Yawn.

This is Sith, sorry, Cait Sith. This means Fairy Cat in Gaelic. Which he was when a tiny kitten. Now he is the Beast of Buchan. He looked so elegant sprawled on the bed I took a picture, but, just as I did, he yawned. Not so beautiful! But quite amusing.

This picture is of a layered cake of snow, you can see the depths we have had almost with each snowfall. About twelve inches now and still snowing.


Well, so much for doing chores. Being stir crazy I decided to attempt to go somewhere, anywhere. After a few tries I managed to get going forward down the drive and into the village. Then onto the next village and the largest Garden Centre in the North East, Happy Plant. It was really pleasant to have a wander round and see stuff without squeezing past people and push chairs. I bought a few bits and pieces with Christmas in mind then saw it was snowing again, so lurched home.

Our paying guests have made it up here.

More to the point our Postie finally made it up here. What a pile of post! It was quite exciting -and not one piece of junk mail. Thats a first. Two of the House magazines I subscribe to, parcels for me to wrap up from family unable to be with us at Christmas - and yes, my present from Mike, for him to wrap up! Its the Downton thing dvd which we werent allowed to watch in Scotland, as STV and ITV are at war. We dont get any of the new Midsomer Murders either. Which I take as a personal affront.

Mike has brought down from the loft all our Christmas stuff. So, tomorrow, I will be decorating for Christmas, not decking the halls with boughs of holly, I will leave that till nearer the time, plus all the masses of pine cones I know are out there are under the b***** snow.

More of the same.

One of our two hens, the other is behind the wall. This photo taken this morning.

More snow in the night and during today.

Our two guests were turned back by the police on their way here as the roads are too dangerous. At least I am in front with my guest chores. Which might mean, well okay, should mean, I can do more work in other areas.

The cats are driving me mad. They keep going to a different exit door and hoping there will be no snow outside that one. When they see there is, its off to another one and yowl to be let out, one look and its on to another door. And so on.

I really should be getting on with Christmas stuff. We buy the tree the first Saturday in September. Saturday because we did used to work 5 days a week! We could actually go and get it any day of the week. Looking out of my bedroom patio door I can see them growing.

I guess the snow should make one feel Christmassy but afraid its not working. Not even the lovely robin perched on the spade handle, which Mike keeps intending to use to dig some snow out of the drive.

We havent seen the postie for four days now. Good job the one thing I sent for from Amazon I didnt pay extra for for next day delivery. Its only my present from Mike! I am sure it will come before Christmas. Though no-one seems to really know when the snow will disappear. We will be due our annual snowfall soon. Hope there is a break in between this lot and that lot so I can do some costly gift purchasing. As even if one uses the internet, if there is no post delivery, hmmmmmm?

Snow on snow, in the bleak midwinter...

So we went out to play.

Now the dress here is a mini. Worn with black tights and ankle boots. I was freezing! Quite a lot of the ladies had shoulderless dresses on, brrr. It was a huge ballroom we were in and dotted around were very small electric fires (?). At one point I actually went through to reception to complain. It did then get warmer. The central heating is ducted through the ceiling. They must have assumed we would create our own hot air. Bit difficult when its minus ten outside.

This event was our Rotary "Cause for Celebration". There were a number of tables for various charities, who all benefitted from the money raised in the evening. We had a lovely meal, courtesy of the Waterside, and there was a group called Quattro, so presumably there

were four of them. Dancing after the meal. I was the official photographer. And despite my usual glasses of wine they have mostly come out particularly well.

Just before midnight we realised the snow was coming down heavily so decided to head for home. The snow on the car was gathered on the way back.

Today, yet more snow. And a wind. Although we have been snow ploughed twice, so Mike went out for supplies and then out again for yet more bird food.

We have a covey of partridges feeding at the front, a pair of pheasants in the spinney at the back, and a buzzard keeps calling to the side. Mike was talking about buying a few mice...

