Tag Archives: mckenzie cottage blog

Devon Cottage 45 🏡 May 2019

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Blog 45 🏡 How can it be end of May already ! The weather has been amazing, hot & sunny most days🌞 Trips to Forde Abbey & the seaside have been very enjoyable 🐕🐶

Well so far the veggie plot is doing well, just the onions not growing properly, only about quarter of them popping up so think I’ll put in the broccoli instead, they’re ready from the ‘experiment plastic’ greenhouse I ordered last month, we will see how they get on. Added some cane supports for the peas today which are growing well. Also added the broccoli & cucumber which I’ve grown from seed in the ‘plastic’ greenhouse, shall try the cucumber in the wall area again, same as last year as they grew very well 😁 The only issue I’ve had this month is that the plastic came away from the zip on the greenhouse, otherwise it’s worked well. Contacted the supplier & they replaced it by next day, now that’s service !

Edna & Edith had their first proper grooming session, I asked to stay to check they would be ok & they coped very well, they’re looking much better 🐶🐕

Toby has been on a diet for past 6 weeks (from beg April), he’s losing the weight, will be weighed again middle June & hopefully down to under 20kg ! He started around 23.4kg so that’s great isn’t it !🐕🐶 On 16/4/ dropped to 22.2kg, on 17/05/ dropped to 21.05kg so next clinic Friday 14/06/ dropped to 20.4kg ! 🐶🐕 So since beg April he has lost 3kg ! Good Boy !🐶🐾

🐕🐶🐾🐕🐶🐾🐕🐶🐾🐕🐶🐾🐕🐶🐾🐕🐶

🏡Devon Cottage 43🏡 March 2019

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Blog 43 🏡 It’s March already ! The weather has changed from warm days in February to wet & VERY windy for few days, flipflop Summer hurry up !! 🌞Actually last few days this month have been very warm, it’s sitting outside weather🌞….YES !
Jobs so far this month included finishing the chicken coop with shingle and it’s nice and clean walking in there now, no muddy marks on the eggs and easier to clean everywhere. Yet again the chickens have laid all through the Winter, which is amazing as they are supposed to stop, so a good supply of eggs always available. It’s time to sell them at the front of the house 🐔🐓🐔🐓

Remaining shingle has been put around the path at the back of the house, another job finished, just going to add a gate or fencing at the end of the path out towards the road. 


Would like next project to be sorting a new vegetable plot, moving it from area we used last year at back of garden but had a poor show of veg, some not even growing at all ! Now I imagine it’s a combination of not being an expert at growing veg, not being in a good part of the garden, last Summer was very warm so maybe not watered enough ? So decided to move it nearer the house, combining it with the area where the herbs & strawberries are at the moment and see what happens this year. Determined to make them grow !! Let’s see what happens over the growing months !

As the weather changed for the better this weekend, decided to make a start on vegetable plot, going for a much smaller one this time to see if it’s a good position & you never know could be bigger next year if successful !🌶🌽🍎

Seeds ordered, get them planted soon & see what grows this time ! 🍓🍅🌶

Had Thatcher Phil call by to tidy the roof mainly on the right front of the house, it’s the crows having a go trying to get out the insects, they pull out the thatch & just drop it on the floor, what a mess ! Wire has been laid on that corner of the thatch & other corners pushed thatch back in & see if that sorts problem ! Looking all ok after a few days. Oh yes, also moved one of the pheasants to road side of house ! 🆒👍

So looking ahead to April, if this weather stays good, the plan will be to finish painting the outside of the house, quite good planning that we have already painted the two sides that show from the front of the house, so looks a complete job, sneeky !! Oh yes another job, take down those Christmas lights !!

🐔🐶🌞🌊🐾🐔🐓🏖🐶🌞🐾🌊🐓🐕

🏡Devon Cottage 42🏡February 2019

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Blog 42 🌞Writing this Blog in lovely sunshine today & it’s still February ! Even more amazing this time last year we were about to have lots of snow, what is the weather doing !! 🌞But of course enjoying it ! 🌞

🐔🐓The weather is a good opportunity to sort the chicken area as it has been so muddy for them, so shingle & sand coming weekend. Have boarded around the inside of the run to hold it all in, sand will be nice fun for their ‘baths’ ! 🐔🐓

‘Before’

‘After’…..So much better, no more MUD !!

