Future and past....

Many years ago, well about 15 anyway we arrived in Penole a lot younger and not even begining to understand how our lives were to be changed.

In that first year a friend arrived from Brittany and brought a handful of druidic acorns.

We planted about 10 and, nothing happened. They all died.

Then a few years later we found that in fact a solitary oak had taken root in the soil.

we have watched as slowly over the years the one oak has grown in size and stature, each year slightly bigger and stronger.

We have allowed the gorse to grow around it and shield it but not so much as to stifle it. Today, I took some 50 year old tools off the fire engine walked up the drive with the daughter who is just older than the tree and together we cleared the gorse, leaving our oak standing proud and about 6 foot high.

It can now have all the light and grow on, hopefully for a few hundred years more.

Might get out there with the camera tomorrow.

It all takes it away from tyre kickers.

In the motor trade we experience a phenomenon called tyre kickers. These are people with 2000 pound appetite and a 200 pound budget. Who come dream waste your time and look interested then leave never to be seen again.

So our "Cash buyers" of last week. Came saw left came back with the architect, made all the right noises, then when they costed their plans realised that they had million pound tastes and a half million budget....

Ahh yes tyre kickers.

Of course todays mob were errrrr interesting. He edits a magazine devoted to hemp and hemp products. Hmmmm this could be a "cash" sale then, I mused with visions of an attache case being produced...

But of course not it was not to be, 11/2 hours of my time later and their very posh 4x4 was off up the drive with them in it. At least they had the good manners to say they were not interested why wait 89 minutes before telling me though, could have got them out of here in 1/4 an hour.

House selling - bah - stuff that for a game of skittles.

R