A white Christmas?

At first light the birds were at the feeders.

This morning the snow was just about as perfect as perfect could be - deep and crisp and even. But it's since turned to sleety rain. I'm torn between wanting the snow to get deeper and thicker and being able to get in to Inverness later this afternoon to pick up the first of the family arriving for Christmas.

And talking of Christmas. Do you remember the wood burner this time last year? It's come a long way since then. Robin came last weekend and helped his Dad install it

and Niels was then able to finish laying the floor.  And although the house isn't finished yet

I love it!

Walking the plank!

Yesterday the flooring arrived. It looked tiny on a large lorry and I wondered if Niels had got the calculations wrong!

It was exciting. Had we made the right choice? It wasn't what we went looking for, but once seen agreed it was that or nothing - and as we've had nothing on the floor for quite a while I really felt it was time we made a decision. 

We carried it in. I was ever so keen to lay it immediately. But it must stay at room temperature for a week to ten days acclimatising and  getting used to its new surroundings.

But I have had a little poke about and unpacked one or two planks, and played at pretend flooring and tried to imagine how it will look when it's laid properly.

We made the right choice. It's warm and mellow. Smoked oak. Each knot is filled by hand. It has a  rustic look. The grain is grey, it will match the decor perfectly!

I can't wait to have floor. It was more than our budget  but we've compromised and the hall, stairs and upstairs rooms (all the other rooms in the house basically!) will have to wait until next year. We are driving to London in the morning and plan to be away for a week. Then on our return the floor laying operation should get underway.

All change

  I wanted warm white, but couldn't bear it when I got it.

it made me more miserable by the minute. I drove back to Inverness and replaced the peachy white

  with misty white, definitely not warm, erring on the cool side, a darker shade of white, the colour of skimmed milk, of cornflour mixed with water, but it cheered me up, suited the room and blended perfectly with the misty, moistly, damp conditions outside!

We ordered the flue for the wood burner and the wood flooring 

We have a large round oak table. It has stood in store for eighteen months and taken quite a battering. It's been rolled down the drive dragged down the stairs, had any number of drinks spilt on it but it's incredible how it always perks up after a good sanding down 

and a pummeling and beating with bees wax. It takes on a wonderfully rich and mellow  sheen. 

Jo flew up on Tuesday then back down to London on Thursday. We walked, talked drank and ate too much and it was a real joy to have her company. Daughters aren't bad!

Tomorrow we have an unexpected visit from a friend who is coming to help with painting, gardening and all the many things that still need doing in and around the house - we must  be very slow - there still seems masses to do, but time and money limit what we can achieve.

Order and sunshine

Now the sun is much higher in the sky it clears the hills behind us, and on sunny days streams in through the windows. In the very darkest shortest days of winter we had sun for only an hour in the morning. Now it stays around for much longer, lighting up the room and dancing on the walls - showing up the bits I missed when painting!

This first year in the house will be tracking the sunshine!

There is still masses to do, and of course I can be selective in what I show on my blog!

the window sills, for example, still need their coat of paint. I opted for good old mdf painted white. I'm slowly preparing them and priming with an mdf primer. I've done two so far!

The wood burner (the one that doubled as a Christmas tree) has yet to be installed. First the floor needs to be laid - a rather big expensive job, particularly as I have chosen oak. I did look at bamboo and other sustainable flooring, but oak has such a mellow look, and I think will suit the house perfectly

Still the wonderful view goes on. Here it is, looking in through the oven door!

and in my space upstairs (slightly less muddly than it was, and due a photo soon!) this is what I see as I'm writing this blog and looking through the window. The colours today have been beautiful, vivid and strong. The tree branches have an almost white, silvery glow to them.