Don't say a word.............sssh

Trying very hard to not get excited. But our 'buyers' may become buyers on a formal footing. Scottish system can be quite wierd and things happen here that would not happen in England. Like buyers solicitors having friendly chat with sellers' solicitors without actually saying anything. At least our buyers have now instructed a solicitor which is a huge step forward.
If I bate my breath much longer I will drop down dead.

However. Mike and I went and viewed another property today. Fantastic view over the Loch of Strathbeg with the sea in the distance. I could have made the house work for us but as you cannot do anything about neighbours who were all around and very, very close, we knew it was not for us. So its back to our short list of two.

Its been quite strange lately as we tour the countryside for houses for sale. I have been up and down so many roads, quite close to us here, that I have never done before. Seen our house from miles away at different angles! We are quite a feature. In fact we were once visited by the Ordnance Survey to ensure we werent going to dig the front garden up. Apparently they use our garden as a measuring point from a small aircraft to do their maps. The garden has a distinct cross marked out by the walls and paths. Must remember to tell our successors.

Wow!

This is an Osprey catching his dinner, Loch Garten. We have Ospreys around here also, we know where they nest but it is a secret.
My next nest is also a secret, even to me.

We are going to look at another house tomorrow. Our last viewers are still desperate to buy. But I am not building any hopes up. Or down. Well, actually I do go up and down. But who wouldn't!

Guests left this morning. Just imagine - we had a couple of vegetarians in and a (very dishy) young man who filled our shed up with dead deer. We just managed that they did not meet up for breakfast and share - well anything really!

Life goes on!

Mackerel sky this is called.

Good job in some ways that I am running a b&b - takes your mind of the fact you wish you weren't!
Had a mammoth ironing session this morning and cleaned and set up a few bedrooms. Zoomed round the sitting room, dining room, hall ways, corridors, followed by mopping the lot.
Then baked some cookies. Guest who was arriving "early evening" strolled in at 3p.m. just as they came out of the oven. So while muttering curses at him I forgot for a while that I really dont want to be here, if that makes sense.
Tomorrow is my day 'off'. After I have cleaned his room and set up another for more guests arriving. However I have my afternoon of 'shut down' while I have my hair colours done. Rotary in the evening. Well, thats the plan.

No time to play for me.

Alright for some.
Well - what a week. We had our viewing on Sunday and it went extremely well. We scoured round for the few properties up for sale in our price range, location choice, and other being picky limitations, which brought us down to two. One I like and one he likes. But as we had heard nothing from our potential viewers we were beginning to think it was all a waste of time. Then yesterday they phoned. They need more financial stuff for their financial advisor. More importantly they are still desperate to buy. So we spent the best part of today (and it is glorious, sunny and warm,) trawling through accounts etc. Remember we have never been seriously into business, so long as we can do an honest tax return thats all we do. No spread sheets, no profits and losses, no long term forecasts...We know someone could really make this place crack, but knowing it and presenting it as such to a bank manager is a different kettle of fish. Now its up to them. And really with what we have already provided them with they should have been able to make a good case. But like our usual 'we aim to please' we have probably done the work for them. Just hope it pays off. I am in a terrible state, cant settle to do anything, most of its done anyway. I had intended to re-pot all my lilies today, but the best part of the day is gone. So I am having a glass of wine - so there.

Woman at work.

Here is moi in the factory.
This morning I had decided to take a day off. Then the phone rang. A couple wanting to buy a bed and breakfast. Checked the date that it wasnt April the 1st. They are to view tomorrow so my day off sank without trace.

What happens when the snow melts.

Did I mention we had tons of snow at the beginning of the week? Probably not. But we did, blizzards even. Then it melted and the river which we cannot normally see from the house got bigger and bigger.
We had two shooters of deer in most of the week, so I was quite pleased to see the snow as it would make it more difficult to shoot anything. They managed one each.
Been catching up with the ironing and cleaning. A couple in for one night on Sunday. So two nights 'off'.
We also went to view a potential property to move into. I did not like it. It was in a lovely situation and an area I do like. However the living room was the same size as our library here, so not enough room to place our furniture. The dining kitchen was okay size wise and the land with it was enough to populate with any number of geese, ducks, hens, but we are not getting any younger. So a larger sitting room is more important than flocks of poultry. After all you can only eat so many eggs in a day.
This morning Mike found one of our three hens minus a head and dead. Looking on google this could have been a racoon or a horned eagle owl - then I realised I had not put in UK - so it was probably a weasel. His task today was to move the hen run, ensure it was fox proof etc., tho theres not much you can do about weasels, but we will now be watching for dusk to shut the two remaining girls into their hut.
My task was to do the supermarket run. Not a good plan on Good Friday as apparently this is similar to New Years Eve when the place is packed and trolleys are piled high with booze (and Easter eggs.) (two for £7.) They had even run out of the senior citizen trolleys, you know, the small ones you can lean on, so I had quite a wait before even getting through the doors.
However I made it eventually and am well stocked up with beer and wine, but missed out on the easter eggs - and with our depleted flock probably on hen eggs too.

My Birthday cake.

Not many of us can make a cake and do a crossword at the same time. And whilst wearing a scarf (birthday gift). I am trying to make chocolate whirls, unsuccesfully, with a butter curler. The icing was ganache, still to be made in the picture, which I thought should go hard? It did manage to stay on the top but quite a lot pooled down the sides. It still tasted scrummy. For making the cake and the icing I used my birthday gift of an electric whizzer. How exciting is that!

Well, I just cannot believe that it snowed again today. Blizzards. Fortunately not settling but not pleasant. Strong wind. Back to burning liquid gold (oil).

We have a couple of Belgian chaps in , with a gun each, hoping to bag a few deer. So far without success. Unlike the last time when we had four corpses in our shed. They go out before dawn. Return for breakfast and then go back to bed. Back out at dusk. So we are tiptoeing around all day....

Having finished decorating our bedroom I purchased a new light fitting. The current one is mainly black and does not go at all. So I have bought a gold one. Because these chaps are in we cannot fit the new one as it means turning off all the lights....But my new orchid looks very tasteful (yes, another birthday gift) sitting in the corner.