Latest News from Kirkstead Old Mill Cottage B&B Woodhall Spa

News from the garden

The Witch Hazel is now in full blolom and it adds wonderfully to the view from the kitchen window.  Reg and John have completed a second day of planting daffodils behind the wooden-rail fence that marks the final approach to the cottage, and there are just enough left from 13 sacks each containing about 650 bulbs to create a feature in the raised bed at the back of the courtyard, though I believe that the shade in here will prohibit the bulbs from bloomimg again next year.

The fight for AVASTIN begins

I'll add details as I have them to report, so please bear with me.

A quiet day

It has been sufficiently dreary in Woodhall Spa today for me to opt not to go out.  I did, however, glance out of the kitchen window enough to notice that the Witch Hazel bush is really unfurling its buds now.  It's a pity that the weather forecast for tomorrow doesn't include sunshine either.

As I shut the door to the decking tonight I was rewarded by hearing a tawny owl calling from the wild garden, and this is the first time in 2009.

Our wonderful wildlife and a visit to Woodhall Spa

Today at 1pm we saw a barn owl perched in a rabbit hole down in the beck, and I wondered if it was fishing or waiting for a water vole to appear.

There are more snowdrops emerging, including a patch in our mini orchard on the south-facing bank.  The yellow stemmed dogwoods are just as prolific as Reg and John reported on Thursday, so I am hoping for sunshine tomorrow so I can capture a picture of them for you.

I wish I had a camera with a telescopic lens so that I could record the female Greater Spotted Woodpecker that is feeding for the first time this year on the nut feeder and the bark of the apple tree.  In 2008 I only saw a male and the young one that Tony had in his hand for a few minutes as he helped it out of the garden over the wire of the rabbit proof fencing.

Tony was well enough to come down to the village with me today as I went to the hairdressers, so we had an excellent pork chop lunch in The Melrose Tearoom, followed by apple and blackberry crumble.  With his gradually improving appetite I am more confident that he will not lose any more weight, but I hope I do carry on getting slightly lighter.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

If have any advice for us on how to find a way for Tony to get the drug AVASTIN on the National Health please be in touch.  He came home from his two days of chemotherapy yesterday with a letter from the private hospital confirming that AXA PPP (his insurers) are not willing to pay for this particular drug after 19th March.  We have already enjoyed an extra year together probably due to this treatment, which we will soon be without unless we can raise over £1000 per week to pay for it ourselves, and we are not prepared to say goodbye yet.

We were a bit sad yesterday afternoon, but by the evening life was in perspective again.  We are privileged to live in such wonderful surroundings, to be able share them with family, friends and guests, to have spent fifty-three years as very best friends, and to have been born into a wonderful country with so many opportunities open to us.  It's easy to count our blessings.

News from the gardens

Last night as I drove home from doing a bit of late night shopping and visiting Billy at the Village Limits, two interesting items flashed in the headlamps - the first was, I feel sure, a Little Owl that I disturbed on the track, near to where the side fencing starts, and the second was bright little patches of white on the bank below the flood wall.  Then John and Reg uncovered some more snowdrop buds when they moved one of the young Cercis trees from the apple tree bed into the wild garden, because it was encroaching on the path to the kitchen gate.

John and Reg also completed the planting today of the Oblavaris daffodils beside the new water feature that drains water away from our neighbouring Mill Farm.

At the end of the afternoon our two intrepid workers reclaimed my ancient Philips slim line washing machine from the blue shed, where it has been collecting dust since we moved here in 2001.  The Hotpoint machine failed to spin today, so now I know why I'm a bit of a hoarder, and we are back in the laundry business much sooner than expected.

Seasonal decorations

I'm going to miss the swag that Bridget and I placed on the side of the staircase in December.  Well!  I did actually make several of the bows in golden ribbon.  This evening I've tried to add a couple of photos to the entry for 11th January without much success, so here they are instead:

They're in the air again!

Yesterday, I thought I spotted the Lancaster returning home over the Petwood Hotel on its way back to Coningsby, and then today when I was sitting in the sunroom a small plane, with yellow stripes under the wings, passed overheard, also in the direction of the airfield.  I am therefore hoping that this just the start of The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's training programme for 2009.

If you want to know more about this fantastic, local attraction have a look at their new 2009 website: www.bbmf.co.uk

CONGRATULATIONS AMERICA

Dear family and friends, How I wish I could have been in Washington, or with you, today as you welcomed your 44th President.  I so hope he will bring some peace and financial stability in 2009.

It was wonderful to have your comany just three weeks ago, and I look forward to your next visit.     On quite a different subject - have you tried Sue's Chocolate Pot receipe yet?

Mastering New Techniques

Today I have spent many hours extending my knowledge of how to download photographs from our digital cameras into Google's Picasa2 programme, and then onto some one else by email.

Mike, my webmaster, has touched up this photo of my first award winning floral arrangement for me.  This illustration belongs back in August 2008, but I thought you might like to see it first, particularly as I am currently starting the sweet pea seedlings that should give me another lovely, perfumed diplay to harvest this year.