't we all, it's no excuse.  Well I suppose being dragged up Dartmoor every weekend and spending time on my new wonderful hobby which I hope will become a job, and trying to keep up with my current day job, and trying to keep on top of the lawns and the garden, and spending time on the beach, could be good excuses?

So the garden first.  We had quite a good crop of runner and french beans, should have planted more peas out and the carrots have been good.  The spuds all got blight as did most of the tomatoes.  The chillies did OKish.  The beetroot looks OK and really should be pulled up now.  The cauli's bolted, someone ate all my swede, brussel sprout and winter cabbage seedlings!  Now having lots of blackberry and apple crumbles but they are pretty much over now.  Been sloe picking and have some nice sloe gin on the go.

Animals.  Charlie cat isn't really responding to the insulin and his back legs are very weak, but he still likes to sit in the sun (when we get any) and seems to spend much of the night out hunting.  The chicken is still with us, doing very well on her diet of chicken food and cat food (occasionally) shame there aren't any eggs.  I have looked into getting more, but the lady I want to get them from has had a rush on and won't have any POL's (young hens) ready till January.  We have little darlings in the fields (baby deer of course!) and a huge barn owl nesting in one of our outbuildings.  The swallows sadly have gone to sunnier climbs. :(

Dartmoor.  Had some great walks up from Belstone and then last week we discovered Okehampton Camp, which is an army base but you can check online when they are using the area for practice and when they are not you have a huge expanse of High Dartmoor available for walking.  The great thing about starting here is that you are almost on top of the moor, so even the highest Tors are accessible without getting completely worn out with climbing hills (cheating I know).  Last weekend it was clear as clear could be and we thought we could even make out our house which is 30 miles away.  We could see the sea on the Clovelly coast and the sea at Bude, amazing.

The beach.  Been good down here, M has taken up body boarding and has been having a great time.  I like beach combing (can't quite bring myself to squeeze into a wet suit, but maybe next year).

Work.  OK, but with spending cuts who knows what the future will bring (all my work is through the local council).  

The new hobby.  I have spoken before about jewellery making and it is going OK, may even have found an outlet but need to have enough stock before I can even think about putting anything in there, two pairs of earrings and a couple of necklaces will look at bit pathetic!  However, last week I went on a course to learn how to make lampwork beads (picture above).  This is done with glass and a torch and long metal sticks (in essence).  The beads are truly beautiful and I just love love love glass.  The first session went well and I have another one booked for next Friday.  I do need to get my own torch, but need to think about where to put it.  Watch this space for more pictures.