See Otters

A couple of weeks ago we were putting up a shoreline fence to stop our sheep from straying and had to drive the Land Rover down to the Mill. I had just changed all the plugs and leads. It died on us completely and we called Andy to  tow us out. This was the last in a series of  minor disasters and I was feeling very low and despondent about everything. Then... while we were waiting by the shore and as dusk fell we saw a movement on the rocks about 20 yds away and two otters slide into the sea where they played chase for a few minutes, dived for some crabs, lay on their backs crunching away and then swam off later emerging on to rocks about 50 yds away and scuttling back into the wee plantation where they live. This is at the bottom of the plot.  It cheered us up immensely and we had a repeat experience with an otter scuttling out from in front of the Boathouse Bistro and into the water last weekend just as the dogs ran on the beach   It swam off rapidly as one gave chase but the otter was almost as big as a small collie  and so graceful as it disappeared underwater surfacing about 30 yds out - totally unperturbed.
Jayne and I are both Snakes and feel we are both due a bit of luck as we have just passed Chinese New Year.  Sure enough I had a call and have full time work coming up for a couple of months teaching Art -one of my favourite subjects - though I was total rubbish at secondary school level I have done a lot of stone sculpting and various arts and craft works since - currently doing some stained glass work in the bleak midwinter - though sunset today was after six p.m. so the evenings are already drawing out.   Oh,  and the Land Rover was fairly easy to repair too as soon as we realised it was a faulty ignition switch.

Battening down the hatches

The weather has been very windy and wet during January.  But we had no snow. Luckily the kit is under cover and tarped over. We are trying to get a kit builder lined up to get the 9m shell erected this Spring. Unfortunately the company we had hoped would do it are now too busy and no longer interested. So we are looking round for a recommended kit builder and luckily we have found someone who is not only recommended but whose workmanship we have seen.

We have worked out a way to slide the roof panels into the central ringbeam which is the only component missing for the build. It should be being fabricated by the firm we hope will make the rest of the kit up. 

Even reputable builders need constant chasing up, and I'm still waiting for a date when it'll be ready.

We've been offered help from our very good friends Andy and Steve,  and will probably try to use them  to turf the roof if all goes according to plan - which as you know rarely happens for us.