Our ducks are underneath the tall pine tree. Its lower branches weighed down with snow it makes a nice shelter, they do have a hut but go in there on sufferance. The hens too are in some shrubbery and all looking totally miserable. Thankfully 'Oven ready' has grown most of her feathers back.

Back to it tomorrow. Hopefully our two paying guests will make the journey here from Glasgow. The snow here measures 12 inches.. The wind is whipping it up into drifts and there is more to come.

Water like a stone. Thankfully not the red stuff.

My view yesterday.

.Everyone elses view.

Doctor Amy. The picture below is her just about to become Doctor Amy.

Mike etc. only found out after it was all over that I could have watched it on the internet...... Why dont they tell you that before. Sheesh.

Well, all over now. Mike back. We have a Rotary knees up this evening and Mike thinks we will be okay to get there. Snow now ten inches deep. My dress will look ace with wellies.

Still snowing.

Heavy snow. All night, and still going.

Today Mike and I were to go to Edinburgh to see our eldest daughter graduate as a Doctor of Philosophy. It wasnt so much the worry about getting there, as the roads were reportedly alright once you got below Laurencekirk, but the forecast said more snow (right for once) so it was the getting back. Many of the roads in Aberdeenshire are only driveable with care, which means very, very slowly. The plan was to leave our animals with plenty food but to be back for Saturday lunchtime.
I am the one who struggles to breathe in the cold air. I dont do stairs very easily either or walking, and I am still not eating much.
So, we decided it would be me to remain to ensure animals and birds didnt starve or eat each other.
So Mike has gone down and will be staying over in a B&B. Having a lovely celebratory meal, seeing our grandson, our daughter the doctor, and her partner and two other daughters.
Me -? She should just about now be getting hit over the head and pronounced a Doctor, so I am raising my glass to her. Cannot begin to state how proud I am of her.

We are not amused.

Snowed all night, and most of the day. This is one of four feeding stations we have around the house. Could have shown you a beautiful female pheasant, but the batteries in the camera died. Also a buzzard came to sit on the fence post here and was dive bombed by crows. Sods law!

Okay I am smiling in the picture. BUT having just spent vast amounts of money on having my hair colours done, and been advised "We need to do low lights this time."(?) I end up with BORING BROWN hair. The flash on the camera has brightened it, but I can assure you it is BROWN. In fact I have a vague memory that's the colour I was born with. And I am stuck with it til after Christmas.

Still, I always do enjoy my six weekly trip to the hairdressers. It was unusually quiet. The usual 'dead' woman having her perm done, nice that they carry her to the sink and back again isnt it? My stylist and the washer of hair were chatting to a girl who had left to have her baby. They might as well have been talking Dutch, the Doric was so strong, I only got the odd word or two, but there was much hilarity so I just fixed a knowing smile on my face. As the girl left my stylist started on me and said, "Terrible thing a prolapse, isnt it."

Don't panic!

Not here yet! But threatened for the end of the week.
With all the kerfuffle of stuff running out on the internet I thought it was time I finally got down to it and went to the shops. Now Peterhead is not exactly the mecca of the retail world. Since Woolworths closed down and was replaced by an Iceland, theres not much browsing to do. How stupid is that, fill everyones stocking with frozen ready meals?
One of the best shops ever has also gone, called The Gift Shop it was run by two girls who have now become firm friends, but sadly the shop is no more. Always managed to get tons of different, delightful, objects from there.
So I directed myself to W.H. Smiths, New Look and Dorothy Perkins. And came out again. I had thought, if I feel good and well dressed then that will rub off on everyone else and we'll have a good Christmas. The only item I could possibly have worn was just a tad too sparkly for me. I also worried about what would happen if you sat down with all those sequins on, would they fly off? Cut you in half, cut anyone who gave you a hug?
So, off to my favourite shops, the charity ones. We have quite a lot in Peterhead. Now joined by a pawn shop I noticed.....Might just flog the gold.
It's not just the vast swathe of all things curious its the clientele I find so fascinating. I got into a conversation with one woman who kept asking me, "Whats this for?" "Its a coffee jug." "Jug? Whats wrong with a mug?" and a chap who physically elbowed me out of the way as I peered at the book shelves, obviously frantic I was going to pick up the one book he might want.
Called in at ASDA on the way home. Bottle of wine for me and another present for the grandson.
Home again to find the oil delivery had been, big sigh of relief. If we are to be snowed in at least we will be warm. 1,568 litres of liquid gold. Doubt I would get anything for that down at the pawn shop.

