A Day Out at the Falconry Centre

Craig had a very pleasant day at the Falconry Centre in Huelgoat. I 'bought' him a voucher for a half day there for Christmas last year, so he had been waiting on the weather picking up, and looking forward to a day off from the house. It is definitely worth a visit, and is run by a couple who are enthusiastic and knowledgeable, and very friendly. After a tour, a talk, and some strong advice, Craig was taken away from the house to a local wooded area, where he walked alone with a Harris Hawk. He was in his element - the bird flew off, and returned when called. He loved it........

We find that although we don't go 'out' to work, our days are still in a routine, which is something that we both feel comfortable with. There are many days though that don't go according to plan, and it makes us feel out of kilter. We can laugh about it which helps but we do prefer the planning and practicality of normal days. There are days when friends call in unexpectedly, when the weather dictates that some jobs can't be completed, or when things just don't 'go right' - and we end the evening a bit unsettled. The best thing though, is that tomorrow comes round very quickly, and we can start again, and get back on track.

Up until this point, we had been using the bigger van on a very occasional basis only. Basically, when we needed to collect animal feed or plasterboard. We tended to use the car for everything else, and as this is petrol rather than diesel, it was proving more costly, and wasn't doing anything to help the wear and tear. Therefore, we decided to trade the van for a smaller one. The only down side to this, is that when we need to buy plasterboard, we need to hire a van from the local supermarket. When this happens, we make sure we get our moneys worth, and get as much as we can. It has proved a lot more efficient for us. We use this van as our runabout now, and only rarely use the car. Arthur didn't like the change, as he cannot travel in the van, as it only has the two seats. In the bigger van, he could sit between us in the front, and look out above everyone - in the car he lays down and sleeps on the back seat. 

We had another very much anticipated visit from our youngest son. He decided to drive via Folkstone and Calais this trip - we've only done this drive once, and hated it, but he coped very well, although he was very tired on arrival. Craig tries to make sure he has jobs to do that he can't do on his own, to make use of the extra pair of hands, and on this trip, they managed to fit the French Doors into the opening on the back of the lounge extension. They also managed to demolish the stairs to the top floor, so that the floor and ceiling could be completed on the middle.

They will be replaced, but the old ones are tired, rotten and dangerous !

Ryan's visit ended all too quickly, and it was time for him to leave. I think that may be all the visitors we have for this year which makes us feel quite sad - thank goodness for the communications we have in place now !