How to lay new turf

Having returned from a trip north, it was time to refurbish a small lawn at the front of the house in the following sequence of events;
* collect special new turf - delegate job of preperation of soil to female members of house
* remove tarpaulin and scoop off about 3 tons of gravel placed over lawn in spring to kill the grass
* discover ants nest under plastic- and ivy roots like rope, and tons of moss. remove by hand
* dig over soil, with fork, then spade
* put spade through a black wire running a few inches under surface of grass/soil - two ends of cable sticking out with exposed wires
* both of the telephone dial tones now silent
* work out that black wire is the cable media company telephone lines [ tv and broadband on cable okay] - we now have no phone
* use cell phone to call cable media company - no technician available until late Wednesday - so no telephone until then
* have to lay new turf before it dies. Thereby covering up exposed ends of broken cable.
* have nightmare re water/cable/main cable box in street supplying neighbours.
* admire new lawn.
* water new lawn and run back into house

* horrible smell in kitchen is the crumble mix in the oven - which has burnt.

Aren't holidays wonderful? So restful.

Ray-Anne went to Austria to walk in the Alps in the wonderful sunshine. The plan was a total success for the first 3 days.

And then it snowed.

For three days. The first week in September.

The kind of snow we have not seen in the south of the UK for years. We were above 1500 metres and it was a real blizzard for the first two days, then wet snow for the last.

Liz Fenwick has gone to Dubai. I got snowed on.

And it was fantastic!

How many times do you get the chance to walk through 8 inch snow in a larch forest with flakes the size of fifty pence pieces drifting down around you? For me - not many. Thanks to the power of GoreTex and climbing boots, it was a magical experience which, sorry to say, was impossible to capture in a photo.

The scenary in the Tyrol with snow-covered peaks was simply stunning.

This was my first visit to Austria, but I suspect it will not be the last.

There may be a story in this somewhere....

Now off for another few days to the north of England. Then hopefully back to the writing.

No You Tube Today. 24 hour deadline for postholiday sleep, laundry, repack.

That time of Year

Austria. Walking Boots. 5 course dinners. Yes, it's holiday time. Hope to be back in business 9th September.

September?

What happened to August?

See you soon! And hope the sun is shining where you are.

A rare picture of Ray-Anne indulging in something close to a physical sport activity.

No - not January in the UK, but Switzerland in September 2006 when I braved the glacier, near Gstaad, at 3000 feet plus, to take a husky sled ride. It was about 28 degrees C, sunny and glorious.

Roll on the summer!