The sun is out and everyone is glad not to be working in the mud. The squirrels are still very busy draining our resources, eating every peanut that they can from the feeders. I kind of hoped that now the summer was here we could reduce the small mortgage we have to keep them fed! Yesterday a swallow arrived back to its nest from last year. It flew past us on the decking and straight into the garage and did not reappear. I suppose you need a good sleep after flying thousands of miles. We were concerned that there was only one. However, this morning, the second one swooped in. It was lovely to have them back but I really wish they had made their nest somewhere away from where our cat Willis prowls. We spent last year trying to ensure we were around when the babies fledged so they did not fall foul of the ever vigilant Willis.

The progress of the cabins has slowed down as Will and Nick are off site for 10 days. We knew this before they started so it was accounted for in the time plan. Brian is working on railings and feature walls and they are looking rustic and beautiful. The Red Squirrel’s Dray is complete apart from the flooring which arrived just before Will left but it was the wrong one! Aghhhh. That has meant I cannot get all the furnishings in. I keep reminding myself these are small problems.

The flues for the wood burning stoves and the propane boilers are next. Propane is termed as a green gas. We need a boiler to heat the water for the bath and sink. As you may know we are trying to be as eco-friendly as possible. We are not claiming to be totally green, but we are considering if there is a greener option with every new stage we come to.

The solar panels have arrived. In my head, a rather jumbled and confused place at present, a 150 watt solar panel would almost fit in my pocket. Reading the dimensions should have alerted me that was not the case. It has arrived and is almost as tall as I am. By good fortune and not due to my good project management in this case, they fit on the roof – thankfully!

I hope you enjoy having a look at the photos and as always, if you are in the area, we will be delighted to show you round.