Susan and me in the garden

I hope this comes out, first time I've tried to post a video.

Friday 13th March

We had the last of 4 tons of marine gravel arrive today, I had dug out the remaining part of the path around the Pottery before it arrived so once dropped on the drive I was all ready to go with my trusty assistant.

The finished project, Viv can now walk from the Pottery back into the house without going on the grass so no excuse now to get out there first thing in the morning and get potting.

It was a beautiful warm, sunny day and working in the garden we could hear Skylarks singing as they claim territories either side of us. A pair of Buzzards drifted over for a while diving and chasing each other in a courtship display and then to top things off a flock of 50 Whooper Swans flew over calling like mad as they started their journey back to the arctic tundra, first ever sighting of Whoopers from the garden and 111th species for the year.

Found out that a nest has been built in the nest box I put up on the rear of the Pottery, not sure if it is a Robin or Dunnock and whether it is a new one for this year or one we missed checking from last year.

Tuesday 10th March 2015

Back to earth after working on the boat, this was Viv's 32nd Wedding Anniversary present, me digging out the foundations for a new gravel path and laying the cable from the garage to the pottery studio ready for it to be wired up for the kiln and lights.

What a change in the weather today compared to how cold and miserable it was yesterday, warm enough for just a t-shirt in the garden and the goldfish in the pond were all in the sunny spots too. All the big fish up but no sign of the little ones yet.

There were two Tench doing their impressions of an Ostrich but by the time I got back with the camera the larger one had sunk back into the depths of the pond. Still no sign of any toads or frogs but there was a lone male newt on the side the other night.

Sunday 8th March 2015

I've just got back from Maryport again after a few days working on the boat with Alec. We had quite a busy time in between the gales and rain, I have never camped in such strong winds before and had a really poor couple of nights sleep being buffeted in the lay-by, at one point I though I might have to get up and move the van back into a street in town in case I got blown over!

We did get one half decent day when I was able to finish rubbing down the port side and Alec was able to start applying a coat of Primocon to bond to the hull, I actually quite like the silvery grey colour. I was worried it was going to take loads of paint as at £60-00 a two and half litre tin it's quite pricey but we gave it coat all over with just under half a tin left. We are thinking a deep navy hull and picking out the line along the top of the hull in deep navy as well.

Alec has been busy whilst I was home fitting out the fore-peak.

We re-seated four of the shroud supports that the survey said needed attention, re-seated the auto-helm block that was leaking a bit, changed the oil in the engine, serviced the grease pump, fuel filter and sanded down the ceilings in the cupboards ready for painting.

We have decided we will berth the boat at Maryport for this year as it gives us more time to get her into shape without having to rush to get her into the water and then moved before everything can be fully checked out. Alec says we can always sail his boat until it is sold if need be but hopefully Sundance will be in the water in a couple of months.
We all felt the decision to stay at Maryport made sense and it gives us time to explore and get to know the area before deciding where to end up for next year.

Wednesday 4th March 2015

I'm back off up to ,Maryport again this afternoon whilst Viv holds the fort at home, just me parked up by the graveyard tonight.

I thought I'd take a few pictures around the garden as today the sun is out and it's warm enough to wander around the garden in a t-shirt for the first time in ages. The pond is still looking pretty bare but there are the odd green shoots starting to show and the fish seem a bit more active swimming about in the sun, the water is clear enough to see the bottom at present.

A friend of Viv's on the Isle of Man says they have frogs gathering in their pond but no sign of any in our garden yet.

These bulbs have flowered under the plum tree and we have a nice display of snowdrops at the back of the pond. If the warm weather continues I'll have to cut the grass when I get back.

I'm hoping frogs might come back to this little pond I moved last year into the raised bed, it's looking a bit green at present but that should provide good food for any taddies in there.

A pair of Tree Sparrows visited the feeder on the pear tree again this morning along with a pair of Long Tailed Tits, yesterday a lone Marsh Tit was investigating the trees around the pond and the Song Thrush is still singing each morning outdoing the Blackbirds, Starling and Chaffinch.

When I get back I'm going to have to get busy on Viv's Studio laying an armoured cable from the garage to supply power for the kiln and lights. I'll sink the cable underground and then lay a gravel path from the garage to it and around the front and side of the studio. It will make it easier to get in when it's wet and I can remove the slabs in front of the patio door that are getting a bit slippery.

Maryport February 2015

I found a really nice quiet lay-by just outside Maryport to spend the night in last time I was up, just down the road from the cemetary so "dead quiet" at night but out of the high winds so less rock and roll at night. I take my wife to all the best spots!

We had to move the van across the car park at the marina as the wind was so strong at one point we were worried we might get blown over. Once it dropped off a bit Viv had to go and retrieve the steps to the van that had blown off across the car park. In between the showers when it cleared up you could see the snow on the mountains in Scotland across the water in the distance.

Coming down in to the cabin

The fore-peak cleaned and stripped out ready to paint and fit the new seating and bed, we have taken the sea toilet out for now and will replace it with a porta-toilet that will store under the bed and block off the sea-cocks.

Alec starting on the rewiring, stripping out all the redundant bits and gadgets that don't work.

Viv meets Sundance

Viv getting to grips with the port side quarter berth where she'll be relegated if she's naughty!

Rubbing the keel back to bare metal ready to give it a coat of red oxide then undercoat and anti-foul. It was a really cold day and my feet got wet so were cold all day too. Managed to just about finish it all though so nearly ready for painting.

Alec and I having a break, not a lot of seating around though.

Viv and Alec sheltering from the February sun during a very brief appearance before the sleet returned again.

The marina during a brief sunny interlude at Maryport.

What turned out to be a more typical view out of the van window following a sleet storm and very gusty winds, afterwards it was sliding down the side of the van in one great big sheet of ice.