Good Things and Bad Things

Its been a while since I posted anything here. I've been so busy, and it's been so long, I forgot my password and the security questions. So I couldn't get into it.  Then, out of the blue, it all came rushing back.

So what have I been doing with my time?

I got the garden turned over and I've managed to plant twelve (yes, that's twelve) rows of early seed potatoes and these are now poking their heads out of the soil.

Terry came along with a rotovator and a cartload of "mature" cowmuck. And he helped me do the spreading and the planting.

And I've started decorating. I've been stripping walls, mainly. I'm now a very god customer of the local B&Q. I say local, but, actually, its nearly 30 miles away.

And its been beautiful weather. the days have been long and skies have been mainly blue and almost warm. The trees in  the little gill with the waterfall suddenly turned green with leaves and the place is full of birdsong. And as I sit in my kitchen with the windows open with a warm breeze off the moor I can listen to curlews calling. Its all very atmospheric.

I'm not too keen on the night time, though, I have to admit. I don't like the back garden. I'm sure there was somebody out there the other night. I wondered about getting a dog. There's all kinds of noises - mainly animals. There was an owl somewhere close the night before last. He (or she) was hooting, and something sounded like a dog barking and scutterred off when I opened the back door. Terry said it was probably a deer. I didn;t know there were deer, and I didn't know they could bark. Seems unlikely to me.

Anyway, I lock and bolt all the doors and close the curtains. I don't even like to peek out, if truth be known.

Its probably just me being spooked.

For some reason, the old privvies and coalhouse make my hair stand on end. They're both small stone built sheds with stone slabs for roofs and they're both a bit decrepit. I may have them pulled down. Apparently there's a tale about the privy where a soldier from World War One came home on leave and wouldn't go back and thats where he hid when the police came for him.  He was killed a bit later and never came home. Mrs Peart at the village shop told me all about it. She can go on a bit can Mrs Peart, but she's nice, though.

It's interesting, though, that even after all that time, the same family are living just two farms away and keeping sheep on the moor.

The other thing thats not so good is Ellie, Terry's wife. She's been very off-hand. I think she thinks me and Terry got a bit to close. So I gave Terry the hint and he doesn't come round so much now.  I think Ellie may like a drink or two, if you catch my drift.

But the garden and the house are both coming on.

I must try to post stuff more often.

The picture isn't my house, incidentally - but it's not too far away.

Neighbours

I walked down to the shop in the village today, did my stuff. The people in the village seem very open and friendly. This is a good thing.
The lady in the shop told me about a way back up to the cottage through the woods. There's a waterfall, which I photographed, but it didn't come out very well. There's also lots of bluebells at the moment and my picture came out rather well.
I also met my nearest neighbour, Terry. He's a mountain of a man and we had a good chat for about half an hour. He said he'd bring a rotovator to my garden so I can plant some vegetables. he said I'd better get on with it as it was getting late in the year to be planting. Late in the year! Its freezing still. Its supposed to be May, but its so cold.
Terry lives in an old house a few hundred yards away over the fields. I'm looking forward to meeting  his wife Ellie. Maybe we could have a drink or something. If I'm honest, I'm starting to feel just a bit isolated here. I may go for a long walk to explore a bit.
I have the fire lit every night and I have a few candles lit. Its quite cosy.  I might get a cat. A cat would be just the thing.

Its a start

Forgive me if all this is a bit awkward or difficult in some way. This is my first blog ever. I won't be doing this every day.
I have just got myself a very small cottage high above a Northern dale. The house has just two bedrooms, and a bathroom, one room downstairs and a small kitchen. It has an open fire but no other heating (I must try to remedy this)
Outside, there is a large grassed yard full of bits of rubble. I will make this my garden. i may grow vegetables. there's also a couple of stone sheds, one of which must be for coal and the other obviously used to have a toilet in it. It has a magnificent view of dark brown moors  from the seat. I wonder if I could reinstate this?
My nearest neighbour is about a quarter of a mile away. I haven;t met them yet.
The shops, such as they are, are down the hill. half a mile, maybe, but a long way down. There's two pubs in the village and one grocery shop, a tea room and a post office.
This is a wild place but is just turning green as the spring slowly spreads up the Dale.
There are a few flowers and lots of birds. I think the noisy ones are curlews and there's some black and white birds that fly oddly and sound like squeaky toys.
I have lit the fire and I have several candles burning too. I have a small bottle of scotch and the TV is on. The curtains are drawn agaainst the night noises outside.
I assumed that the countryside would be quiet, especially at night. Nothing of the sort. There's all kinds of things scrabbling about and sqeaking and hooting out there.
I've been here two weeks now and I've learned to hunker down after dark. dark comes later and later, though. This is nice, and a bit of a surprise.
I like it here.