Am briefly back at my computer after a couple of really good weeks at Boggart Hall, working a little bit, just for show, but actually just enjoying my time up there immensely.
We had a visitor in the form of a stray racing pigeon, whom we called Percival, as he looked quite gentlemanly. Here he is having a look at Anna’s knee. He was really quite friendly.
We looked up his legband number on a stray pigeon website and got in touch with his owner, who asked us to feed him, take him a mile away and let him go. Pigeons turn out to be harder to catch than chickens, but we managed to get him in the house (easy, he kept going in anyway) and I caught him.
We took him in the cat carrier and drove him a couple of miles up onto the hill and let him go. Elmo was sure he’d be back at Boggart Hall before we were. In the event, it took him a couple of hours but back he came. However, a couple of days later he flew off not to be seen again. At least so far. Happy travels, Percival.
As a token, we did a bit of work, including building some more of the framing for my clothing shelf above the bed. We pretty much got that done, but it’s hard to be working on a lovely soft bed without taking the odd moment to lie down on it. Especially if you’re as lazy as me.
We also did a bit more claying and finally finished the last edges of the the doorway, just one more coat to go in one little area and I can paint!
I also broke down and went to the garden centre to get a few bits to put in the corner with the rose. Three delphiniums in interesting colours and a couple of campanulas. And a few slug pellets, because the little buggers ate my last delphinium.
On to the important stuff: I made my first on-site pie, a peach and rhubarb with shortcrust pastry that came out rather well, if a bit crumbly. Anna and I managed to finish it off between us within about a day and a half.
Anna’s a big barbecue fan, so we did that for dinner one night, sliced aubergine and courgette (that’s eggplant and zucchini, Ma) plus teriyaki chicken and skewers of vegetables and prawns. Oh, and haloumi. If it’s available grilled, you’ve got to have it. That’s the rule.
My new Montmorency cherry tree produced one, beautiful, perfect cherry, and today it was ripe enough to use (and just about ripe enough for me to worry a bird would get it before I could) so I picked it.
I used it, along with the bilberries Anna and I picked up on the hill overlooking Todmorden, in some aebleskiver, a Danish delight passed down from my mother’s father’s family who came from Denmark. Apparently our version is very much changed, according to my more recently Danish friend. But I love them.
The camping stove made the middle cup a little hot and I had to discard one burned one, but they were pretty amazing.
As a last effort to say we’d done something useful, Anna swept the roof of all the leaves and bits that had accumulated, and cleared the gutters of grit and crud. What a girl.
We especially want to make the place look good this weekend because Anna’s parents are coming to see it on Sunday. As you can see, the porch needs a bit of tidying, which is my job for tomorrow. I intend to do it well and make a good impression; Anna’s been right here with us all the time we’ve been building the place and it’s as much hers as it is ours. I want her to be able to be proud of the place when her parents arrive.
More later!
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