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⚘🌻DEVON COTTAGE 55🌞June 2020🌻⚘(This month marks 3 Years living in Devon😃)

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BLOG 55 🌞 Passed May Bank Holiday weekend here in the UK, nothing different happening, but allowed to travel distance just for the day, no stopovers & keeping 2 metres distance at all times, better than total lockdown I reckon but really hard trying to be careful around people, hoping they avoid me too !! We visited local Lyme Regis Beach for the first time in weeks, loved the freedom & not too busy as we go dog walking early. Been back for a second walk this Holiday weekend & was bit busier on the beach but not too bad, everyone wanted some of the wonderful sunshine we are having at the moment. Shops will be allowed to open middle of June with precautions in place, certainly going to be different going shopping everywhere for a long, long time. Maybe we’ll get so used to it all it will stay like it !!

It’s now 22nd June……been out & about being careful everywhere, quite quiet really. It seems busy with cars but when reaching destination its quite quiet with people. Shops have been allowed to open with social distancing last week, queues forming outside, not sure what they are like inside for shopping as do not fancy that at all at the moment. Did try a car boot last Saturday….nice lot of stalls but not the usual crowds so easy walking around and keeping distance. Next week its the turn of the restaurants & pubs to open…..lets wait and see how that all goes ! Update announced today (23/06) that 4th July all holiday sites, camp sites, tourism sites can re-open so just picture that for a moment…….one word comes to mind & frightens me……traffic (or two words ) …..traffic & caravans !!!

Jobs that are finishing ! Finished the railway sleeper steps in front of the Summer House, looking so good. Moved them from an area which was divided into two sections, one higher level with the Summer House on it originally but now dropped it lower to all the same level & re-used the sleepers for the steps….so no cost involved ! Added wood frame flower beds around the base to finish off the area so looking good.

Wall remaining is part of the Outside Toilet !

The area the house moved from is being cleared & section lowered but to do this we’ve had to remove lots & lots of rubble we had buried to raise this section and put the house on it, so yes you can imagine what size pile we are left with….so a skip has had to be ordered….so quess what we’re doing in next couple of days ! It’s the only way to do it !

The pile just got bigger & bigger !!
SORTED !!

The far corner of the garden which was cleared recently of bags & bags of garden/wood rubbish to get rid of will be filled with a shed next week….waited so long to sort a shed, we have no garage to put garden tools in etc so they’ve been hanging around in the Summer House causing chaos everytime you went in to get something so what a great sort out it’s going to be !!

Pile of rubbish from corner where shed will be, now all gone to the tip !!

Something we’ve needed to sort for ages is to have good hosepipes around the garden, we have to have them for the thatch roof if needed, rule of the Insurance Co. so bought one for the front of the house & to make it easier bought one for the garden plants & cleaning the chicken coop in back garden so just bought same make hosepipe so all adaptors fit, makes life so much easier ! Our previous hosepipe was a cheaper one but for some strange reason it did not like the water pressure from the garden tap, even turning it on very slightly, it would pop the spray gadget off every time, been wet on a few occasions !! So anyway all sorted now, never want to have to use it for the thatch but have to be prepared !

🌼🌻⚘🌞🏡😃🌼🌻⚘🌞🏡😃🌼🌻⚘🌞🏡

DEVON COTTAGE 54 🏡May 2020🏡

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🏡 BLOG 54 🏡 As promised in an earlier Blog have been working on all the media sites to advertise our Ebay Shop, we enjoy sourcing and supplying a broad range of Retro, Antique & Vintage items of good quality, sometimes there are items that show age & wear that are too good or important to throw away but there is always a good home for these treasured items. So please have a browse of our Shop and hopefully there will be something of interest to tempt you…. http://www.ebay.co.uk/str/honeycottagevintage

Our section we used to have in Colyton, all now being added to our Ebay Shop
Love this Art Deco Bell China Tea Set currently available for sale
Lovely Mr Quaker flour shaker/sifter currently for Sale
Lovely Teapot by Tony Wood, Staffordshire, love this item.
Very nice Ouzo Glasses, unusual set, SOLD
A lovely boat shaped Cruet Set for Sale soon.

