We are heading into winter

 Here's Ruah beside a very confused early summer flowering poppy.

 Thursday, 17 November 2011

Hello

We have had a very good spell of weather, with sun most days from dawn till dusk, while the east was often shrouded in thick mist.  The forecast tonight is threatening us with some wet weather – well, most of us have tidied up and pruned in the garden, even weeded, so we cannot grumble.

Last month I was thinking that I’d get a good bit of cleaning done, with the last guests gone.  Well, the linen is all washed, bleached, folded carefully and wrapped up, the duvets and pillows are all tucked away – and that’s it……  Not a huge achievement in nearly a month, but I have been busy!

I’ve been laying out the essentials for the forthcoming trip to Australia and, much more time consuming, getting all the Christmas presents into bundles – Plockton, Inverness, Edinburgh, New Zealand and of course Australia.  There are little and large heaps everywhere!

Today I posted lots of little parcels and so have one bit of carpet showing again!  Today too I’m going to marzipan three small Christmas cakes and decorate them – I shall not ice them – I do not think they will travel well that way.   They are for Moira and friends down there.

Later on I may give myself either a very good feeling or the very opposite, when I try everything in the case and rucksack!  I think Ian is beginning to wonder what on earth I’m planning to bring – so am I, just at this point!

Catrona and I leave Edinburgh on Dec. 6 and go first to Melbourne, where David, my nephew, and his wife and three little children live.  That’ll be great fun!  We know David and Caroline but have never met Matilda and Louie their four year old twins, or Archie, their younger brother.

On December 11 we head for Brisbane, where Ian will meet us.  It is an hour and a half drive inland to Toowoomba, where Alison will be home from the Uni. – what excitement!!   Alison of course keeps the web site running smoothly.  Just today she straightened me out – again.  Thanks Alison.

I’ll write from Toowoomba and let you know what we have been doing – and our future plans.  Till then, I hope you are all well.

Ann