Fabulous few days

It’s been a very busy few days with lots of guests arriving and making the most of the lovely weather. The weather conditions of the past year have resulted in a glut of beautiful Dunster plums and greengages and we often have bags given to us. Each morning, I gently poach some, add a little sugar and put on the buffet table for breakfast. With a dollop of natural yoghurt they are perfection on a plate with the fresh fruit salad being relegated to second place!

Ron has been to stay for a few days and we all went to Dunster agriculture show on Friday and I should think it was a record number of visitors. It is held in the grounds of Dunster castle and with the sun shining, all the showing cattle and sheep groomed into an inch of their lives, live music plus all the stalls it really was a lovely day out.

We went to The Doone Valley yesterday afternoon and had a cup of tea at Cloud Farm in the tea garden. We then headed up into the hills up above Malmsmead and walked over to Dry Bridge. The sun was really hot and the sky was blue and enormous with just a few clouds dotted around The views over towards Aldermans Barrow and down towards Lynton and Lynmouth were fantastic. The smell of the heather was quite heady and full of honey.

On the way home we stopped at the top of Porlock Hill to have a Styles ice cream looking out over the Channel. Then onto Paul’s to get newly dug potatoes and freshly picked runner beans for tea. Ron drove back to East Devon with 40 pounds of runner beans for his poor old mum to prepare for the freezer! Up here on Exmoor you don’t have to go very far to get the best out of life.