Delgaty Castle

Had a quick visit to say Hello to Joan who runs the castle. Currently upgrading all their self-catering units. Donna, her second in command, multi tasking as always. Stripped off her paint spattered clothes to reveal smart waiting on at tables gear underneath as she then shot off to the tea room customers.
Oh you tourists and visitors just do not know what happens behind the doors marked 'Private'!
Here at Greenbrae we are taking it one day at a time, now my fifth day of being a non smoker. Everything that can be washed has been - we all smell so sweet now! I have also made a start in the greenhouse..but today it is snowing and still the wind blowing.

Reasons to be cheerful?

Now I am 60.
Had all the family and quite a lot of friends to help me celebrate.
A lot of my birthday gifts were plants, trees and bushes. Unfortunately since the birthday, which is on the first day of Spring, we have howling gales and lashings of rain.
Still - I have something to look forward to when it all calms down.
And the greenhouse is still intact!

Better than the tele.

Well, okay, it is still the t.v. But the picture is from our live camera in one of the nest boxes. Impressed ? Well I was. It shows a blue tit investigating its future love nest. Since we viewed this the bird has brought in moss and lined the box. Each night I switch on and see it - still alone - head tucked under it's wing. Aw.

As the weather improves I have begun to plan my seed planting. Mike fixed all the broken panes in the greenhouse. I dug out my wellies and bought some new gardening gloves. Then the wind came back with a vengeance and - you guessed it - more broken panes. Mike is to do it all again, with more clips to hold the glass in. Then food and flower production can commence.

Spring Chicken

Or boiling fowl?As my 60th birthday looms the appendage to my left ear is to be no more. I am to take a drug which sounds more like a dog food, Champix, which will aid my attempt to finally stop smoking which began when I was 11. I also join a group of other prematurely aged and coughing fighters of the weed every week. This seems mainly to find out what ones carbon monoxide levels are. This is proof you are smoking less - the machine does not lie. As I hit the jack pot with my first test, lit up every light and set off all the buzzers, I am looked on with awe. The second reason for being part of the group is to see if anyone has any of the very long list of side effects from taking the drug. As I have delayed starting the drug, I have none. The delay is that I thought I was pushing it if I stopped smoking just before my birthday when the whole family descends......My other attempt at delaying the ageing process is succumbing to advertising and shelling out for wrinkle filling cream. I now glow - because I am worth it.
Posted by Jill Chandler at 01:18 0