Storing the excess

Hard to believe that just a month ago we were starting the very painful process of moving out of the cottage. We had a very kind offer of storage space at a friend's small holding, so the first thing to do was to sort out what was going away for a while. Letter press stuff mostly, and various bits of furniture, some of which has not seen the light of day since we moved here.

Just over a year ago, Debs and Neil enabled me to hold my book launch and charity cupcake party at their house, just before moving on to their own new place and fresh beginnings. Now they rolled up with a large van to help us with our move. What splendid friends to have!

The outhouse seemed to have accumulated an awful lot of things...

But my poor old 'joanna' has been languishing in the cobwebby dark for ten years. Another few months won't hurt her.

Andy was van-packer extraodinaire -

 - and at last we had a quick tea break in our poor neglected back garden.

Then it was a cross county drive to the new small holding.

I was shivering with exhaustion by this point, but a pot of tea helped, while Andy made friends with 'the boys'.

Then we were taken on a  grand tour - to see the chickens -

Peek at the broody hen -

Admire the 'harbour' of neat raised beds.

                              

Watch the clownish ducklings - now teenagers, but still holding their baby down in places.

Andy fed the naughty goats;

'Look at me!'

'No, look at ME!'

 

'Let's break out (again) - hurrah!'

 

The sheep were amazingly tame, all part of the plan to have a 'petting farm' in the future.

So I could get up closer than usual to take my snaps.

 

The sows were magnificent - both splendidly pregnant and after feeding, demanding strokes and massages.

Which left both ladies blissed out. Porcine Paradise.

 

By now, it was twilight and we headed back to the farm.

Andy and Neil unloaded the groaning van, while I flopped about with a beer and admired Deb's new loom.

After we'd devoured home made cottage pie, it was time for us to leave this -  

- and return to this.

There was more to come - and I still can't believe we actually did it.

*Updated from library PC - still no internet access - roll on July 4th!