Kicking back

 The past few days have been very quiet. 

The weather is uninspiring, and there are very few pressing demands on my time, so I have been taking it easy ... well easier than I usually take things!  

Thursday did see me venture outside for more time than is required to let out the chickens and fill the log basket.  

When letting out the chickens, I happened to lift the roofs on the hives, and check on their consumption of fondant. Hive #1 was down to their last morsel, so, once the day had warmed a little, a replacement pack of fondant was placed on the crown board. Hive #3 is working their way through their first pack, and hive #2 doesn't appear to have made great inroads in to the fondant.*  I'll keep checking on a weekly basis to ensure they have enough food to keep them going.

Friday saw a trip over to Cheltenham to look at curtain fabric.  We had been posted a small sample of a fabric, but really wanted to see a large area of the material to get a better idea of how it would look as curtains in the dining room, hence the visit to a fabric retailer. We both agreed that it was fabulous, but was going to be far too busy in the same room as the rug we bought last weekend.

We have now developed plan b, which involves using a deep red jacquard fabric** in the dining room. Those curtains will be made with a triple pleat to give the curtains an additional element of visual interest. The fabric we originally chose is likely to be used in the lounge instead.

Saturday saw me to succumb to repeated, and good humoured nagging from 'Chelle.  She is a huge fan of my carrot cake and I really do owe her a cake, after she so kindly sat the dogs when we visited C&S a fortnight ago.

Consequently I spent most of the morning baking a carrot cake. I will ice it tomorrow, in preparation for a visit from 'Chelle.

Once the cake had bene set to cool, I headed out down the lanes with TB and Hobson. We had a lovely walk and and I was reasonably impressed by Hobson's recall.*** Something caught his attention, possibly a squirrel, but I did manage to break his attention, and get him to come back.

So that is pretty much it for the past three days. It is Winter. The weather is dismal and I am really enjoying kicking back and relaxing in the warm.

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* The packs are clear plastic, so one can see the bees as they start to consume the fondant.

** A roll of which has sat in 30%'s dressing room for more years than I care to remember. Apparently it was purchased to cover a pair of sofa's which have, long since, "left the building."

*** He has been a little obstinate recently.