I was just talking about how I should chainsaw a tree or two down by the river to make a better view where we were knocking some posts in for some decking (Anti-pasta by the river, Lodge Farm catering at your service!!!) in a beautiful spot behind the orchard and as if by magic a tree decided to fall down – slash in to the river. What fun I had with a chainsaw, Nicks size 10 waders and a saw – – Silas was very helpful in his wet suit dragging all the branches to the shore for Nick and our labourer to drag up the bank to the fire. So there was an opening and a fantastic view. But little did we suspect an opening had been made for all the geese to get up on to the lush grass.

Two weeks later we have a pair of resident wild Pilgrim Geese, the male has the most gorgeous blue eyes and fluffy white feathers, they follow me, they greet me when I drive in and are as friendly as a well behaved puppy. They follow the chickens around and at night I pass them bread out of the windows and the male even lets me stroke his back – I am in love. Of course at one point they invited all there Geese friends on to our grass to feed, helpful cutting the grass but at one point there was my two, there three young, 6 Canadian geese, 5 Egyptian Geese and 2 I don’t know Geese but they soon all scurry of when I appear.

Back to the Barns – – – -Closer than ever, we finished painting today, varnished all the windows, kitchens in, electrics done, lights are ordered, plumbers coming to second fix this week and the carpenters are here next weekend fixing all the pre-stained and varnished skirting, arcatrive and doors on – Flooring and tiling are booked in for following week. WOW, soon be ready for our first guests.

Money Money Money – – it’s a constant battle with renovation and a new business to get enough to get finished. Juggling, begging, borrowing and hopefully not too much stealing!!! BUT we are so close to getting Lake View completed, the plastering is all done and next we we go in to decorate all the walls and ceilings, the kitchens on order a fab Omega with Bosch appliances and all the contemporary bathroom stuff is ready to go in. I have even got a stack of Oak furniture at the ready steady plus I am buying odds and sods for the finishing touches.

Every few days we are having to turn away bookings because we are not quite there – – – it’s good to know there is a demand but obviously we just want to be up and running.

Not long Now – – and holiday makers can enjoy all Lodge Farm has to offer, which reminds me the playground went up this week and I have just finished barking it all. The Ducks finally found a nesting spot the Crows can’t reach and the Swans still have the beautiful grey cygnet I have called Derek!!!. Red mite keeps appearing in the chicken coop but luckily Mr Fox has stayed away.

Well we thought we were just round the corner from opening but money matters let us down and we are back to begging to keep us going. We still hope to have Lake View ready for late summer and I am buying bits and pieces when I see them – Plenty of Lovely Oak, I even bought the curtains yesterday.

The plastering under way and is drying out a treat with the underfloor heating!!! So in a couple of weeks I can get painting, I can’t wait to paint the feature wall – Deep Aubergine with a bit of metallic if we can afford Farrow and Ball!!!

– – So Close  – – Just like that Fox the other night licking his lips prowling in front of the chicken run, I chased him off!!! There’s plenty of rabbits here for his dinner.

Well, Well, Well – Well the Well is filling up and while we don’t have to worry about a drought as we have our own bore hole, there is no need to panic as there is enough rain to water anyway to feed the newly sprinkled grass seed.

This week 11.4 tons of givlon screed has been poured in to the barns, finely covering the 100mm insulation and the pipework for the underfloor heating. A few problems with the plumbing but that got sorted quick by the Co-Dunkal boys.

So this weekend me and my son will be “on with the skates” and trying out the smooth, flat floors – – some fun in-between landscaping.

Next week the Electrician starts his first fix – Its really moving now, I have even been buying the odd bit of furniture or equipment for the holiday barns.

It’s exciting times – its a shame our first booking was requested for June and for 17 people – Sorry, not quite ready and not quite big enough.

Bring on those bookings – bikes are ready to hire, the Lake is looking beautiful, the picnic areas are getting finished and the zip wire is zipping

We seem to be set for a Summer Opening 2012. The Windows and doors are all in and glazed and looking fantastic. The under floor heating and plumbing is booked for April, the electricians all set to go and we are waiting for the carpenters to stud all the walls for extra insulation and sound proofing. Me and Nick have been landscaping the drive way with 51 very heavy railway sleepers so we are not far off from graveling the whole stretch with a parking bay for each holiday let. I just need to track down a good supplier of plants because I need a truck load. The chickens are loving all the digging if they eat many more worms I think the eggs will start to taste of them! oh, well makes a change from frogs. Anyway. I’ll be grassing next week so the chickens are going to have to get used to a large Heras panel run and not 2 acres of bliss.

Late 2011 Summer was the extension of Lake View, then late October the builders Robinson and Roe crashed out the last of the concreate floors to form a new lower base ready for the underfloor heating system. Along with breaking out the openings and more brickwork and drainage.

January 2012 Saw the finishing off of the builders, Aldridge roofing finished the Copper Flat roof over Lake View just in time for the big freeze and the rest of the windows lintles in place.

February 2012  The big wooden windows and door frames arrived form GB Joinery and I’ve got the job of painting them when the frost eases of a bit. Still chasing up contractors for pricing and my mind wanders to how I am going to decorate and furnish all the barns. I decided to give each barn a different feature colour wall, I’m thinking Lime for the Courtyard, Aubergine for Lake Views and Deep Red for the Romantic Dairy.