Availability

I'm sure you didnt have a look at this blog to read about how badly I did in our village show! You were more likely to be looking for an update on availability over the coming weeks.

At present, it looks something as follows:

this week, from Sun 27th - full all week

From Sun 3rd August - room with private bathroom available all week, en-suite rooms available some of the week

from Sun 10th August - Full most of week, one en-suite room available for a couple of days, but weekend of 16/17th, two en-suite rooms available

From Mon 18th August, full most of week

One room available over Bank Holiday weekend, form Sat 23rd, but I will not be cooking on the Saturday as we have our local fete that day!

From 25th August - rooms available from here onwards at present

Sour Grapes

Well, I thought my photo was quite good, but that wasn't the view of the judge, so that was that! They have no taste. Nor about the painting, which I came third in, out of 4! I agreed that the first place was well deserved, no question, but, otherwise, I though mine was rather nice. Ho hum. But then, my tomatoes were 2nd, out of 3! And my runner bean was pipped to the post by a stonker, at least half a cm longer than mine! And now it's inedible, it has been hanging around awaiting it's big moment for so long. One year I'll win something. The trials and tribulations of village life.

This is the image I entered in the class 'trees' at the flower show, see below! I cropped it, and took out Sky, as it wasn't to be entitled 'dog and tree'. I love the twisted, gnarled trunk with something or other growing up it. It is probably quite old, but stunted by the wind and weather we get here from time to time!

The Village Flower Show

I love the village flower show! It is about the only thing I get time/excited about in the annual calendar for the garden club in Treknow. It is such fun to nurture the runner bean to get it as long as possible, to select the most uniform tomatoes, and to see how they compare with the other entries in the show. And, this year we had a painting section, so I had to do a picture of the local area for that, especially so as I had suggested paintings be included. I only finished it a few minutes before taking it to the hall. My sweet peas are definitely not winners, there was a longer runner bean there, and I didn't get a cake baked or a flower arrangement done, so, not many chances of prizes really!

It is such an occasion of bonhomie and friendly competition, with the same people winning year after year but it really doesn't matter.

I will do a post later about how I have got on, or delete this entry if it is all too disastrous - eg, if I haven't even come third in a class where there are only two entries!

weeds

The weather has turned lovely today, the contrast with yesterday when it was misty and drizzly is a bit of a shock! But, this allows me to go out a little more in the garden, and all i can see, everywhere it seems, is weeds! bindweed, nettles - well, at least they are habitat - and many i know not the names of. I plan to do some work on them, soon...

Until almost moving in here, I thought Treknow was pronounced Trek-now. It is actually pronounced Tre-no. Tre means homestead, farm, home. There are one or two other Tre-'s around!

This church has been done up beautifully and sensitively and is now lived in by our neighbours.

A plethora of soft fruit

We are luxuriating in an excellent season for soft fruit. We have an abundance of lovely raspberries, many find their way into the fruit salad each morning, others will be frozen and used in other ways. We have made several gooseberry desserts, there are many blackcurrants and the redcurrants and whitecurrants are doing well too. The strawberries are disappointing, but i think this may be because we have not given them the TLC they need. Although the soft fruits are in a fruit cage, there is a blackbird who is totally unfazed by this and has found a way in and easily gets out again.

We are starting to use the courgettes in the polytunnel, and the runner beans, peppers and tomatoes as well. The beetroot are slowly coming along, the broad beans and peas likewise. The cornflowers and calendula make for nice table decorations. This is panning out to be a better year by a long way for the garden than last year was.

When I visit a care home with Sky, as she is a Pets As Therapy (PAT) dog, there is one lady who, when it is raining, says ' we don't get seasons any more, we just get weather when we get it'.

This seems so true, and we are certainly getting plenty of weather at present. As I look out of the window, I can see blue sky and the wind has calmed right down, but I don't trust it to last that way for long.

This weekend we are full, but we do have some availability for next week if you are considering coming to Cornwall at any time. Hope to see you.

Doris and David

This is a picture of similar collared doves to Doris and David, who have taken up residency at Michael House. We love them, they snuggle together and groom each other, they have a gentle air about them, and they are not afraid when we are near to them. They issue a calming cooing sound. We hope to provide them with corn, and they seem to be eyeing us to see whether that might be our plan.

The weather at present is awful, and they must have taken cover somewhere, I have not seen them today, but, then, looking out of the window has not been my favourite occupation today, any more than sitting on telegraph wires is theirs!