Neighbours.

Road to Craigellie.

Sounds a bit like Dornorm (Doreen and Norman) type house name, but I dont think it is. The area we now live in is Craigellie, and the house belonged to the feudal lord of the area. Surrounded by scaffolding and in the morning mist it doesnt look too impressive!

The other stately home to our left is Cairness House. I know a fair bit more about it as I have had the tour. It is now owned by two men, Julio and Khalil, who are very, very enthusiastic about renovating the house and furnishing it with antiques and paintings. Almost as keen on the exterior, planting trees etc., as they are on the interior. They offer bed and breakfast as well as being a visitor attraction. For once Visit Scotland did not insist on them having ensuite bathrooms, and did not inspect their wallpaper seams, as they did with me.....

Our four footed neighbours. Lots of sheep and cattle around here. At Greenbrae there were only a few sheep and one dairy herd, and a few bullocks occasionally, being fattened. The farming there was agricultural, barley, oats, wheat and oil seed rape. The plant most grown around where we are now are Tatties. Lonmay is famed for its potatoes. Indeed there is a farm shop just up the road which has at least 25 varieties.

Another beautiful sunny day today. But there is a cool breeze. So I have remained inside apart from a few brief forays outside to hang the washing. Again totally different from Greenbrae where I soon learnt never to hang out washing as it disappeared over the horizon on the very strong winds we experienced there.

Today was a break from emptying boxes. I was a practising Perfect Housewife. What a difference! Vacced all through, mopped, cleaned all mirrors and pictures. Bathroom done. Mike does his own. Kitchen spotless. It took me all day just to scratch the surface of it at Greenbrae. Seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms, sitting room, dining room, snug, library, hallway, corridors. This is heaven! Having said that I was pretty exhausted come lunch time, but I could see what I had done!

The cats have been so well behaved and have settled in really well. Still no cat door - the joiner I rang had the flu. They are let out in the morning and disappear for quite a while. Then they ask to go out whenever and ask to come back in again, face at the glass door and a yowl. In the evenings they havent asked to go out at all, if they did I would ignore them! Litter trays conveniently out of sight under the stairs if required.

Phoebe, the parrot, is lop sided, but doesnt seem to mind. Two of the castors on her cage got smashed on the move so I cant move her around. I am contacting the suppliers to see of I can get replacements. She has had a bath, plant spray shower, and is also being very well behaved, very few jungle screaming sessions now she is able to see what is going on all the time, instead of being shut up in the snug at Greenbrae, so as not to upset any guests.

So, all in all, things are looking good. If I could just get the wine cooler to work. But then I dont like white wine, so why bother? The red wine is perfect!