Devon - all change here too!

I had been looking forward to  week in Devon to catch up on sleep and to recharge my batteries.  Well it started off like that ........

Mon 17th.  Slept until 9am - bliss!  The peace and quiet was wonderful.  It was a beautiful morning - clear and crisp with bright sunshine.  After breakfast Suki and I headed up to the moor and went for a walk - the Black Hill circuit from the small car park.  We called in to see Mary on the way back - she was well and had got new hearing aids and certainly seemed to be able to hear much  better than before.  In the afternoon I took things to the charity shop - jigaws and blankets to the Animals in Distress, then fur coat, hand made italian shoes which Mike has never worn, and wedding dress (yes wedding dress!!!!) to Rowcroft hospice, signing Gift Aid forms for both.  Took my craft floor lamp to Arnolds to get the fixing mended, and went to the butchers and greengrocers to get some meat and healthy veg/salad/fruit for the week.  Couldn't resist the bakewell tarts in the greengrocers though - even though I had 6 iced sponge cakes with me which Monica had made me. Walked Suki up to the post box by the church in the afternoon to post a birthday card to Jean and we then carried on round the short Parke circuit and back along Le Molay way so ended up being out for about an hour.  I would have like to have logged the route but didn't think of it. The ringing practice in the evening had been cancelled by Bob so I had a quiet evening in - eating up the chinese from the freezer for supper with a beer.  I sat on the bed and watched two episodes of Poldark on the iPlayer before having another early night.

Tues 18th.  Had another excellent night's sleep and got up only slightly earlier than the previous day - around 8 am.  Bill turned up at 9 am to do the hedges and shrubs - he had his young son helping him and was here for over 5 hours.  They did a great job and it was good to see the hedges neat and tidy again.  I took Suki to Yarner Wood in the morning - it was lovely up there with all the autumn colours, although beginning to look more wintry with many of the leaves now on the ground.  We did our short circuit round and back by the "path". Had a nice chat with Malc. Spent the rest of the day catching up on all the email admin which had been neglected while Jayne had been around and I had been busy with the decorating and decluttering in London.  Treated myself to a pasty for lunch - so much for the healthy food!  Picked up the lamp for Arnolds - not quite what I was expecting but certainly better than being tied up with string. Took Suki to the plantation in the afternoon - our 40 min figure of 8 walk.  Had a bacon sandwich for supper - again sitting on the bed watching another two episodes of Poldark on the iPlayer.  Caught up with that now.

Wed 19th.  Had to get up at a reasonable time today because I was expecting Wayne, the builder, to come round at 10.30 am.  I was up at 7 - having had 9 hours sleep.  I am really beginning to feel the benefit of all this sleep and my batteries feel completely recharged.  Took Suki to Parke for an hour - top path through the wood and back along the river.  Tom had arrived by the time I got back - he made a start on preparing the path for the decorative stones, and also tidied the beds at the front of the leaves etc.  Wayne came and we discussed some bits and pieces and then he gave me his quote for doing all the work in "The Plan"  - ie mainly a new kitchen, new back door and window and insulating utility room, new front door with platform and ramp, insulating sun lounge and putting in radiators.  I phoned Mike straight away when Wayne left - and he agreed the quote! I was over the moon and immediately texted Wayne to accept and get the next stage underway.  Went to Tim's at lunchtime and rang some handbells - started with some very fast Yorkshire major, and then some Cambridge Royal when Sue arrived.  It went a bit better than the previous time, although it was still very sticky and fell apart easily.  Had a bacon sandwich for lunch and then caught up with more email admin.  The balance of the Fragrant Earth order finally arrived - with an additional bottle of Ravensara which I shall keep as an apology for all my hassle (although it is possible I had paid for this in a previous order and it was never received - I shall have to watch that in future).  In the afternoon took Suki to Stove (which completes this week the set of my 4 favourite places to walk!).  We walked through the woods and along by the stream - which is just a small brook at the moment.  Just like the River Bovey at the moment which is more like a stream than a river.  It's hard to believe the levels can rise so high as they do in winter.  I was going to make a good circuit of it by going along by the lake but Suki was spooked by some loud bangs in the distance (probably a crow scarer) and insisted on taking the direct route back to the car.  I had a lovely supper of lamb steaks, spinach and jacket potato, with a glass of wine, and watched a couple of episodes of The Fall (having now caught up with Poldark).  Then I washed up and went to bed with a hot drink and a whisky at 9.30 pm.  Such a luxury to be able to do this - and the peace and quiet is so wonderful.

