Correction!

Sid Ali takes MORE not ME!

Ssssh.

Everyone gone. Just me -
and the Christmas Tree - in the dark!
Full day's work today, complete clean
of room one (we have three letting bedrooms.) Ironing Super King Size
bedding, fitted sheet, flat sheet, quilt cover (this is a major physical battle and the cover usually wins), four pillow cases.
Experimented with washing expensive silk, quilted bed-spread - its label said DRY CLEAN ONLY. Nuts to that. It worked fine.
Mike has gone to battle his way round the supermarket. Pre-Christmas it was a doddle, but pre-Hogmanay the patrons will be clearing the shelves of alcahol. Then Scotland shuts down for longer than it does at Christmas.
Although I do know there is a wee shop in the next village, run by 'Sid' Ali, who reckons he takes me on New Years Day than he does all year....

Standing Stones

Just before the date one celebrates Christmas I presume the pagans of old were celebrating the winter solstice here. There are lots of standing stones in this part of Scotland. There are also many different 'types' of church. Peterhead, our nearest town, has about 30 Christian denominations. One of the reasons there is a concentration of religions could well be because of the dangers of the Fishing industry. And the fact that the Scots are a warring nation.
The proliferation of Standing Stones in this area is probably due to the 'laid back' attitude of the Farmers who just ploughed round them!
I hasten to add that the above comments are all my guesswork.
My God lives up the hill across the valley in a clump of trees over which the sun sets - at certain times of the year. Religion is confusing!

All over...

How could we ever down size? Eight adults, one baby, three cats and a parrot. And still room to swing a ...

Empty chairs - and beds.

Looks like that is the end of this year's bed and breakfast guests.

Our last, at the weekend, were the Shetland Isles Coastguard and wife. Ferry home cancelled due to the weather.

I did ask how the Shetland Isles would react at his absence, and the reply was "Blame me for the weather!"

Mike and I are saving on the central heating oil consumption by adding layers of clothing - until we cannot stand it any more. Its countdown to Saturday when three quarters of the family arrive, followed by the rest on Christmas Eve. The boiler will then be on maximum no doubt as will be my credit card.

Oh Christmas Tree!

Looks really scrawny on the picture, but it is a beautiful tree, very green...and more to the point we could have seen it growing across the valley. So definitely locally grown, which was what we wanted.

Today was our Best of Banffshire and Buchan Bed and Breakfasts Christmas lunch.

We went to the Castle Hotel in Huntly which is a long way from Greenbrae, but well worth the travel. We were the noisiest group there, much to the amusement of the (lovely) staff - I think we made their day. It must be nice for them to wait on such appreciative guests who usually find themselves on the other side doing the waiting on. One of the funniest points was watching one, who shall be nameless, getting ever so slightly tipsy. Asking for "a sweet white wine" she got a half bottle! "I'll never drink all this, " she said. But she did.

The other event was another of our group describing how she had slipped on ice and had begun to RUN to stop herself falling, down a hill, and had eneded up falling anyway. It was the mind picture of her running. I do hope there is no lasting damage.

I think one of the objects in the picture above needs more tinsel......

Fast forward!!

After a week of every aspect of Winter weather, rain, wind, snow, frost, and cold, cold, cold. Without all that we wouldnt get this view, come the Spring.
But for now its on with the hunt for a locally grown Christmas tree, wrapping presents, thinking about last posting dates, and a general feeling of panic mounting.

It is nearly Christmas...

Down from the loft came Santa and a friend and a few others. Dotted around the house.

Hoping to source a locally grown Christmas tree this week. Every year since our children were small we have bought a tree from the Forestry Commission, only to discover they were all imported. Now here in Scotland we are surrounded by Noble Firs etc.Yet the Forest still supply imported trees..We have them growing behind the house, but they are too big to dig up! So, the search is on.

Weekend 'off'.

No guests booked in till Monday. So - a browse in our library and then feet up.
But then this would be an ideal opportunity to catch up with the ironing, cleaning fridge and freezers out in preparation for Christmas goodies. Oh, and bathing the parrot.
And polishing the award - again. That lump of glass was for our Going Green credentials and is really not appropriate!

We won!

Northern Lights Tourism Awards - Tourism and Sustainability.
A framed certificate and a lump of glass, hopefully recycled, and no idea where to put it so that the cats don't knock it off and smash it.

Weather report

Following a week of very strong winds - lost quite a few panes of the greenhouse - the snow arrived. Good job I have no tender or exotic plants in the greenhouse. This year I managed to produce a rogue nicotiana that reached ten foot in there, the plan then was to save the seeds, well I have lost them!
Fortunately the oil delivery arrived so our tanks are full. A downside is we have two small roof windows, that were probably put in in 1826 when the house was built and have now decided to give up the ghost or their putty. And no-one wants to climb up and do anything about it. So - an elegant entrance hall with the added feature of a bucket.

