A very busy weekend!

It’s been a mixture of emotions this weekend as six of the puppies have gone to their new homes with Molly and Meg leaving us next weekend. It was similar to when the children first go to school – you want them to go as they need more stimulation (and you need some peace) but it does seem very empty when I look out and there are only 2 puppies trying to chew to death a watering can.

They have provided us with such wonderful entertainment and we have never had so many people drop in. I shall never forget Derek walking down from the paddock with a ‘pack’ of miniature sprollies running, bouncing and rolling on behind! All of them have wonderful new homes and I know that we shall be seeing them again – in fact I’m ‘puppy sitting’ Charlie on Wednesday when Jo rides out with Derek. Our dear friends Lori and Julie came down from Hertfordshire to take one home and ended up taking 2!

I popped down to Dulverton on Saturday to meet up with friends from Exeter College where I used to work. It was lovely to catch up with all their news and I do miss their company but when I compare Exeter to Exmoor there is no contest. Dulverton was very busy as there was a vintage car rally across the moor. All the cars were open topped and when the drivers got out their top halves (including their faces) were more covered in mud than the cars!

We had a lovely weekend with Tim coming down from London and Lucy from Exeter plus Ron from Woodbury. Unfortunately Bexs was away in Korea working and couldn’t make it but hopefully we will see her at Easter. It was a weekend that involved a lot of cooking, lots of laughs and some very vulgar jokes!

Our bed and breakfast is now open for the 2011 season and we have already had several guests staying. One couple went to the Falconry Centre at Allerford on Saturday as a birthday treat and had a wonderful time learning to fly the birds. Snowdrop Valley is looking beautiful – a complete carpet of white. The birds are now singing in the early morning and the sparrows have started visiting the underneath of our veranda. They hurtle in and out of the netting seeking any holes with precision and speed of fighter pilots!