Thurs 20th.  Another good night's sleep, albeit with occasional bouts of wakefulness but not for any length of time.  Woke at 7.30 so that was 10 hours!  Took Suki up on the moor - we did the route up to Hay Tor from the tourist info car park and back along the tramway and the quarry. It was fabulous up there - the day was once again bright and sunny with blue skies although the wind was very cold.

Couldn't resist buying a yoghurt topped granola bar from the Home Farm caravan when I got back.  Then called in to have a coffee with Mary - the lady with the ukulele was there singing at them again.  Took Suki home and went for a wash and cut and Hairwaves with Emma.  She did it very well and it felt a lot better afterwards.  Then went to Trago and ordered the kitchen!! This took quite a long time but I was very pleased with the end result.  Just over £7000 which included an integrated fridge, freezer, dishwasher and extractor fan, worktops and back splash.  Bought some coat hooks for London and then went round to the bulk drive through and got some stones for Tom to put down in the front.  Quite a productive morning and beginning to feel quite excited about the kitchen now.  Ate the yoghurt bar for lunch when I got in. Got an unexpected invitation from Adrian to accompany him to a Girders Livery Company dinner in November as Helen unable to attend. Took suki to the plantation and did the top loop up to the other car park and then round the top to pick up old templar way. The boggy bit is still passable at the moment. Had a jam sandwich before going off to Ann's house for a lift to handbells.  Discovered I had sent her birthday card to Hawkmoor Cottages not Hawkmoor Parke and used the wrong postcode - but it had still arrived thanks to the detective work of the postman, albeit with the envelope covered in writing, and on the right day! Then discovered I had sent Jean's card for the wrong day (her birthday is tomorrow not yesterday) and when I got to Moreton found it had been nibbled by snails in the post box!!(the one in the wall by the church). Had a lovely evening ringing handbells but as usual was too fired up to sleep.  Had a hot drink and a whisky and watched the last in the series of Mock the Week before turning in at 11.30.
Friday 21st. Disappointed with my night's sleep. Woke many times and was fully awake from 3 to 5:30. Made myself a cup of tea. Then of course dropped off to sleep and only woke at 8. Luckily no rush in the morning. Jayne rang me, and I rang her back and we talked for nearly an hour. Then I took Suki up onto the hill and then round to Arnold's to get some front door keys cut. We walked back through the footpath by Tesco and then I settled down to write a long email to Wayne to get all the issues in my head put down in writing. I was so late setting off for Lee and Emma's that they offered to come to Bovey, which I gratefully accepted. They arrived about 2 o'clock and had a cup of tea and then we all went to Totnes because Emma needed to go to the bank there. We walked up the High Street and did their various bits and pieces and then we went for a lovely walk along by the river stopping off to get a hot chocolate on the way. Lee showed me a great place to park which was free. Then they took Suki off for the weekend, and I went home. I got some petrol from the co-op garage and then treated myself to a portion of chips from the fish and chip shop at Heathfield. I ate these with a bottle of beer in front of the television. It felt very weird without Suki - very quiet, I did some cross stitch and watched some television and then had a reasonably early night.

Saturday 22nd. Got up just after 7 and had a shower then made my packed lunch and flask and got my bag ready. Had some breakfast and sewed a name tag into my jumper (because I have to give it back to get it embroidered). Went over to Joyce's house to meet up with the others for the trip to Wincanton for the handbell rally. We set off at 9:30, Ann driving, and got to Wincanton at 11 just after the doors had opened. We were the first of our team there. It was a good afternoon and the ringing was very good. I could have done without some of the singing from one of the Bands but otherwise enjoyed all the ringing. 

