A Wet Autumn Day.

It's not really raining today but it may as well be because the persistent drizzle is just as wetting and miserable as any rain.

I've spent most of the day either potting up plants or tidying away things in the potting shed. Such things as barrels and other containers have been gathering there since being brought in from there summer homes. Slowly but surely they are being found new homes for the winter.

Also today I went to the estate office and booked my Christmas break and also a long weekend break in a couple of weeks time. We aren't going far away as we are taking Tommy and Tess. This will be her first holiday so with her past travel woes in mind we are keeping everything crossed for a pleasant trip. No one can say for sure but this could be Tom's last holiday. On account of his joints he is finding it more difficult all the time to do things so I expect there will come a time when he will find prolonged car travel to much. Not that he is put off by his problems, he is still first in line when the car keys come out so it's definitely not a case of anyone making him take to the road.

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Today I made a start on filling this years leaf ring. I will fill two of these rings throughout the Autumn. You may think when looking at the picture that it already looks pretty full but what you see there will shrink to nothing within a short time. Also if I need to I will get in and trample the leaves down. As the bottom of the pile settles I also pull the ring up so by the time I'm finished the pile will be twice the height it is now.

Next to this years ring you will be able to see the darker colours of last years pile. There was originally two rings full but over last winter and summer the amount has reduced to such an extent that the rotted leaves will now easily fit in to one ring and will reduce by as much as half over the coming winter months by which time I hope they will be ready for using on the garden as a soil improver.

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Big Sticky

Believe it or not this stick is just the right size for a Border Collie to play with - according to Tess.

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Test

Test

-- Sent from my HP Pre3

The final leg.

Today is the final day of our holiday. The time seems to have gone quickly but I have lots more memories than when I started a week ago. Today we travel through France to the ferry at Calais and then follows the worst part of all, the six hour drive home through the UK. It will be the early hours of Sunday morning before we arrive home. The best part will be seeing the dogs again.

Homeward Bound.

After a wonderful day in Venice yesterday we now find ourselves homeward bound. Today we travel back through Switzerland and into France where we will spend the night. Yesterday was amazing, half a day was nowhere near long enough for a place like Venice. I think one spend days exploring the narrow alleys and the wonderful historic buildings. I'm starting to get worried that I'm turning in to a townie because apart from Venice we visited Paris a few weeks ago and I loved it there too and then there is Valletta in Malta that we visited a few years ago. I took plenty of pictures which I will post when I return.

Venice

Yesterday we took a trip across Lake Garda to Tolli. This is a well worth place to visit. There is some historical interest, nice shops and places to eat, most of which face out onto the lake. The trip was all the more enjoyable when the sun came out shortly after leaving the hotel. Today we are on our way to Venice which has meant an early start as it's quite a way from our hotel. I will take some pictures to post when I get home.

A Day To Please Ourselves.

Today our driver has a day off so we are left to amuse ourselves. Unfortunately the weather has taken a turn for the worse so at the moment we are just waiting to see if the rain clears a bit before heading out on foot to see what there is to keep us amused.

Back From Verona.

We have just returned from Verona after a very interesting sight seeing tour. There are lots of interesting things to see, far more than you can see in one day. The weather has been great, hot and sunny all day so it was a good excuse to try some Italian ice cream. After dinner were are taking a moonlight cruise to Garda which is across the lake from where we are staying.

Dolomite Mountains.

Yesterday we went for a drive to the Italian Dolomites. It was a nice drive up through the various villages with some magnificent view of both the valleys and peaks. The road eventually came to an end at 2500 meters with clouds coming and going on the chilled wind. There was a cable car ride to the top of the mountain but they warned us that because of the wind they might stop the car running at any moment which would have left us with a lengthy walk back down to the coach so we didn't dare risk it as no one was equipped for a high mountain trek. So instead we had a light lunch and checked out some of the gift shops. Today we are going to Verona which I know little about except that it has some connection to William Shakespeare.