The only strange thing…they would NOT walk on the sand ! ( All ok after one day, loving it now ! )

Edna & Edith are doing so well, all fantastic with Edith’s walking, only maybe hesitating out walking with people & noise around sometimes but no carrying needed 🐕🐶 Both toilet trained already, no problems going in the garden, so no ‘puppy mats’ around the house anymore !🐕Laugh I had the other day was when I was cleaning the Coop & Edna & Edith were in the garden, now I haven’t mentioned that they like to eat their ‘poo’ sometimes !! So how do you cope with cleaning chickens, clearing up after the dogs & back to the chickens !!!😂It was funny, whichway to turn first !😂 I just have to get used to having a poo bag in my hand always ! 🐕🐶

West Bay Beach, was hoping to include the dogs looking at the camera ! 🐾🐾

Back home now 🐕🐶

Lyme Regis at night on the sandy beach ( Enjoy it while we are allowed )

Toby and Edith..ahhhh🐕

Liking their photo taken by Katherine🐶

Toby enjoying the February sunshine🌞

Playtime 🐕

So far all is well, they’ve settled in, seem to love being outdoors so roll on Summer ! 🌞🌻🏖🐾🌊🐶🐕🌞

🏡Devon Cottage 41🏡 January 2019

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Blog 41 🏡 January already (actually it’s February when writing this but time moves so fast ! ) Had our first snow this month, two lots but not as bad as last Winter, not yet anyway ! Somehow a conversation one day developed into a visit to Ferne Animal Sanctuary ( Animal Rescue Centre ) on the 21st of this month to see a couple of rescue ex-breeding Shitz dogs, age around 5 years old (10/01/2014), which were found on a ‘puppy farm’ in Wales & that’s all the Sanctuary know about them, they were to stay together as they were very timid, to the point they did not know how to walk with a lead, not quite house trained, run away and hide if you went near them. So can you imagine when we saw them that they just had to come home for lots & lots of love & cuddles. So after all the checks Edna and Edith came home on 25th January. Smudge & Toby our Cocker Spaniels seemed very chilled out about the new arrivals, maybe they thought they were just staying overnight !! We decided to keep the names the Sanctuary had given them, sweet & old fashioned names. So we now are officially a four dog family !

Our first trip out together to Seaton Beach, Edna walked fine, Edith needed some carrying 🐶🐕
So when the first snow of the Winter came our way it was great to introduce Edna & Edith to the white stuff ! Smudge and Toby take the white stuff in their stride, they all had fun walking in it, maybe not Edith ⬇ 🐾🐾 !

Edna was quite confident straight away, walking well with a lead but Edith would not move when you put her in the garden, no way was she going to go anywhere ! She’s fine indoors so being persistent will get her walking outside, it’s only outside she has a problem with, she does not like grown ups when we are out walking, she freezes ! But sees a dog and she’s off to chase them ! We’ve been on a few beach visits. Keep at it, that’s the best way. 🐕🐶🐾🐕🐶🐾🐕🐶🐾🐕🐶🐾🐕🐶

🏡Devon Cottage 40🏡 December 2018

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Blog 40🏡 Thought we’d ‘tidy up’ the upstairs bathroom as a quick job, not too bad this room, decided to put up ‘Contour Sandstone – Stone’ wallpaper to add colour to the all white room, some mushroom colour paint, some white gloss also added & nice large rug, job done ! Amazing what a touch of colour can do to a room ! All within the week !😉 Quickest room Award !!

🏡🏡🏡🏡🏡🏡🏡🏡🏡🏡🏡Here’s to 2019 & more decorating 😀 !

🏡Devon Cottage 39🏡 November 2018

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Blog 39🏡 The smallest room in the house was next to be painted. It’s a built in wardrobe/cupboard off our bedroom. You can step into it but awkward, had a hanging rail & coat hook on back wall, all removed. You’d think just one day all would be done, well it was nearly but didn’t enjoy that, couldn’t work in such small places, I was hot & bothered ! Getting this one painted quickly, one coat ! Laid carpet & sorted !

As we have no loft space, which is good, stops putting up boxes & boxes of ‘stuff’ you never see again, decided to use this cupboard as storage for boxes of ‘stuff’ wanting to keep.👍 Boxes all labelled so should work out ok ?! 👍 & it did !

🏡🏡🏡🏡🏡🏡

🏡Devon Cottage 37🏡 End September October 2018

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Blog 37 🏖 We knew this was going to be a huge effort painting this bedroom, it has a very high ceiling with beams, it has uneven artex walls, sticking out here, there & everywhere !! But of course that’s the charm of the cottage, do not want to have straight smooth walls, it has to be quirky !

The beams are painted black but thought we’d like to brighten the room and painted them the same colour as ceiling. It’s something I wouldn’t have thought of doing and changing the colour but previous owners painted them black so wanted it brighter

….it’s the same as the original window frames when first bought the Cottage, all black, they needed changing as rotten & not double-glazed so changed to oak colour & against cream colour of house, very pleased.

This photo showing new window frames being fitted….

Finshed result…

Back to bedroom….Look at this end of room, all different levels !

Other end of room….

Ceiling painting too hard !

Now don’t be shocked by the ‘Riding Hood’ colour, which is a clay based paint due to old part of house, it does look better when wall covered.

Now it looks a completely different colour!

Skirting board all around was next as floor was replaced due to a roof leak during the time the house was empty, floor was sorted, skirting before carpet fitted. Job next is to varnish skirting & let that dry.

Door needed varnish…it has been moved from the kitchen, too many doors in a small area. The old bedroom door was short & as door frame was made higher this door is ideal.

Picked raspberry colour, should feel warm & cosy.