Thank you for reading today & take care everyone during these difficult times.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/str/honeycottagevintage

Twitter @honeycottageV

Instagram @honeycottagevintage

#honeycottagevintage

🏡DEVON COTTAGE 53🏡 End April 2020 🏡

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Blog 53 🏡 Week 6 of #CoronaVirus Lockdown🏡 Well here we all are still staying at home, hard work but has to be done !! When reading this in a few months time when we hopefully have our lives back, it will be very strange to remind ourselves about how we coped ! 🥺🤔

Found this lovely large metal stable feeding bracket/ hanger at the Auction a while ago, loved it for under the window at front of house & for £ 6.20 including fees at Auction it was a fantastic bargain👍 Managed to get a liner which was exact fit for £12 online, so with the food shopping on our ‘one trip out’ to the Farm Shop, I put some bedding plants in my trolley, thought that was ok to do that as food shopping too ?🏡

Last Blog I mentioned that I would hopefully have my seeds planted but unfortunately my order still waits ‘fulfilled’ status & that will total a month waiting !🍅🌰 Completely understand as they’ve been snowed under with orders, I’ll be on the packing list one day soon.🌼🌻🌹🏡

Peas are growing 👍

So this last weekend was glorious & that dreaded corner of the garden was to be properly attacked & cleared ! What a job…most done by Andy, very hard work but what a difference it has made, lovely & bright. Cannot decide at the moment what we will eventually use the area for, but we do need to sort the compost heap out next so decided will use a compost bin instead of throwing it in a big heap, so an ideal area for that.

Old chicken house/shed falling apart !
Well rotten !
Getting there….
Opened up area
the back of garden from roadside
Left with all this to get rid of…maybe a skip is needed ? 🤣 Think it’s a No….very expensive to hire !

Have been sorting out items to go on our EBAY Shop, as I mentioned before we stopped our shop area at Colyton to concentrate online with Ebay & selling ok at the moment, sort of glad we pulled out in January as customers unable to visit of course at the moment 😮! Luckily we have lots of stock still to go on Ebay as no Auctions at the moment.

My ‘one walk’ earlier today, road empty 🌻

Until next Blog…take care of yourselves

🏡🌼🌹🌻🏡🌼🌹🌻🏡🌼🌹🌻🏡🌼🌹🌻🏡

🏡Devon Cottage 52🏡 March/April 2020

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Blog 52🏡 20/4/20 Start of Week 5 of #CoronaVirus Lockdown

It’s something we have put up with since living here, but the downstairs toilet cistern has been sooo noisy every time you flush it !! It was one of those cisterns that was higher on the wall with a long chain handle ! It had to go I’m afraid, the whole house knew that toilet had been flushed !

Chickens were the second job to be sorted. Decided their run was unmanagable so re-designed it with the co-op outside & connected back through the run which is now smaller. Added some wood beams & ladder inside for their entertainment, they love it ! It has not rained properly for days now so less muddy for them.

Start of the chicken move
Maybe space for a shed ?
Grass at last ! Not for long though !

Next job started at the weekend was the far corner of the garden, it’s never been cleared properly. Look at the photos & you’ll see a very worn out shed or chicken house used by previous owners so that’s coming out ! We are going to completely clear the area, attach new chicken wire fencing where the fence panels have broken. When we are allowed we will maybe have to hire a skip !!

Our friendly Robin always watching us

The kitchen also will be getting a tidy up. Worktops and cupboards will have a rub down & waxed as they are made of oak & solid. Have ordered a scraper thing which you use over the worktops without scratching them. Paintbrushes have come today (thanks to the post still delivering) & have half tin of cream paint left from another job, that will get some walls painted, they are a yucky yellow at the moment !

On our ‘one allowed’ walk

And another thing…..I must stop eating ALL day so hurry up normal life !!

Until next Blog which should include vegetable seeds being planted, they’ve been very slow in the post fingers crossed it’s soon …..take care of yourselves X

⛱Blog 51 February 2020⛱ In these strange times a lighthearted different Blog…..Special Holiday to Meedhupparu Maldives recently just before this World Lockdown….⛱🌞⛱🌞

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⛱Blog 51…..Strange times happening World Wide at the moment……adding another Blog but this time about a very recent fantastic fortnight holiday we’ve had in the wonderful Maldives. Luckily we arrived back home before this virus took over one of the Islands & put it into lock down. Our journey took us from Heathrow, through Sri Lanka & onto Male Maldives, then seaplane to Meedhupparu Island. We’ve been to this Island a couple of times before so knew what to expect, but the biggest change was the shape of the Island…..depending on the winds & tide it shifts the sand around, wearing it away on one side of the Island and pushing it around to another part of the Island, changing the shape all the time. Having a conversation with a Manager he told us that December was a very windy month, so this did not help the change. We had the same room we had before but the beach in front of us had completely gone, leaving the palm trees creating shade & no beach directly in front all gone ! On our previous visit there was a wall around part of the Island helping to save the beach but that has now been replaced with a huge barrier dropped in at water level further out, the wall has been dropped into the sea. This part of the Island has a massive beach area at the moment, I suppose depending on the time of year you visit, the beach would again be changed ! I certainly feel at the moment I would like to be back there but not to be stranded even on an Island ! ⛱🌞🌊

**********************🌞🌊FEB 15th – MARCH 1st 2020🌊🌞*****************************

@tinamckenzie tinamckenzie.blog tinamckenzie1.blog #Maldives #Meedhupparu

🏡DEVON COTTAGE 18 🏡 April – Easter Break 2wks 2017

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Blog 18🏡  Decided to decorate lounge before moving furniture back in, it’s holiday time so have extra days to start a job & finish it ! They say it’s all in the preparation so here goes !

