Friday 4 October 2013

Miffy and I have a walk . . .

I am getting back into the habit of a daily walk again, and planning to work up to 4 miles a day or so, depending on weather and whether my gammy knee stands up to it!  As I set off yesterday there was a series of loud miouws from behind me and Miffy was telling me she wanted to come too.  She is mum to our two remaining boys, Jarvis (Little Whale) and Alfie (Wild Thing).  She is also resident Nutso Cat and hurtles about the garden sometimes like someone's set alight to her tail!   She is a sweetheart.


She soon caught up and overtook me.  You can see where Alfie gets his ginger and white colouring from.  I love her "Tartan Trousers"!


She became uneasy when we reached the bend at the bottom of the hill, and began to yowl her worries to me.  This was strange territory.  I carried on walking, but she declined to follow and was back at home long before me.


The view downstream from the bend near the caravan.  The first amber tints of autumn are gilding the oak tree on the bend.


The view downstream from the bridge.


Looking upstream.


Beside the river, the beech leaves are starting to fall.  Soon there will be little rafts of leaves borne along by the river in a long rusty chain . . .


I never tire of watching the river fling itself over the rocks in a river-cut channel by the old Mill.


I popped in to see our friends at the Mill, and to thank them for some recent advice (e.g. CHANGE ESTATE AGENTS!!!)  My husband actually listened this time (he turns a deaf ear to me!)


How's this for a view to wake up to?

Right, this won't do.  The New Agent has been supplied with the historical details of our house and work is ongoing here to get it looking its best for the video tour . . .  Pansies needed to give some colour to the fading garden, windows need cleaning (if it ever stops raining) and we need to take another pile of plastic bits to the Dump.  The remains of G's boyfriend's caravan got towed away yesterday, which is a great relief.  We are waiting for the paddock to be topped now, so it will look tidy.  Progress . . .  Oh, and I have hoiked out the Courgette plants, so I don't need to feel guilty about the produce any longer - apart from the Courgette Mountain still in the kitchen!

I am looking at houses in the next price bracket up from where we had been looking (and had found so very little to tick the relevent boxes - even the best ones meant a LOT of compromise).  Now we are finding the size of property we were looking for.  I looked at one on line this morning with the most delightful address of Mudford Sock!!  One of the strongest contenders is a thatched cottage we viewed in August - further North and West in Devon than we had originally planned on going, but it IS nice . . .  I have also fallen hook, line and sinker for another thatched cottage, right in the centre of my Devon roots, but once the emotions calmed down a bit, have noted to self that two of the stables are actually bigger than two of the bedrooms . . .  Hmmm.

10 comments:

  1. Where I live is very similar to your place (outside) - I would love to know how you got someone to take an old caravan, we have one to get rid of.

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  2. Hi Cait. Happenchance really. We went along to the nearest scrap yard, to see if they would collect, but no - practically no yard does these days. Whilst we were there a van arrived with a lass driving, and I noted down the phone number - small recycling company (husband and wife as it turns out). Anyway, we then went to Co-op and she was there, so we asked if she would take it, we wanted no money - though there was about £300 worth of scrap there. She and her husband turned up next day and took it all away, and our other scrap too. The only other thing I could suggest is listing your "remains" on Freecycle, and hope that someone wants a caravan chassis for something and will collect it.

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  3. So pleased your getting out properly again. Your river is SO beautiful. Don't forget to send me your property wish list.

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  4. Beautiful place you live. Your header photo is fabulous as the others.
    Miffy is a hoot and very pretty, I love her trousers I was going to call them pantaloons ?
    When the Scotties get groomed I call their fluffy legs bumpers.

    cheers, parsnip

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  5. I have a friend going through the same problems BB - it is always a stressful time.

    My cats often follow me on the first part of a walk and then veer off into the fields when they don't care to go any further. She is a lovely cat though.

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  6. I wanted to add when I was married to the x he would buy a house, we would live in it, awful, and then when it was finished , we would start all over again. Finally we stayed put for years (children) he kept adding on... and then it was burned down in a huge wildfire oh dear ! anyways long story I wish I was there to help I have staged and helped sell many homes.
    Hope all goes well and you have a quick sale now.

    cheers, parsnip

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  7. Glorious photos of the river, glad you have found another estate agent, hopefully he will be better that the last X

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  8. Lovely walk, the beech leaves are just beginning to trn here but aren't falling yet. Hope you find both a buyer and a lovely new home very soon.

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  9. Rowan - autumnal but MILD here. I have to confess to preferring mild, wet weather to cold and dry . . . Mainly because this hous gets SO cold unless the heating is on a good bit of the day.

    thelma - they turned out well didn't they? A tale yet to tell about the agent . . .

    parsnip - gosh, you had a tough life, living in a "doer-upper" all the time! Given half a chance, this house would sell itself, BUT it needs to be seen by the right eyes. You are welcome to come and present it any time : ) But I'm afraid we don't do minimalist!!! Glad you like the header photo - it turned out well.

    Weaver - sometimes the cats will accompany me, but even though it's a quiet lane it's always a bit of a worry because of occasional traffic and I can't relax properly.

    Em - I will e-mail you shortly.

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  10. Your river photos take me to our local places in my mind- and it's a lovely trip-thank you. I really hope you find what you're looking for and that the perfect buyer sees your place. You're so right-if it's viewed by the correct people it will sell itself. Getting rid of large scrap gets more difficult every year here in usa too.

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