Fed up of the rain.....

Takes away all your oomph after a while.
It makes the world so dark, day after day.
Had to get back to work today as our two chaps return tonight for the week. So ironing, changing beds, cleaning rooms and setting up same. Bored out of my tree.
Kept hearing on the radio that today was the day when everyone would be hitting the internet and buying all their Christmas gifts. Would there be anything left? What is the world coming to. Christmas decs up everywhere and that was in September. So I hit Amazon and made sure I had something for Mike to wrap up for me.

Saturday Night.

Right, anyone remember this person? It is Engelbert Humperdink. Many years ago my Saturday nights were spent with people such as he. Brenda Lee, Billy Fury, Gene Pitney. Late sixties, early seventies. All dolled up and out on the town. When the nightclub closed I then worked in (moonlighting) as a cloakroom girl, we all went off to another nightclub that stayed open until morning. This was where the 'stars ' would go to wind down after their performance and where we, the staff, went too.
Saturday nights now I enjoy being comfy, glass of wine, in the PJs, and watching the tele. Never, ever thought this was what the future would hold! Trouble is, now the hands are a bit shaky for the mascara brush these days. Mindst you half of them I shared a drink with then are dead. And most importantly I am not.

A grey day.

Not much different to yesterday. Except there were no shafts of sunlight at all today. I think it was Bleak House by Charles Dickens where he writes about the drip, drip, drip from the trees. Fantastic descriptive writing. I have no chance. The pictures are from yesterday at Pennan. The first shows the headland behind which is Gardenstown. And the second is the North Sea.

Our guests left this morning. Cleaning, ironing, and just pootling around.

Think positive, today there is little wind. Forecast is very cold and possibly snow. At least that makes things a little brighter!

Social Life!

The group, from left - Mike in red, Sandy and Lucy, David, Sally and Neil, Monica, Mary, Dennis, Meg and me.

Peter, our chef and co -owner of the Pennan Inn, made famous by the film Local Hero.

Pennan.

Oh the health giving qualities of laughter!

Today was our 'Christmas lunch' of the Best of Banffshire and Buchan Bed and Breakfasts. Yes, its November, but Lucy, one of the founding members is off to Australia beginning of December, visiting family, for a month. So we had little choice over the date. The food was excellent, service equally so, and the company superb. Yes, we heard about everyones aches and pains, none of us are getting any younger after all, but oh how we laughed. I suppose it is a bit like a work do where you laugh, make jokes, about what you do, who you know. Trying to explain to anyone who doesnt do that work is hard, so to be in the company of others who do the same as you, the ironing, the cleaning, the going the extra mile, the weird and wonderful guests we have come through our doors.....priceless laughter.

Pennan is a magical place. My pictures do not do it justice. To get to it you drive down a near perpendicular road, and eye the cliffs pinned and netted to prevent them from crashing down on the houses and the Inn below. Which did happen earlier this year, mud, poured into the buildings, after a period of heavy rain. Hence the man made barriers. Today we had had a real downpour and high winds so there were some moments where one cast a worried eye up above, once down in the village!

After a few glasses of wine, Mike drove us back, Lucy and Sandy dropped off, the sun now shafting through the rain clouds, life felt good.

Surfers at Peterhead!

