This week the weather has got much colder and the big greenhouse heater is on all the time. It's nice and cosy in there for the tender plants, cacti and succulents. We also replaced the two broken panes of glass in the wee greenhouse, so we're all set for bad weather. It's ideal weather to be in the kitchen keeping warm, this week it was time to make the mince meat so it has time to mature before making it into pies in December.
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| Making mincemeat |
David and I moved the rest of the prop plants to the tunnel, it's quite full already. I can't wait until we've got it levelled and all the plants are laid out properly. By Friday the weather and temperatures had really taken a dive and we had the first hint snow. We had snow, sleet, rain and sunshine, all in five minutes! I spent some time potting then back in the office sitting on the heater with a coffee and doing some paperwork, then back outside. I finished sowing the last of the tree seeds and David sorted out the mountain of poly tunnel bits to work out what we want to keep or sell. We had a productive Whitmuir meeting and I've got a contract to do all the cafe flowers at Whitmuir, which is great.
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| Selfies in the car, driving to the nursery on Saturday, don't worry, David was driving |
Well the snow arrived, just a sprinkling, enough for woolly hats, lots of layers and coat for the dog. Our bridge looks quite pretty in the snow. Now that the tunnel is up we've got plenty to do on cold, wet or frosty days,
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| Snow comes to Quercus |
We spent Saturday levelling the area in the tunnel where the slabs are going, be removing the turf and filling in hollows with sand, we did not bad and got nine slabs down too. It was great to have a warm job on a cold day and our new radio system between us and the main nursery area works!
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| Saturday was spent levelling the potting area and laying the first slabs |
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| Chard growing in the Whitmuir tunnel which you can buy in the farm shop |
Sunday was more of the same, another frosty day spent laying more slabs. But we got the whole area finished and it looks rather good, even if I say so myself. Now David can get on with building the potting bench and next week we'll strt levelling the rest of the tunnel and laying the plants out.
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| Potting area slabs finished in the poly tunnel |
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| and from the other direction |
Once we'd finished the slabs, David went off to do a few other wee jobs and I took my camera and made the most of the late afternoon sun and sunset, a perk of being your own boss.
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| Last apple on the farm fruit trees |
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| The Whitmuir Teepee in the afternoon sun |
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| Curly Miscanthus leaves in the nursery |
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| Snow on the stock beds |
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| Fairy lights, clear skies and the moon, lovely late afternoon at Quercus |
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| Pastel sunset at the nursery |
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| I love sunrises and sunsets |
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| Trees at sunset |
On Monday the weather was pretty poor, cold and wet so I spent the day catching up on household chores, including all those jobs I've been putting off for ages. On Tuesday the forecast was good for the east of the country so we headed to East Lothian and the Lammermuir Hills. We visited a series of ancient coppermines David knew about. We couldn't go in as they were all flooded, but they were set in a cliff above a fast running river, a very scenic place.
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| Inside one of the copper mines |
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| Looking back from the mines to the suspension bridge |
After the mines we walked back to the suspension bridge and walked up to Edin's Hall Broch. Situated on the north edge of the hill, it would in it's day have had a commanding view if the river valley. It was a great day to be out in the country, so nice to see the sun and blue skies again. After half an hour or so we reached the broch which lies within an ancient fort where you can see the ditches and outlines of round houses. You can read about it
here.
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| Waiting for me to catch up, the broch is on the hill behind David and Bracken |
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| What is left of the broch which is now maintained by Historic Scotland |
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| Bracken of the broch |
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| Looking north from the broch |
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| The broch from one of the ancient defensive ramparts |
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| Bracken masters going up and over a style |
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| Sheep on the horizon |
After spending a wee while wandering over the ancient fort we headed back down the hill to the car, then headed south to Duns where we found a lovely wee cafe for lunch, The soup and crusty bread was excellent, as was the chocolate cake.
Have a great weekend, we are awaiting more snow arriving! Keep warm
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