Shiny new rayburn...

Today we took delivery of a new baby. Our wood-fired rayburn, shiny and new in pewter grey enamel. Although it's not as handsome as its aga or heritage cousins we are assured this is just the tool for us. We have decided to have no oil or gas in our house. Prices are too unstable and not so good for the environment so we've gone for the wood option. Heatranger 345w for those interested.

The wood is stacked in the log-store ready to go. It will be teamed up with a heatpump (air to water - like a fridge in reverse) and solar panels on the roof - all pumping (hopefully) hot water into a giant thermal store in the airing cupboard. The solar panel works in the summer, the rayburn works in the winter (when we are there to stoke it) and the heat pump fills in the gaps.

Roll on those winter evenings and long hot soaks in the bath (yet to be purchased), steaming socks on the rayburn and beef wellington slowly bubbling away in the oven.

Some good, some bad....

Good: a wonderful break from the building site for a couple of days down in south-west Cornwall. We stayed in Lamorna in a turn-of-the-century artists residence complete with iron age cave in the garden..... visit to the Minnack Theatre.... people watching on the harbour wall at Mousehole..... swimming in the sea at Kynance Cove.... catching up with friends and family...

Bad: Tradesmen who don't turn up when we think they should! (though to be fair when they are here they are BRILLIANT)

Good: cyclamen poking up through the soil, and the smell of Autumn in the air this morning...

Good: my wonderful Husband who's insulated the WHOLE house singlehandedly...

Good: the look of actual plaster on the walls upstairs in the house

Good: living half-outdoors for a whole summer. I feel more in touch with nature and wildlife cos we keep seeing it all around - fledgling buzzards in the oak tree, a little frog under the tomato plant jungle, a bumble bees nest of cut leaves and grass by the laurel bush, the toad that lives under the veg patch carpet...

Bad: the discovery of woodworm in a one-week old windowsill....(actually that's VERY bad!)

Good: celebrating with friends...

Good: results from the testing of the borehole water - it's safe to drink!

Good: feeling special and loved on my birthday (thankyou!)

Bad: moles, rabbits, chickens and...... dogs combining forces to dig up the garden and mess up the pond... but the visit of a HUGE colourful moth to our shed last night... (any clues as to what it is?)

Good: a vibrant rainbow with colours repeating over and over....a reminder of Gods presence

Bad: the things we've forgotten or got wrong - in the house - but also in life and with people - of far more importance than bricks and mortar...

Ok, that's the last bad thing i can think of, the good stuff tips the scales! Life IS good.

July at Pengotton...

Gypsy camp?

Our shed existence seems to be more of a squatters camp lately, what with all the paraphernalia of outdoor living, bathing ..... (yes the giant paddling pool wasn't quite full in this pic hence the saggy sides)

and sometimes even sleeping. Didn't get much sleep that night what with Barney off chasing foxes but it was great to be in the open air.New arrivals include 6 beautiful horses in the field - and their attentive owners.

In the house it's full steam ahead with insulation and plasterboarding....

Bedroom 1:

The view through the stud walls of the bathroom, to the stairwell and bedroom 2:

It's great to start to see it appearing but scary as things look different again - did we get it right?? It's too late now! How I wish I wasn't one for having second thoughts....