Entering diary dates into the new fangled IT system, established that it is only 8 weeks until Easter! That’s when the house opens for the season. A tummy lurching discovery when I think about what’s to be done to be ready. If last year was anything to go by I will need to be firing on all cylinders. So no time for slacking! Just a quick shimmy through a few ‘one liners’ (what I call things that takes seconds to scribble down but in reality take hours or weeks to complete!).

Change the costume display (think of a theme first!)Dismantle old display & rewrap in acid free tissue etc

Write a Fursdon/wider world timeline for visitors to house & produce leaflet

Completely kit out Fursdon Cottage inc. all furniture, bedding, crockery & kitchen stuff. Oversee fencing of cottage garden, lay turf and plant some shrubs. Buy garden furniture. Oh and there’s more but actually, all this list writing is just getting me into a lather!

So no more  - but just wanted to say that everyone always thinks this is a quiet time of year at Fursdon. It isn’t!  M is removing all old tree guards from  woodlands ( “them’s murder tight” –  his memorable words! We’re  also planting lots of  new trees some up at Firdown and others in hedgerows (especially in Pigeon House Down) - I love those old field names! And I would love to plant more in the Meadow Garden….*gets garden design hat on!

I am seeing B about improving signage around the Coach Hall. Repairs inside the hall need to start very soon and I’ve had some ideas to make it more attractive in the cobbled yard for when visitors have tea outside.

Meanwhile Zola dog training goes on – one bound forward for every leap back – its good fun though and has a bit of a following on Twitter these days! Ruby pony and I did some traditional landlady stuff today – we rode to Upcott to assess the damage to the retaining wall that has collapsed at the farmhouse there.

Ruby & friends off to work

Meadow Garden in winter

Looking forward to summer?