Tuesday 31st October - Prospect Tower (2)

 It's been slightly tricky trying to be in the right place at the right time today - entirely because somehow coming back from the weekend away on a Monday has meant that the both of us oscillate between thinking today is Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday... but we've got to the evening without mishap. I've taught the right students at the right time, and my father has been taken to his bridge club and collected at the right time.

If we are not careful, the memories of the weekend break will be swamped by the everyday round of cooking, cleaning, washing, emails and so on; that's why I am blogging it in detail to make it last longer.

Prospect Tower - Saturday

The day began inauspiciously; I remember having a dream that I had a nosebleed in the middle of the night (why?) and ruined all the pristine white bedding. It was only a dream. But then - after I woke up I started a  nosebleed for real! Horrors! Luckily I was able to grab some tissues and nearly saved the sheets. There was just a small spot on a corner of the bedding and we were able to remove it without soaking everything. We left that corner draped over the wicker waste-paper-basket to dry. By the time we went to bed the spot had completely disappeared. 

This was one dream that I didn't want to come true!

.....  

The weather in the morning was very unsettled and cold. We spent the time before lunch sitting around, reading, drinking coffee, eating 'posh' shortbread biscuits brought as a holiday treat. I brought the flowers too.

After lunch we wrapped up warmly and went for a walk, heading up the Walnut Walk towards the house and gardens. It starts just outside the window in the picture above. Near the tower they are all sweet chestnut trees. The main entertainment was watching squirrels which were busy busy busy all the time collecting the the chestnuts for their winter stores. I find the way they move fascinating.

I don't have many pictures of the gardens on my phone; Best Beloved took quite a few on his proper camera but hasn't downloaded them yet. I'll post them when he's done that.

This map shows the layout of the gardens; the tower is in the bottom left hand corner. We walked up towards the vegetable gardens,

and through the Victorian greenhouses which were being used to overwinter next year's plants, and store onions. They had proper Victorian window opening and closing mechanisms - great levers and cogs to make them work. And just look at the size of those heating pipes!

There was a lovely stand of squash and pumpkins for sale outside. I think there had been lots more at the start of the half term holiday.

We walked on through the various parts of the garden, and then - I just ran out of steam. So BestB walked back to the tower, less than half a mile away and fetched the car! He arrived just as it began to rain, and we went back to the warmth and comfort of our holiday home.

Supper was pizzza (we had brought very easy 'just put it in the oven' meals) and then a long gentle evening. 

The light levels in the sitting room are very low, but fine for knitting. I cast on some socks before we left to get the ribbing over and done with (I do dislike ribbing!). The sock is coming along nicely. I like using these patterned yarns - this one came from Lidl, believe it or not. Another knitting blogger commented that she likes to choose bright colours at this time of year;

 

Saturday's knitting was the second yellow strip and zig zag afterwards. Sunday's knitting was the pink bit nearest the needles.