Greenbrae car park - full!

Well it is today - and the rest of the week.
Just as I was facing Christmas with increasing gloom and the oil tanks swiftly emptying the phone never stopped. We have ancestor hunters, reps., trainers, job seekers, businessmen and a family of five in at the weekend. Phew.

Land of the Big Sky

How Buchan is described - and you can see why. The 'new' part of Greenbrae benefits from huge windows/glass doors, and I am often stopped in my tracks by the view of the sky. It is usually towards the end of the day that I sit and watch the sun set, at this time of the year I can also see the skeins of geese returning to their 'roost' at the Loch of Strathbeg. With music playing (my daughters are appalled at my taste - Will Young at the moment) I can feel the blood pressure going down.
Last night it went back up and up as we waited - in vain - for guests to arrive. No shows, one of the down sides of running a bed and breakfast.

Cant win - so *** it!

I try very hard to manage the finances. Rather than have car tax and MOT coming out in the one month I had the one car booked in for MOT in September. The car tax is now due, and guess who turns up with the bill for the work done in September?!
The other car adds to the misery by refusing to stay in a gear, any gear, so thats down the road for an estimate.
So I took myself off to the hairdressers. Debtors prison here I come.

Bleak House?

No, its a castle, ruined. Not far away from here. The picture sums up the weather at the moment. Cold and windy. We managed to put off the hotel inspector till after Christmas but even so are now scrutinising all public areas and guest accomodation, last years report in hand and the other hand tearing hair out. Not quite as bad as the castle, but Greenbrae appears to be fraying round the edges.

Back to work.

The new family, with Zachary our grandson, are back at home today in Edinburgh.
I spent the morning ironing. Oh how I have missed it! No I ****** haven't!
Guest in tonight and more booked in over the coming weeks. Now much quieter on the b&b front but still trickling in. We might just survive the winter.
Not sure I will survive Christmas.......7 weeks to go.

Mother knows best

Especially when she is your daughter.

Me getting told off - again!

New generation.

My first grandchild. A few hours old.
No name as yet. Born yesterday.
8lb 12 oz.
Mike and I off to Edinburgh tomorrow to inspect.
And hit IKEA.

Baby Blues

My offspring - 23 years ago.
Now waiting for the one on the left to produce grand child. And waiting. And waiting.
Not sure which is worst giving birth or waiting for someone else to do it. I suffer from blood pressure related stress due to NOT BEING IN CONTROL......
Imangine where my b.p. is right now.

Etiquette?

Sitting up in bed this morning, having my cup of coffee, gazing out of the patio doors. The view over the river valley, the birds on my feeder, when I was suddenly almost eyeball to eyeball with a tractor driver.
Now the etiquette question - should I have waved?

Blitz!

In between watching ancient tractors rattling up and down the very straight furrows (there did seem to be a bit of manual tweaking here and there, though presumably thats in the rules) I was removing loose covers and putting them in the washing machine. We now have nowhere to sit as I got carried away, rushing to denude a chair and then back to the window to watch the horses ploughing - much better than the tractors. You have to put the covers back on wet as otherwise you would never get them back on. The cats are packing their bags as I write.
My task yesterday was no more successful as I re-emulsioned a wall in one of the guest rooms and it made it all bubble up and now needs completely removing and repapering. So much for buying cheap wallpaper.
We dont do things by halves here. We multi task like fury, which is why nothing ever gets finished. I am currently marooned in the middle of the office leaving room for the ladder to be returned from the bedroom so as to finish the office walls. Because of all this zooming about the bedding waiting to be ironed is now up to the ceiling and the kitchen has a hazard warning sign on the door.
Why change the habits of a life time? Make lists AFTER you have done something. Far more satisfying My other motto? If a jobs worth doing badly its worth doing. The best example of this I can think of is extracting a cork from a wine bottle - badly - just find a tea strainer and enjoy..

No work today.

Too busy watching the ploughing competition in the field next to Greenbrae. Masses of old tractors. Mike said, "Some of them dont look that old." I said, "No, but we are....."

Sunrise.

The sun is back. Blue skies and warm!
We have had a busy fortnight with all rooms booked and for three and four night stays. Met some lovely people who have been appreciative of what we offer here.
Next week we start/continue major overhaul. One bedroom out of the equation until it is spruced up decoratively. New wow factor bedspreads ready to go on the bed/s.
Well they do say a change is as good as a rest. Mutter, mutter.

Happy Birthday to Mike

Off to get his bus pass.
Also the discount at B&Q.............

By gum its winter.

Cold, wet and windy. Brrr.
Do not mind being stuck in laundry room doing the ironing today.

