this week

Made a great leap backwards in getting the house on the market.  That 4 weeks and counting has turned into 8 weeks and counting.

Ate the Pine Needle Syrup (or Forest Honey) made last week.  The recipe was simple and adapted from a few I saw on the Internet.  2 cups of water to 2/3 light brown sugar and 2 cups of needles squashed into the cup.  Fast boil and then keep at a good simmer until reduced but still runny - about 1.5 hours and then decant into honey jars or syrup bottles and allow to cool.  The consistency is somewhere between runny honey and maple syrup.  It tastes like treacle toffee with a hint of antiseptic....which is far nicer than it sounds!

Went camping on the land.  Which meant I had to accept that I was roughing it, and by roughing it I mean outdoor bodily functions.

Did a lot of walking - 6 miles along the coast, and 4 miles in a friends woods.

Removed too many ticks from the pups.  I blame the mild winter for their crazy numbers

Drove through beautiful scenery with a bunch of teenagers to Bushcraft.  Mountain air at 7 a.m. is a better wake up than coffee!

Planted out more broad beans, spinach and sunflowers at the old house.  Even if I'm not there, someone might appreciate them.

Got all protective over the Coal Tits nesting all of two feet off the ground by the shed at the old house.  The Cat isn't allowed out unsupervised and we've installed a perimeter to protect them from other local cats.  I hope it works.

  Started to think about the reality of what we are doing, so have made contact with the water testing people and started researching filter systems.