A Few Days Away

After the stress of the last few weeks I was talked into taking the motorhome away for a few days.  Jo and Paul had their caravan on the Eden Valley Holiday Park near Lostwithiel and so this afternoon I drove up with Hamish to join them.  The lane to the site is very narrow so Paul met me as I turned off the main road and he drove the RV in for me.  After checking in we parked up on my pitch and set up camp …

Unfortunately I was using next door’s grass and so Paul turned the van around for me and I was settled in for the week.

Sad News

I apologise for not having blogged since last year but it has been a traumatic time which finally came to an end on 19th June when we lost Mike.  He’d endured two operations on his eyes but unfortunately he completely lost his sight and last June he was diagnosed with vascular dementia. 

He is now out of pain and at peace but he’s left a gigantic hole in our lives.

Dog-Sitting Day

Mark, Stuart and their dog Sharpie have been joined at their camp-site by their neighbours John and Leigh, two children Declan and Ewan and their two dogs. I offered to have all the dogs here so that they could go to Portreath beach for a surf.  I was envisaging four small dogs all playing happily together and then they arrived!!  When the car pulled up it had a miniature pony in it!  Grayson is a Leonberger – the Gentle Giant which is about 3ft in height at the withers!!!!  Their other dog was Rossie a 14 month old rescue springer spaniel who fell in love with Hamish and followed him everywhere that he went. 

After the initial investigation of their temporary home they all settled down very well.  Grayson and Sharpie the bulldog spent the morning outside in the shade …

While Rossie kept his eye on Hamish in the house …

In the afternoon I handed over the dog-sitting duties to Mike’s sister Lesley as she’d arrived to keep him company while I spent some time on the beach with the others.  The surf was great and I had a lovely time with them.  Poor John who already had a dodgy back when he arrived, stood on a weever fish and had to visit the Surf Club to get his foot treated.  He had to sit for 15 minutes with it in a bowl of hot water – as hot as he could take it.  Meantime Leigh who was enjoying the sunshine which was topping up her tan, had a seagull do the unmentionable all across her stomach!!  However they all had a fantastic time and have vowed to return to Cornwall another year.

Fun in the Harbour

Our friends Mark and Stuart are camping in Cornwall this week and they came over to try their kayak at Portreath.  The sea was too rough so they pumped it up to use in the harbour.  Jo and Paul were also here – Jo in her wetsuit ready for any eventuality!

I was so impressed with the kayak that I searched the internet for one and have ordered from Amazon.  Reckon the grand-kids will love it next week!

Walk in Tehidy

With a couple of hours of free time this afternoon I took Hamish to Tehidy Country Park for a walk.  Once parked we began by walking alongside the Tehidy Golf course and thankfully there were no wayward shots today!

There was a sign up explaining why part of the area was fenced off …

It was very quiet and we almost had the place to ourselves …

Unfortunately I was too late to get a coffee and cake at the Cafe as it was closed so we walked around to look at the lake before re-tracing our steps back to the car …

Hamish enjoyed his drink of water!

Crocus Transported to a New Home for the Winter

I was up bright and early this morning as the crane was booked for nine o’clock and I had loads to do beforehand.  Crocus is off to a workshop where Roger, his daughter Nicki and the team from the Cornish Wooden Boat Company can work on her and make her fit to sail. 

Roger and co arrived before eight and prepped her then while they waited they began stripping the old trackmark decking off her.  This showed up a few problem places on the deck but I have every faith in them that they’ll get her sorted.

The transporter arrived and so began the delicate job of lifting and settling her on the flatbed trailer …

Roger and the chaps had left and were at the shed getting it ready to receive her but Nicki stayed and travelled with her …

It was then just a case of reversing out from the harbour, the driver nipping over to the pasty shop to collect some sustenance and then they were off …

I received a text later to say that she was safely tucked up inside the workshop.

Now the expensive bit begins!!

Crocus has her own Blog.  If you want to follow her progress then check her out here.  As you’ll see she hasn’t been worked on for several years which has been due to Mike’s health.  He has finally accepted that he’s unable to finish her which is why she’s been moved today.

Portreath Art Exhibition

The Art Exhibition is an annual event and is always held the first week of August.  The Club members set up the Hall on Saturday and in the evening they have a Preview Night for friends and family.

On Sunday the Exhibits are free to view by the general public until the following Saturday evening when all is dismantled.

We popped in on Sunday to see mum-in-law Pam’s stand and I had a good look round while Mike and Hamish sat and waited for me.  Hamish was peeping at me through one of the chairs …

On Tuesday afternoon we were back again as Jo and Paul came down.  I’d seen a picture I really liked on Sunday and it was still in a browser on Tuesday.  When we got home I grabbed some money and nipped back to buy it before it disappeared!

It is a watercolour called ‘Wistful Gaze’ by Mandi Baykaa-Murray and it so reminded me of my Dales mare Meg that I just had to have it!

It was a very good Exhibition with some amazing work but unfortunately the sales were a little down this year.  One person who sold a picture was Pam who sold her painting of Glenfeadon Castle …

The Millennium Hall was filled with art work …