Staying at Greenbrae.

Due to the credit crunch continuing to get an even firmer grip we have taken Greenbrae off the market for a while.
Conversely the bed and breakfast business is booming!
The weather here has been superb.
Our first grandchild is due in a few weeks time.
Plenty to do and think about, pity about the ironing.

Wind break!

These are huge bales of straw stacked up in the field next to the house. They make a good perch for a buzzard - which flew off! They are to create a winter 'blanket' over the carrots growing nearer the village. If there's any left - as most days you see someone of pensionable age looking shifty with a carrier bag, sticking out of which are green feathery leaves.....Aren't senior citizens supposed to set a good example?

The geese are back.

Starting to come in to the Loch of Strathbeg in their thousands. Amazing, right on time, how do they do it? Mainly pink footed, there is the odd stranger in their midst, the one in the foreground is a snow goose.
Gorgeous morning, blue skies, gentle breeze. The rest of Britain dark, gloomy and raining. Ha!

Fish Fest Week

Along with a houseful of guests for the week Mike has been working hard for the annual Fish Fest. He arranged the art competition. This is a (not very good) reproduction of a painting of a local lighthouse by Jolomo which was used on the advertising stuff. The Fish fest celebrates Peterheads links with the sea and the fish that come from it.

Lots of different activities during the week. Culminating with the dinner, last night, at which Jimmy Buchan, star of the BBC programme, the Trawlermen, was master of ceremonies and Nell Nelson, The Woman Who Ate Scotland was a speaker. I have a confession to make, I am not that keen on fish! The meal was fish for every course, apart from the sweet. I had the starter, medley of fish, salmon, langoustines, etc. which was lovely. Refused the Cullen Skink soup, and after a word with the Manager, the 'lady in red' was provided with a chicken main course, and still allowed to remain in the dining room!

Summer over.

Thats it folks, the crops are gathered in and it wont be long before the cows are taken inside too. Another year when I did very little in our green corner. The main crop in the greenhouse is a huge nicotiana that never made it to the outside. Still sitting in a seed tray, though its roots have obviously penetrated downwards. At least I will have its seed for next year.

Busier than ever with guests, next week we have all three rooms full for six nights. After that we begin the smartening up in earnest, the hotel inspector is due. Unlike the one on the tele she doesnt swear, though if you listen carefully you can hear me doing just that.

Pipe Band Competition.

An annual event which I always enjoy. You either love the sound of the pipes - or hate them. Well I love the sound.
At the end of the day the massed bands come on to the field and sends shivers down my spine. One day I will get to the Edinburgh Tattoo - another for the list for when/if we retire.
Today is Bank Holiday Monday, in England, and we have typical holiday weather, blowing a gale and overcast.
Its that time of year when one scrutinises the house for scuffs on the walls, identifying rooms that will require re-decoration, bedding that will have to be replaced and so on. I booked a chimney sweep who said he would come Tuesday but am now wondering if he meant Tuesday next year...

Harvest Time

On the left is the combine harvester, on the right the tractor/trailer collecting the seed and just above is the moon.
Seeing these machines come over the field should have the War of the Worlds music going full blast. However, we have guests in, and I dont want to scare them away.
The glorious 12th was on Tuesday but along with the noise of harvesting machines we have had the bangs of guns for days before - the country side is so-o-o peaceful!

Peterhead Open Harbour Day

Was on Saturday. And just to confuse everyone even further, these are model boats, some of which were on display in the old Fish Market. There were lots of stalls, entertainment, and refreshments. I bought a box of kippers for a fiver. Added to the breakfast menu here at Greenbrae. The weather was atrocious, heavy rain, but the people had come out in droves to support the event. There is always something going on here, Scottish Week, Fishfest and when Winter draws in all the quiz games start up and indoor bowls.
We are still waiting for someone to release us into retirement - I quite fancy the blue rinsed hair, white pumps, and a bowling ball in hand.
But then again....

The there was light.

We had a professional photographer

staying with us who needed a lighthouse with waves crashing up it. Unfortunately it was one of those rare times when the sea was flat, calm and there was no wind!

You have to laugh - otherwise you would go mad.

I needed to laugh last week. We had people not turning up, cancelling at the last minute, and leaving without paying.

So perhaps working 9-5 (7-7) had some advantages. At least I got paid every month. The guests booked in this week will be met by a mad woman laughing hysterically.

Working 9 to 5

Whilst ironing frantically (is that really possible?) yesterday I began to think I wished I was back to working 9 to 5 . Then it all came flooding back. It was actually 7 to 7 when you took into account the travelling...Nose to tail down the M42 in England. My place of work was on the edge of Birmingham and not exactly a law abiding suburb.
Here I rarely lock my car, the rush hour consists of a school bus and a tractor or two, everyone has time to chat, smiles are frequent, instead of fumes I have clean air, no traffic sounds , just the whiffling of the ducks, so I guess I will stick with this 24/7. After all, its what I choose to do, and I can choose to have the odd 24 doing nothing.