I had a look on Peterhead Images on Google. How depressing. I would suggest to anyone interested that instead of that they look at Peterhead Photographers, of which I am one. The images on Google consisted of pages and pages of footballers and fishing boats and the power station. Fishing boats ok but really there is so much more to Peterhead that is photogenic.
As regards the surfers. Many will find it surprising but we do have them. Aberdeen beach is usually full of them and round the corner from here we have had the Surfing Championships, so there.
Weather is not conducive to going out with camera today. It is blowing a gale and very murky.
I am painting an old chair that I think is not Loyd Loom, but very like. It was a bronzey gold and is being transformed into a pale sage green. I had to pack in as it was too dark to see where I had been . This at 2.45p.m. I suppose I could have got on with recovering the seat, which is removeable, before everyone panics and thinks I am doing it in situ before the paint has dried! However, I have yet to decide which fabric to use. The chair is destined for one of the upstairs bedrooms, both unused, but to be 'dressed' for potential buyers...
Tonight I am braving the weather and driving across country to the Rotary meeting. Tomorrow our Best of Banffshire and Buchan Bed and Breakfast group are having our Christmas lunch at the Pennan Inn. (Made famous in the film Local Hero). Yes I know it's early. But Lucy is off to Australia at the beginning of December and so, just for her, its half way through November. And no we are not having turkey. Or crackers, but we are all to take a Secret Santa gift. And if I get anything like that pot sheepdog again I shall not be amused.

One of us is fit!

My daughter Polly. She plays football for Sleaford in Lincolnshire. Still remember when she was at primary school, last year of, and played rugby and being totally flattened in a tackle by an enormous chap. Both his father and me clutched each other waiting for her to stand up - she did.
Well lots of things happening here.
We have our two chaps in for another week, and booked in for next week also.
Christmas is back on the agenda!
It was such a gorgeous crisp and sunny day I decided to go to Tesco in Fraserburgh, this afternoon. I know, I know such days should be spent in the garden gathering leaves, no....Mike was doing that. I just always have enjoyed driving, my choice of music full blast, and the gorgeous Buchan countryside and so often here, the sight of the deep blue sea on the horizon. Heaven.
I bought loads of half price Christmas decorations, three Christmas presents for my grandson and a magazine and a bottle of wine - all for £20!!
House Front.
Friday our solicitor/estate agent (in Scotland estate agents are solicitors almost 100%) called round for a discussion. Apparently we have, as we know, had lots of interest in the house. But this has ceased. Well, I would have thought that was happening everywhere, its the time of year, and the state of the economy is not exactly encouraging is it? Anyway we were given quite a few options as to how to proceed which left us somewhat shell shocked. One of which was to divide the house into two properties. Now this is not that difficult as when the extensions were done many years ago each end was given its own electric supply, septic tank, central heating boiler etc. Reason for this suggestion ? Not many people want a seven bedroomed house, but do want a three bedroomed house.
Anyway, possibly all academic, over the weekend there were more 'hits' on the house details and it is nearly Christmas....................just need to find some artistic twigs to hang my decorations on, tree has to wait till December.

Time to hibernate methinks.

All the crops harvested. Our bird feeders emptying as one watches. Heating on most of the day. Four layers on the top half of body and changing from slippers to boots, sandals packed away. Christmas cake in the oven. Cats inside more than out.
Lots of wind, rain. My blue car is now brown from all the puddles on the road I have to go through to get anywhere.
We still have paying guests. Two working men, a room each and breakfast early, so I dont see them then! Mike does the breakfasts. Very neat and tidy chaps, a pleasure to do their rooms. And their company, a local one, paying promptly. So all well on the business side.
Have daughter number three staying for a few days, with her fiance Dan. He has done us a fair bit of clearing the veg patch and both of them have helped enormously in sorting out the middle room. This is a room off the sitting room that in its past was a bathroom . The house was a care home for Polish elderly. Our library, also off the sitting room was a bedroom, and the middle room was its bathroom. The bath and the toilet were removed, leaving a sink. We have used the room as a store room which was almost to the ceiling with stuff being stored. All has now been sorted. Lots gone to the tip, boxes of car boot stuff at one side, boxes with things we wish to keep when/if we move on another, and all Zach's toys near the door for easy access. Bliss.
Polly, our daughter, has also braved the loft. Not sure how much she has done up there, I havent been up there for years, suffice it to say that it still has quite a lot of zimmer frames and the old plastic Christmas tree used by the Polish care home residents.......

