We had a lovely day: Early Church, then we took off to the coast with Dot and Rodney. It was warm and sunny, we sat outside at Pretty Corner and had coffee, then on to Weybourne where we had lunch at The Ship. Driving on we stopped at Wiveton where Dot's grandparents are buried in the walled churchyard. Tea at the Wildflower place at Letheringsett. We didn't pay to walk round the grounds as we thought there wouldn't be many wildflowers yet. I took my camera out with me but didn't see anything that took my eye. Back at home Dave lit the chimnea, and opened a bottle of wine. He called to me to hurry and bring my camera - he had moved a log for the fire and this beautiful Peacock butterfly was just drying its new wings.

Treasure in Devon

As far as I know this is the first picture of the boys playing together. Five days went so quickly, and they change so much between visits.

Back to normal today. I had to take a sandwich to work as I had a social services strategy meeting in Litcham this afternoon. It was a gorgeous day, and frustrating to be shut in for most of it. When I got home Dave was digging a hole to sink a dustbin for the reservoir for the new stream. We had chosen the site together, but neither of us noticed it was right on the line of the soakaway pipe! Now the stream will have to be a bit longer.

Mary-Ann has broken her parents again! Spent the morning buying wood and then Dave made shelves while I managed to break the rotary line. HAving cut the plastic line off the arms I tied it into a branch in the hedge and the other end onto a hook on the shed. Thought I was very clever, but when I hung the washing on it, it got longer and longer and the washing finished up on the grass. Redeemed myself by cleaning windows. MAry-Ann and Dom have gone for a curry so I am playing on her computer.
The little boys are lovely, but have been at nursery. We'll have them all day on Saturday. That will be fun but exhausting.

They found the water pipe in about 15 minutes! So now the mobile is disconnected from the mains water supply and we just have to organise Anglian Water to take their meter away. We are depserately trying to give the mobile home away. It doesn't owe us anything, and still has potential life as a farm store, play room, site office or similar. With a bit of patching up it could even be lived in for a while. We have put it on free-cycle in two Norfolk areas and quite a bit of interest, but people seem to be put off by its size. If anyone out there knows anyone with land and a use for it, who is prepared to organise two low-loaders to take it away, its here for the taking!
We are off to Mary-Ann's tomorrow, until Sunday, so unless I can hook up to her internet there won't be any updates this week. We are hoping their spell of brilliant weather will last long enough for us to take the children to the beach - Mary-Ann paddled in the sea with Joseph at the weekend! We went to Cromer yesterday with Steve and KAte. We had nice fish and chips at Mary-Jane's, but could hardly see the sea, it was so misty. And it was cold!

We've worked really hard in the garden this week but there's little to show for it on a photo. If you click on the slideshow and turn it into an album, and click on the photo looking towards the bird-table, number 13, there's a lump of concrete which was the junction between the lawn and the bridge. Behind that is what looks like a garden slab, which was the standing for the bridge. It wasn't a slab- it was a nine-inch thick block of concrete, and Dave has spent two days attacking it with a lump hammer and carting the bits away fready for the skip. Not bad for someone who lost a third of his right collar-bone and part of his breast bone eighteen months ago!
I have been digging between the transplanted shrubs and the veg patch. We have two wheelie bins full of bindweed and buttercup to be taken away on Tuesday, but as you couldn't see them before, you wouldn't be able to see the difference. I'm dying to be able to photograph something pretty, but that could be a long way off. Even the shrubs llok as if they are telling us the winter in tub-trugs was just too long.
It's Easter morning. We were up at dawn for the sunrise service on the Neatherd Moor in Dereham. There were about 40 of us. It was misty and grey, and no sign of the sun, except in our hearts as we celebrated the resurrection. The birds were singing their hearts out, and we managed to make a joyful sound as well. Then we went back to church for breakfast and communion together. It was still only 8.45 when we got home!
Tomorrow Steve is coming to help Dave try to find the water main T junction that supplies the mobile. Dave has already dug down an arms length in our front drive, and no sign yet of the main supply pipe. Apparently we have to blank off the T to avoid getting dead water in our system. Sounds horrible. Assuming they are successful in locating the pipe we are going to take off to the seaside, mist or no mist, for some sea air and hopefully a meal.
Wishing you all a happy Easter. Hope you get some good rest and refreshment time

Tea at 'Steptoe's'

This is the crazy tea-party described yesterday. Still having problems putting my photos on.

Back from a lovely weekend with Joe and Sally in Stone. We chose this weekend because Sally and her sister Liz were singing in their choir. They were performing Paul Field's 'Daybreak', a series of choral pieces and solos with narration, based on the experiences of the various characters involved in the Resurrection of Jesus. It was originally written for a youth choir, and this choir of mostly middle-aged women coached and conducted by a 23 year old professional choirmaster had a very youthful style. The sound was magnificent, and Sally and Liz's 8-strong group of supporters were unanimous in expressing their appreciation and enjoyment.

We went on from the church hall in Erdington to Shaffer's Indian restaurant in Stone, where we finished our meal at half past midnight. Home at last we finished off the evening with a glass of Joe's gooseberry wine, made with our gooseberries.

Breakfast at Liz's house, Staffordshire oatcakes in sunshine in the garden. It was obvious that we were not going to be hungry enough for lunch before driving home to Norfolk, so we took off in Joe and Sally's new motorhome to Les Oakes' in Cheadle. Not sure what you would call it - a huge Steptoe's, reclamation centre, re-cycling centre? Huge buildings built entirely of reclaimed materials, with unlikely decoration, preposterous stone lions, acres of domestic and farming antiques, milk churns, harmoniums, doors, windows, stone urns and animals, even a church pipe organ. One building contained furniture, and we bought four upholstered dining chairs. We were disappointed at the failure to haggle, but the price was good already. By the time Dave and Joe went to get them we had brewed up in the van, and the chairs came in useful to drink tea in the car-park. All a bit surreal!

Well Ruth, this is the garden today. Not pretty. but my hope is that followers will see an improvement over the next week or two. We always make good use of our garden in the summer, do everything possible out there, so it has to be more inviting than this.