Things are coming along nicely with the roof. Another week and it will be done. This was a very unusual roof with its ship mast beams and apple store. A challenge the roofers seemed to enjoy. After the roof is complete a new challenge of the ground floor being totally redecorated by the insurance company will commence. This isn’t going to be easy as the wood panelling in the living room is centuries old and in truth neither I nor the insurance really want to touch it. But it is likely there is contaminated flood water behind it.
The kitchen is also going to cause a problem as the surveyors said it’s the most bespoke they have ever seen. Not because it’s big, it’s a small kitchen but all the cabinets have been handmade in wood as thick as a nuclear bunker’s walls. I love that kitchen so I’m sad it maybe ripped out. But the flood was so bad it’s flooded every area of the ground floor.
I can’t wait for the summer when hopefully all the building work will be complete. It has been a cold harsh winter. We had limited power and the minus 11 degrees a few nights in a row were tough. I was out to my animals constantly and bought duvets to place over the coops. The rams have very thick fur and a dry sandstone building full of hay and straw to chill in. I did bring the woodland bunnies in for the worst it. They are back in the woodland and loving the warmer temps. I also bought hooded cosy cat beds for inside of the quail hutch. House bunny Fonzie was sat near the radiator for most of the cold days. I could definitely emphasis with those in Texas after their power went out and they had no heat in minus temperatures. After the flood just those couple of days in January without power was torture and I ran to my sister’s for heat.
Whilst I’m am thinking of the summer months to come, I’m also thinking of the spring which obviously comes first. I’ve been offered a greenhouse by my sister. Mally and I will definitely be getting this when lockdown is over. I really want to utilise the garden fully and grow my own veg.
Now talking about growing veg, last year I got a Strange idea that I would grow saffron. I purchased a few bulbs from the royal horticultural society and then for some reason just left them in the garage in a box. Well when I went to check on them they had grown and actually produced saffron. They were still sat in the box! So this year when the bulbs are ready in autumn I will be purchasing a few more and hopefully growing Loftus saffron.
In the country not in the country 