Crichie Folk Festival

Last night Mike and I had a night out!
It is the annual folk festival at Stuartfield (Doric name Chrichie). Our guests were also going to the festival, one being a performer at the evening concert. We had a meal in the Crichie Inn and then into the village hall. Bring your own bottle. Or in my case 6 cans of Tennants. If I have a bottle of wine I forget what happened. The place was packed. The head liner was Paul Anderson, fiddler, pictured. I have seen and heard Paul before and he is fantastic. (Apart from bringing out many a sigh and a phwoar he is a brilliant fiddler). Brilliant evening, all ages, all happy.
Mike went for a second helping this afternoon while I surfed the web for more pictures of Paul. Well he wasn't there this afternoon.............

League of Nations.

An Italian couple, a German lady and two Irish golfers. The Italians and German are in for three nights which is brilliant as it means I only have to make the beds, not strip, wash and iron.
Yesterday it was 24 degrees. The garden bed bottom left hand of picture I weeded in the afternoon before being defeated by the heat.
The yellow oil seed rape is no longer yellow and we await it going brown - and smelly - before it is harvested.
Are people in towns as aware of the seasons as we are in the country?
Soon be Christmas!

Another day over.

The view as I wind down after a busy day.
Our second viewing - I shall not hold my breath. The first viewers decided Greenbrae was "not for them." Which was a shame as they obviously had prepared, knew what they wanted, and how to run a bed and breakfast business.
This day's viewer came with her best friend rather than her husband (!) and I was left feeling more like a National Trust guide than a seller of a house.
In between the viewings we have continued to be busy with guests. Also managed to write off our people carrier so now need to buy another vehicle.
I fancy - always have - a landrover. The old fashioned kind. I am not going to get one I have been told, so long as I can see over hedges so possibly a tractor?

Bookings.

This is where most of our bookings are made - on the computer.
Twice in the last few weeks we have had people turn up and say they have booked a room. Only to be met with a dropped jaw from me and obvious panic in the eyes. Am I finally heading down the senior moment slope?
When I checked I found that the person had indeed made an enquiry, and information had been duly supplied, with the final sentence from me, Please confirm your booking and give an estimated time of arrival. Which they had not done. Oh boy.

Presentation, presentation.

This house has seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms, two sitting rooms, dining room, kitchen, library, miles of corridors, and by next Wednesday it has to be looking its best.... as we have a VIEWING. Scary.

Still here.

Strange in limbo feelings. Everything at a standstill. As we check the internet out on the property sites we can see everyone else is in the same boat. Nothing selling, nobody buying. The credit crunch has us in its grasp.
Having initially decided to take no bookings for b&b after the end of July, we are now taking September bookings. The bookings too are not the same as in past years. The cost of fuel putting many off travelling.
Its not all doom and gloom as we have discovered our hens are still laying. Having thought they had finally run out of eggs to lay, after all they must have laid quite a few whilst being battery hens, we found a great mound of eggs tucked away under the rhubarb. So we wont starve!

Books.

We won't have the luxury of a seperate library when we move. So I have begun to go through the books we have and decide what can go. Tomorrow is the annual book sale at one of the churches in the village. I am bagging up some to take, but I know I will come back with more!
Most of the ones I am taking to donate have been donated by guests. The sort you buy at the airport . I must admit to wondering how some of them ever get published as they are bordering on illiterate. Certainly unbelievable plots.

I escaped!

This is moi after a day out, note the 'bling ring'.

And new hair do and new clothes.

No-one booked in tonight so I ran away. Well overdue my 6 monthly trip to Aberdeen, charge round Primark, saying "Sorry, sorry, sorry, " to the third world as I got loads of clothes for £29.60p.

Had my hair cut in the indoor market.

"No appointment necessary".

First time I had a tea towel round my shoulders to be shampooed - and sat next to a nearly dead woman wearing those metal hair rollers, which I havent seen for forty years, in painful rows. She was carried to the sink and elevated at the feet so they could 'rinse her off'. I was so horrified and waiting for her to breathe again I didnt see what was happening to my hair, but I know where to go when I draw my pension as you get a discount....and even this time it was cheaper than in Peterhead. I had lunch in MacDonalds - another no, no and lots of sorries to the daughters who think this is the pits, but I just love the gherkins, and they wont like anything I bought which are lots of stripy tops and the most amazing raincoat! Havent had a shiny raincoat since the 60s and that was black, with a black beret, but we will draw a veil over that one.