Gallery Windows!

The windows for the gallery were fitted today. 
Much excitement, lots of oohs and aahs!
They are just as we had hoped - clean style, allowing in that view, whilst giving it a 'frame' and rhythm 

just as we had envisaged

the north end - light on two sides

this will be the entrance, look at the height difference to be made up
- and the view to greet our visitors

looking South to the Mournes

Bearnagh

looking through from one end to the other

is this 'easy clean' glass?

two windows replace existing ones - so clean of line -
we love them!

Now to painting (dark green as with the other windows). 
Glazing should arrive next week.


It will, however, be obvious to the initiated that there's now little likelihood of all this being ready for Easter. Still we are more the tortoise not the hare!

Poetry Day

The Stolen Child

by William Butler Yeats

picture by  Kevin Woods

WHERE dips the rocky highland
Of Sleuth Wood in the lake,
There lies a leafy island
Where flapping herons wake
The drowsy water rats;
There we've hid our faery vats,
Full of berrys
And of reddest stolen cherries.
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.

Where the wave of moonlight glosses
The dim gray sands with light,
Far off by furthest Rosses
We foot it all the night,
Weaving olden dances
Mingling hands and mingling glances
Till the moon has taken flight;
To and fro we leap
And chase the frothy bubbles,
While the world is full of troubles
And anxious in its sleep.
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.

Where the wandering water gushes
From the hills above Glen-Car,
In pools among the rushes
That scarce could bathe a star,
We seek for slumbering trout
And whispering in their ears
Give them unquiet dreams;
Leaning softly out
From ferns that drop their tears
Over the young streams.
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.

Away with us he's going,
The solemn-eyed:
He'll hear no more the lowing
Of the calves on the warm hillside
Or the kettle on the hob
Sing peace into his breast,
Or see the brown mice bob
Round and round the oatmeal chest.
For he comes, the human child,
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than he can understand. 

springtime

A beautiful morning - our tour round the garden brings more new growth each day!

this morning: cloudless apart from a little cap on The Mournes

the hawthorn hedge - about to burst!

Cherry trees are ahead of the pack!

Vincent

7 weeks ago today we planted trees. 

A wonderful day with friends, looking to the future, to this spring with the leaves starting to appear, and the years beyond as they grow tall.

Little did we know that this week we would lose our dear friend Vincent, who, with Liz, planted the first tree: an Oak.

Always an optimist,we will miss you dearly Vincent. 

But your Oak and the 50 more that you planted will live on. 

Vincent's Oak gets its new home 28 January 2012

We will not forget you.

Have a Good One!

Hope everyone around the globe is taking the opportunity to lift a glass and have good cheer on this St Patrick's Day

Felt Workshop dates

Spring Dates for our Felt Workshops

You can book by email: info@turniphouse.com or by phone 028 4065 0848

or through Down Arts and Ards Arts for their venues

Look forward to seeing you!

Woodworm!

There's a lot of it about here, and in the wrong places it's a real problem!

But it struck me this morning, as I was cutting firewood, that it can produce a very beautiful effect

Faces from the Past

Thanks to David and Ellen (and their Dad) from Derryneill who visited today bringing priceless pictures of their Great-grandparents, who lived in this house some 80 years ago up to the 1970's.

Scott & Annie Stevenson on their Wedding Day

Scott on a fine horse

another formal photo of Annie & Scott

Scott & Annie in their house - this one.
The curtains, wallpaper, sideboard and mirror are still here!

 It is really important to us to hear the stories of those times, to see the faces of the people, and to meet their ancestors today!

GEOMAGNETIC STORM WARNING:

GEOMAGNETIC STORM WARNING: A CME propelled toward Earth by yesterday's X5-class solar flare is expected to reach our planet on March 8th at 0625 UT (+/- 7 hr). Analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab, who prepared the CME's forecast track, say the impact could spark a strong geomagnetic storm. Sky watchers at all latitudes should be alert for auroras.


from Spaceweather.com

A Year Ago Today

An occasional series where we look at what we've done over the last  year.
Early March 2011 saw us getting ready to open the New Turnip House for Easter (in April that year) 
The windows were in, and we were beginning to get tidied up outside.

March 2011 the path down to the piggeries; stones everywhere you dig!

March 2012

March 2011 rubble everywhere

March 2012 - not much colour, but the pots are bursting with growth! It's cold like last year but now the fire is lit

The Windy Gap

It's official, it is windy here - our weather station anemometer broke down! The bearings seized, no doubt due to over use.


Many thanks to Kate and the tech guys at Maplins in Cambridge who supplied me with a replacement in a speedy and friendly manner!

looking up to the Windy Gap, with the new anemometer

You can still download weather data for the area (without all the wind data!) HERE

Saturday's Work!

Thanks again to Caroline and Paul who gave up their Saturday to help us with the gallery.


Caroline and Elaine painted, and Paul and John cleared what will be the 'Zen Garden' outside

The team - complete with evidence of painting!

The fireplace looking great

all we need are windows

Excellent work - Charlie approves!

afternoon sun streams in

space cleared nicely. some day, this will be the Zen Garden

Mowing in March!

It's 1st March 2012 and we've mowed the lawn - amazing!


We were out most of the day in Downpatrick, playing tourists mainly! our car was having it's dashboard panel replaced as it kept on blacking out - not fun!


Thanks to Renault and Mckibbin Motors of Clough, a job that should have costs around £600 cost us £150. Not what we had budgeted for, but still, a bright new instrument panel that won't let us down is worth it - and they cleaned the car too!


When we got back, the sun was still shining so we mowed the lawn, it's been dry and mild for a few days, and the grass was long. Hopefully, we'll have good (but no too dry) weather up to Easter!

the picnic lawn rises again!

Charlie checks out the shorter grass and entertains himself chewing a plastic bottle!

As the evening was so good, Elaine worked on preparing our latest flower bed - the old water tank -

Elaine hard at work with the compost.

 It now sits in a place of glory, ready for the Acidanthera 150 bulbs that we ordered from J Parker's, 

should give a brilliant display July to September: will keep you posted! 

the last rays of sunlight catches Luke's Mountain

the moon is up tonight