New Year’s Eve – a lovely day and I walked around Boscrowan with my new camera. A present from David to take wonderful photos for our website and facebook page.

One of our 2 buff Orpington cockerels in the daffodil field

Yes the two Boscrowan daffodil fields are beginning to flower already – the earliest in the area we hear!

New Years Eve in Cornwall – well it rained and also on New Years Day. We seem to be alternating – one day wet, then one day dry. Unbelievable how many plants are in flower here – primroses, daphne almost, camellias almost, Kaphir lilies and the bees are loving my mahonia which is looking wonderful at the moment.

My New Years resolution for 2014 is to spend more time on the garden – to grow even more flowers in the cutting garden for the cottages and more vegetables for our guests too so that we can all eat with the seasons! No to imported flowers and vegetables – we managed years ago without this so perhaps we might try again?!

off with the old thatch on with the new

When we bought Boscrowan in 1999 this building had a rusty wriggly tin roof but the angle of the pitch was less than 45 degrees and our suspicions that it had been originally thatched were confirmed by two thatchers.

Ring and Thimble was completed it in 2005 and have just this week had the ridge and under the eyebrow window re- thatched – two vulnerable areas. Nothing more to do for another 8 years when we will need to repeat the exercise and maybe have the whole roof at the back re- thatched whilst the front is apparently holding up well and could do many more years yet.

plenty of ladders

and the finished result…………………

All ready for a Christmas wreath on the front door!

The weather forecast for the wedding of Pete and our daughter Jenny on Saturday 19th October at 2.30 pm  was not a particularly good one – how many more symbols could they have fitted into the 13.00 – 16.00 met office forecast for that time? a cloud, a raindrop and a flash of lightening were all jostling with each other. Pete had organised the transport to and from the Church and only he and an enlightened few were privilege  to this information but we did know there was a dry weather and wet weather option. However, as the week continued the forecast did improve.

On Friday morning Pete and Fern arrived in his red landrover with a vintage tractor behind. She would have loved horses to the Church I’d always known but maybe she would just have to adjust to this new life of wheels rather than hooves and maybe Pete planned to start married life as he meant it to continue!

On Friday afternoon on returning from  the Church flower arranging session there was an old fashioned open top dray parked in my garage – larger than my car, with a tow bar.

The great day arrived.  A shower of rain at 9am and then the weather just got better and better – and the sun kept on shining!

A leisurely morning of a trip to Penzance to the hairdresser for us girls, make up in our dining room, a changeover in Peace and Plenty – why did the dishwasher in that cottage decide to stop working that particular day after ten years of good behaviour? Bridesmaids to the rescue, they emptied the dishwasher contents into a crate, brought the contents over to our house and returned them sparkling.

It was a day of many contrasts, surprises and laughter. All getting into our finery we suddenly heard the most wonderful sound – the clip clop of large heavy hooves down our drive at about 2pm on the day of the wedding and a pair of gleaming, shire horses pulling a splendid carriage came down the drive – well that was a lifelong supply of brownie points for Peter I should think and still brings a shiver of excitement down my spine as I recall that moment.

So a few pictures will follow but there will be more over the next few weeks – so keep an eye on this blog if you wish to see more.

the hat was mine!