This year more than ever we are making a determined effort to make sure our down time and break from the nursery really is that. This time last year we were packing up to move house, we moved my greenhouse and at least 6 trailer loads of plants in pots and troughs from the house we were moving from to the nursery. We travelled to the inner Hebrideans for my Uncles funeral and David's mum had to be rushed to hospital after we found her collapsed in her flat, follwed by a lot of anxious hospital visits. We usually use our time off to catch up with friends and family but every one is in Tier 3 or 4 and we are tier 2 so we are very much missing them all. So our time is filled with lots of walks with bracken, good food (too much), visiting local places and catching up with things at home that have been neglected.
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| The Tweed, Peebles |
We visited the Peebles market now we were off on weekends and then went for a walk along the Tweed with Bracken. We got some great sausage rolls and venison from the market, chatted to people we knew and headed down to the river. Not quite half way to the bridge to cross back and the heavens opened, hey ho. One very wet unhappy doglet, he was not amused and spent the journey home with his back to us in the huff. Still hot drinks when we got home and great sausage rolls for lunch. An afternoon in the kitchen with the wood burner on bottling the mincemeat, putting chutney into jars for christmas gifts and sorting out part of the kids christmas presents. Now have my kitchen back in order and a load of chores done 
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| The apple jelly was a success |
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| Mincemeat going into jars |
Some plants such as this Cortaderia selloana 'Pumila' do their thing after we have locked the gates at the end of our open season. A more compact Pampas grass, it is ideal for small to medium gardens. This one makes a statement in the border that edges the stock beds. It was good to see it looking its best when I was in the nursery potting up some new plants on Sunday. Good to check the nursery over, feed the fish and make sure everything is ok.
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| Cortaderia selloana 'Pumila' |
On Monday on his way to do the shopping David dropped Bracken and I off in Cardrona to finish of our walk from Peebles via the railway path. We've previously done Peebles to Esheils, then another day Eshiels to Cardrona. This is easy walking, flat tarmacked paths along side the River Tweed but Bracken is slowing up a bit these days
The weather was overcast and drizzly but not too cold if you keep moving. We left the railway path just before Innerleithen and cut the corner along the river towards the Toll house and across the River Tweed, then up through the Traquair estate to Traquair Village Hall where Daivd picked us up on his way home. Another good walk 
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| Crossing the Tweed |
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| Crossing back over the Tweed |
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| Waiting for David to pick us up at Traquair |
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| We bought Bracken a dug rug for in front of the fire and he's lain on it every evening since, toasting his wee belly |
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| We had a plant delivery to do near Selkirk on Wednesday and the weather was lovely for a drive |
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| A walk through the forestry opposite the house and back through the woods, the birch trees look great in the sun |
Bracken and I took ourselves off for the day in the borders to do some christmas shopping and walking while David was away gliding. We went to one of my favourite bookshops, which also has the best home ware and delis around, what's not to like at
Mainstreet Trading Company
in St Boswells. Then we headed back to Melrose for a walk, I had no idea there was a chain bridge at Melrose, you learn a new thing every day. Been to Melrose plenty times but never walked down to the river. Bracken and I had a lovely walk and plan to go back and do the longer walk along the other side of the river sometime. Bracken yet again got confused by disappearing squirrels Then some shopping in the lovely wee shops there including the second hand book shop, upmarket cancer research shop and Henderson's
. Home via a couple of shops in Galashiels. A nice wee day out, most christmas shopping done now, shopping locally and supporting local independent shops, businesses and artists  |
| Melrose Abbey surrounded by skeletal trees |
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| Where did that squirrel go? |
We had two successful days in the nursery getting the wildflower meadow and all the banks strimmed, the strimmings raked and collected up. Bracken was not amused at being outdoors away from his heater, he is such a pathetic jack russell! The weather was ideal, cold but keeping warm with our work, dry and sunny on the Saturday and no wind. Its a strenuous job, one of us using the strimmer and the other raking and lifting all the strimmings. Sore shoulders, elbows and legs, from all the lifting, raking and walking up and down the banks but another autumn task done and ticked off
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| We were treated to a lovely sunset at the end of the day |
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| Lovely views along the valley to Innerleithen at the weekend |
Enjoy your week, looks like we might be in for some wintery weather, it is December after all x
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