Dust & sand still around from the beams being sand-blasted & trying not to get paint on beam edges was fun !! Worth it in the end as that was a job worth attacking as it now looks much fresher. 

The ‘wobbly floor’ bedroom is being looked at & hopefully work will start on that & be able to use the room again. It has had water damage through the old thatch and dripped through to old airing cupboard and onto wooden floor making them lift away, also as you can see on photo the supports holding the floor are a bit short to wall, support needed for them.  Plasterboard floor will be put down and eventually will carpet the room.  That decision was made rather than wooden floor again as it will be more cozy for the bedrooms & warmer !

Thatch coming along nicely….working on front ridge now, these are ready to be added…

Then onto front porch thatch, seen better days !

Door and frame needs a rub down & will make it same colour, dark brown, as fascias, also paint inside porch with the ‘vanilla’ colour used in lounge.  Maybe add a straw Owl on top ? 

Big job lined up before scaffold comes down is to paint as much as can reach with outside paint, picked the colour ‘ parchment ‘ a creamy colour taking away the white of the house, what a job that will be !  If we get the far end wall next to the road done as it’s the highest end of the house painted, the other walls can be reached with ladder hopefully & scaffold can come down !  This is a job on sunny days & get that suntan going🌞!      Jobs, jobs, jobs…but all improvements ! I love writing ‘to do lists’ but haven’t started one yet, wonder why !! 👎

Until next time…🏡

🏡Devon Cottage 20🏡Month of May 2017

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Blog 20 🏡 Starting this blog with a ‘countryside’ photo from our bedroom window….🐮🐄

Taken out old heating tank cupboard in ‘wobbly floor’ bedroom as not needed….

Beam uncovered & original wall exposed,  new flooring has been started, stripping out the wooden floorboards and repairing couple of supports underneath, treating them and finishing off with flooring, decided on carpet in the bedrooms.

Put up temporary ceiling in kitchen, if you remember part fell down after a bath tap leaking through from upstairs when water was switched on for first time after a year & half being an empty house, soaked through kitchen ceiling and there you go, ceiling on floor !!

This last week of May we thought we should be painting the rest of that outside wall of the house…

but we are only visiting for a day so this is what we decided instead….to get on with the patio area so we moved the Summer House or Beach Hut as I like to think of it ! What a job that was, all in a day ! From one corner to this area was a challenge, emptied it out first ( it’s acting as a shed at the moment ) and moved each panel and put back together in right area…..actually it’s where the outside toilet used to be !

Base down, after removing broken toilet !

All complete !

And the view….🏡

Until next time….enjoy 🏡 Oh forgot one other thing, decided we wanted the pheasants tails up instead of down, they now look happier !!

🏡Devon Cottage 21🏡Month of June 2017 – Our MOVING IN Month !

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Blog 21🏡  This is the Month we have waited for & by the end of it we’ll have moved in ! 🌞 🏖  🏝

In the garden we moved the ‘Beach Hut/Summer House to the area of the ‘outside toilet’ (Imagine when that was last used ?!)  Made the patio area all clear of weeds & levelled the soil.  

Andy removed concrete slabs, broke them up & put them & the other rubble into a path edge around the hut, to then fill with concrete/sand and finally shingle.  The edges to hold all this in will be sleepers, needing a couple of steps made as hut is higher than patio. Good way to bury the rubble.

Wobbly floor in bedroom is now sorted, can now walk ‘straight’ in the room!🐭 Couple mice nests found when lifted floor 🐭…& very dusty boards ! What a job that was to clear the floorboards to the rubbish tip ! Still have another trip to make but most has gone.

(completed floor photo coming soon !)

Here’s to moving in next, but where’s all our stuff gonna go ?!  Oh well, sort it all one day, maybe when it rains because we’re gonna be at the beach otherwise !! 🏖  🏝 🍦 🍨 🌊 🐾 

🏡Devon Cottage 24🏡 September 2017

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 Blog 24🏡 What a wet August that was ! Eventually we were able to finish painting outside house wall and also painted front wall, looking so much better, fresh & clean. 

Previously was a white/grey colour I suppose to go with original black window frames so now having oak frames we liked the cream colour (parchment) for the walls. Just leaves two more walls to finish, hopefully before Winter !!  

The garden patio area looking good, sleepers in to support the upper area, then shingled and more shingle on lower area, should be enough shingle !! That was fun (!) moving all that in buckets !   

We have lots of pots we are filling for patio area so buying a plant each time we’re out ! 🌻🌹🌱

Chickens are much bigger now, hopefully first eggs soon 🐔🤔🐔?

                   🐔🏡🐔🏡🐔🏡🐔🏡🐔