Farewell old friend!

April, come she will

When streams are ripe and swelled with rain;

May, she will stay,

Resting in my arms again.

June, she'll change her tune,

In restless walks she'll prowl the night;

July, she will fly

And give no warning to her flight.

August, die she must,

The autumn winds blow chilly and cold;

September, I remember,

A love once new has now grown old.
(Simon & Garfunkel, 1964)

Two years home

We're celebrating two years (two years!) since moving into our first house, and my my, how the time has flown.  Moving back to Newton Abbot has been good for us; we enjoy the town, the surrounding countryside, and the fact that the coast is four miles away.  I certainly feel part of a community here and the town, whilst small, is bustling, with a lively centre and several quality independents.  One which we use regularly is the Pizza Cafe - and what better to order in for our two-person party?

After a frantic first year, life has mellowed at Oak Tree Drive.  There's still much to achieve - the oven repairman visited recently and was aghast at how the gas pipe had been installed by the previous occupants; the carpets still need replacing; and our internal cupboard space still needs some attention - but at least it feels like home and, piece-by-piece we're getting there.  One thing that's certainly doing well is the fish tank - the plants have matured, and the fish have grown, all the while enjoying this peaceful little corner of the Amazon.  Obviously there's also the garden, the subject of many blogs, in which the biggest transformation of all can be see in the new borders and carefully-placed wildflowers, ferns and shrubs.  If last year was about learning and feeling our way around the plot, picking up rubbish and digging new ground, then this year has been all about the plants and the wildlife - and it has all been wonderful.

So that's it for year two in our ownership of the place - I wonder what things will look like in September 2017.

The Lions of London

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