Hair cuts...

Yesterday I was reminded why I only get a hair cut once a year or so...

I wonder why I always think this time the hairdresser will actually cut my hair like I ask...

When I got home and looked in the mirror, I almost cried...

I don't know how she managed to cut so much of my hair off without me even realising it.

Steve was very unsure to begin with, but he says it, (unlike my hair), is growing on him...
He says it's a cool kids hair cut.

Do I look convinced!?

Ashprington Walk...

Yesterday Steve got home early, (6pm). As it was raining so heavily yesterday, there was no chance of making silage, so it was a boring day at the office...

Because of this, we decided to do something... go for a walk...


Steve had seen this track on a map, and we decided we'd like to check it out. It looked to be a few kms each way. On went the wellies and rain jackets- although it seemed to have cleared up!


It is really beautiful there, it's about 3 miles away from Totnes, and a lot of the land belongs to Sharpham trust- a Buddhist study centre/retreat/vineyard...The beautiful Dart, looking downstream

We walked on a muddy road, lined with hedgerows...

Unsurprisingly the sky opened up again, and the rain grew torrential... It was so beautiful though, (I really am growing to appreciate this rain stuff- today I went for a 6km bike ride in the driving rain)...

We walked right to the banks of the Dart, passing a beautiful old barn, (still in use). It had a partially collapsed old, old wall surrounding it...

The wall had these enormous, (I think they were oaks), growing right on top of the wall, (those sections were remarkably intact!)the roots just reached down over the wall into the soil...

On the banks of the river there was a tyre swing... I went so high I screamed...

It was a hard walk back up the hill, as I was feeling a little queasy after the swing!

We got home at 9pm, and didn't eat dinner til 10pm... bed 11pm... hmmmn

Herding cows...

On Sunday it was dry, but overcast, and the clouds spat on us cheekily, threatening to continue their outpouring of Saturday...

So no silage making for Steve. There were however some cows to herd, and with the quad bike broken it was foot power.



We went to the farm, picking up my (now) buddy, Bilbo...
It always rains even more on the Moor, and thus things were very wet!


In our wellies we separated and ran, making strange primordial sounds as we neared the bullocks... I developed a strange "he-yuh, he-yuh", which was suprisingly effective...
We had them on the run...
In and out the first gate, first time... arrr it felt good, what a triumph! :) hah
The next gate wasn't quite so easy! But eventually we got them to where they were supposed to be.
Steve said it appeared I had been herding cows for some twenty years- hah, I'm not sure if that's a good thing!?



Then with shitty/muddy boots I jumped in the drivers seat, and did a few laps of the paddock...

Bringing some dork glamour to the farm! :) haha

There were two stalls when trying to start, but once we were off it was relatively smooth sailing, (once Steve had pointed out it wasn't a ute- ie slow down Sally!)...

Fun, fun...

Grand Totnes Carnival Parade...

As detailed in my earlier post with the pillow boxing video, Saturday was very wet.

All week the Totnes Carnival has been going on around town.

There has been: the cutest baby competition, running races between the local police and fire departments, teddy bears picnic, floral dance parade etc etc

Saturday night was the grand finale- the Totnes Carnival Parade, which ran all the way down high street, (right past our window)...

Fancy dress galore, local firies, vintage cars, festooned floats, local towns Miss's(pagent queens- shout out to Miss Crookwell showgirl!!)...

It was so wet, and continued to rain heavily as the parade was starting at 6pm...

It was pretty lame yes, but arrr it's great to have and support local things such as this :)

Place your bets...

How long will it take Steve and I to eat these oats, (25kg)?

You can respond in weeks, months or years :)

Rainy day frustration fun...

Today was wet... really, really wet...

Steve and I roamed the house like bored children... frustration mounted...

What are we going to doooooooooooooo!?

Somehow, (although I'm sure it was Steve's idea), we, or should I say, I, started doing this:

This was on the other side of the camera...

He said he needed every one of the pillows!

She's got wheels....

Except they're not exactly mine, they're Steve's... but seeing as he has 4 wheels already, these two are mine :)


I was so excited to go for my first ride today, and as if just for the occasion, it was a proper summers day...
It even had that pervading sense of possibility, like anything can happen... and lots of sunshine!

On the way, I stopped at the weir and had a swim...

Getting out, some local kids had stopped to use the rope swing...


"Do you actually swim!?... Gosh, I'll jump in, but there's no way I'd actually stay in there to swim!"

(Too cold apparently)
I'll admit, today it was a quick swim!- it did feel pretty cold.

I dried off, and rode on to Dartington.
Where I had lunch by the old kilns.

Yesterday afternoon, as I was slowly walking the lower ashprington track, container in hand, collecting blackberries, with the sun warming my back... I thought of Uncle Marks' recent comment:

That Steve and I aren't living a life like the rustic idyll, we are living the rustic idyll...

As the butterflies circled around my hands, (No poetic license, this actually happened! hah), I thought, yes, yes, yes!

Came home and made apple and blackberry crumble- delicious!

I'm excited about autumn and the chance to maybe find some wild mushrooms, and harvest chestnuts- wild food is the greatest! :)

Last night Steve came home with a bunch of beautiful and colourful flowers. His neighbour was selling them, (zinnias), with an honesty box system.

The rustic idyll continued this morning with a trip to the weekly market, where I bought the weekly vegetables: eggplant, red & yellow capsicums, zucchini and garlic...