We left just before 5 pm and. I got home at 6:30 which was earlier than I had anticipated and gave me a nice long evening in. I made a vegetable stir-fry with all the vegetables in the fridge -  the chicken had gone off but there were plenty of vegetables to use. I finished off the bottle of wine I'd had on the go all week - then made the mistake of opening the sharing pack of Maltesers! Took a great effort to stop eating them when I'd eaten far too many - half the packet. I did some more cross stitch and watched quite a lot of television before going to bed about 11 o'clock. Very quiet and very weird without Suki.

Mike meanwhile was out ringing Quarter Peals - and rang one with Tony Crowther.  There was a nice photo on Bell Board with the details of the QP.

Sunday 23rd.  Quite nice not to have to take Suki for a walk before going to 8 am service.  Had a disturbed night - in lots of pain from my neck.  No 9.30 service at Bovey so had an hour at the house after the service for some breakfast before going to ring at Bovey for the 11 am service. Lee and Emma brought Suki back around about 1 o'clock but only stops long enough for a cup of tea as they were taking a small baby hedgehog they had found to the prickly ball sanctuary which is just passed Newton Abbot. The poor little thing was covered in ticks full stop I took Sookie for a walk in the plantation and then went over to Lynn's house to ring handbells. A quarter peal of Cambridge surprise Royal full stop it was good fun and then we decided we'd had enough and so I got home quite early and was able to spend the evening cross stitching. I had a jacket potato with cheese for supper with a beer.

Still sleeping badly with my new with my stiff neck I woke the next day about 7 in the morning to find that it had been raining all night and was still raining heavily. In fact it continued to rain throughout the day. I put on my waterproofs and Suki and I went for a walk in Parke. I was lucky enough to get a space in the lay-by so we did the usual route from there - out by the river and back along the railway track. I was back in good time for another visit by Wayne around 10:30 where we finalised arrangements for the new kitchen and other work to start. He told me to take down all the pictures off the walls and to pack up all the pretty stuff and all the china and glasses that were in the cupboards and cabinets. I made a start on this and then went off to Exeter to ring handbells again. We had another go at the Cambridge royal but it was not successful. Carried on packing up the stuff in the afternoon and then took Suki to Parke again, this time doing the top loop through the woods and back along the bottom track because it was still raining and it was pretty miserable. Wellies were essential. Then went to see Mary for about an hour. One of the residents in the lounge (Hilda) kept going on about walking home to Cambridge and asking where the toilets were. I felt quite sorry for Mary - it's seem to be as bad as being in an asylum sometimes. In the evening went to Bovey practice which was well attended. There was a new learner call Jerry I think. So we spent a lot of time ringing rounds with him. Went to the pub afterwards where we were joined by Jen and Rob. Really enjoyed it. Had one pint of beer but made it last. Got home and went to bed around 10 o'clock with a hot drink but didn't have a whisky because couldn't find where I had packed the  glasses!

Got up at 6:50 again in the morning and packed away the few bits left to do. Took Suki to the plantation where we did the bottom loop.  It was definitely reverting to its winter state already and was very boggy. But I had my wellies on and it was not a problem and actually was quite good fun. Went home, packed the car and left for London at around 10:45. Seemed very strange that next time I go back to the house it will be a terrible mess but also a lot of the work will have been completed and I may even have a new kitchen by then. The A4 and M4 was closed because of an oil spillage so I diverted over to the M40 but there was still a delay of about half an hour so the journey was four hours. I had brought the complete contents of the freezer and fridges with me and thought it would all have to be eaten over the next few days, so was very pleased to find that all the frozen food had survived except for a couple of things. I put it all straight into our freezers. Made Mike a jacket potato for lunch and we had a cup of tea together and I took Suki to Acton Park for a walk and then picked up Keith's trousers from the dry cleaners. We had a turkey bolognese for supper which I had brought back from Devon freezer. Mike went to Chiswick choir. I sorted out my carrier bags into the two carrier bag holders I had bought and then I sorted my pegs into the new peg basket. What a difference. Then I did some cross stitch and watchedMidsomer Murders before going to bed at 11.

Peg Basket

Carrier bag holders