Scottish High Tea.

Well first they bring on the toast. And the butter and the jams. Then they bring along a menu for a main course. We all upgraded to the steak. Which came with onion rings, mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, tomato. Bowl of chips, perfectly cooked chips. Anything from the bar? Yes, a bucket of red wine. Or white and a pint of 80 shillings (go google it). But basically it's beer.

This followed by scones, scottish pancakes and a mass of fancies. Mini meringues, shortbread, chocolate cakes, melt in your mouth and die for mmmm. Coffee and Tea - or in our case, well some of us, more wine. All this for less than £20 per person and I think you should seriously consider moving to Scotland. Well I guess it might have been a bit more with the wine and the tip we left.
So there you have it. Scottish High Tea. I wont be having supper.

Computers!!!!!

First of all I should say that without them I would not be able to see my grandson so often, him being in Edinburgh and me in the wilds of north east Scotland. This is a picture I took of him while on Skype, and him showing me how he could put hats on and off!
After reading all the help bits on google it could well be that installing Skype onto my lap top could have caused my problem with blogging.
I have been unable to get in to my blog for ages, although I can on the main computer..... In the end I got so frustrated I ended up with a new blog, but then discovered no-one else could find it! So, on the main computer I changed my password, back up on the lap top - and here I am again! Quite proud of myself for sorting it, just hope it stays sorted.
Also with computers - we are trying to update our web site. So needed new photographs as over the years there's been quite a lot of money thrown at guest rooms, decorating, new lighting and expensive throws and so forth.

A guest room, note to Hotel Inspector, no visible seams in my wallpapering.....

Another guest room, due when money allows, for a rewallpapering.

And our sitting room, new cushion covers for the Winter, and a runner, and the footstool re-covered.
Anyone interested in what our guests think to it all visit Tripadvisor!

Eye ball to eye ball - well nearly.

Living here whenever you pass a window you look out, there is always something to see. Tonight its the firework display at the football club in the village.
Looking to the rear of the house, from my bathroom window earlier in the day, I saw this blur of whiteness about six inches above the ground and had to really peer to see what it was. Then I got the binoculars to be sure of what I was seeing. I have never seen a sparrow hawk so near to the ground, unless it was finishing off a kill. But that is what it was. I watched it and it seemed to watch me. I was just beginning to think it was injured and what on earth I would do about it, when it just took flight, effortlessly and gracefully, and soared upwards and away, despite being surrounded by shrubs and trees.
Makes the morning of ironing pass smoothly (sorry - a pun). Two guest rooms ready for guests who I hope this time will turn up. We have two couples and a 22 month old child, booked in for tomorrow.
Tis a lovely night for bonfires and fireworks, clear, dry and very cold. So glad I dont have to go outside and stand with feet getting frozen and go Whoooooooooooooooo.

Guess its now Winter!

Sith on the bed, Puzzle on the floor by my chair. And Min on another chair.

This is my boudoir. More like a bed sit! Piles of magazines all around, my table of orchids, some flowering, some resting, one about to flower again which I am very proud of as I have never managed that before. The grey packages are Christmas presents for the extended family, waiting to be rewrapped and posted. This is where I come in the evening to read said magazines and to watch the t.v. when there is anything worth watching. Read a book. And work on my laptop. Oh, and have a sip of wine.

One after the other there is a faint scratch on the door and in they come. The cats. We have this enormous house, plenty warm spots to curl up in, but no, want to be where I am. Aw isnt that nice.

Today I have mopped floors like a woman possessed. It has taken me two days now but every floor has been deep cleaned. So why does it rain today and now I have cat paw prints everywhere?????????????

But at least I know that for five minutes today evey floor was clean.