To say that today was cold would be an understatement! My feet have been frozen all day and are only just thawing out now! George and Kev went back this evening to continue with the electrical work.

George was put to good use threading wires through a very narrow loft. The wiring was installed for the sockets and the cookers and hopefully by this time tomorrow it will be finished. If not we may be icicles!
George took the photographs shown here.

George was apprentice today. In the good victorian tradition we sent him up in the loft as we didn't have a chimney at hand! Kev ended up in there as well. All that could be heard was a low mumbling of "I'm too old for this" and "I'm too old to be grovelling round in a loft!" I think George enjoyed his work more than Kev today as you can see from the photo. They isolated some wiring and re-routed the cooker wiring from the kitchen to the production area. We are looking forward to some plumbing and electrics before getting to paint next week.

It was another snowy day here. Kev had to dig the car out so we could get to the factory today. Rebecka and George were both off school so they were roped in as well.





Kev put George to good use. They fitted the panels underneath the window, added extra uprights and insulated the space. It look really smart now, and is just waiting to be painted.





Speaking of paint - it finally arrived - a week late! It was starting to be known as the 'p' word. The blue seems to have suffered in transit with some of it being in the box rather than in the tub!!!! Nice colour though.


I managed to take some photos of this years collection of cakes. Most of the photos didn't come out - probably because I was cold! This is 'splash' because it is decorated with white ruffles and white chocolate splashes.






This is 'dotty' for quite obvious reasons really! It reminds me of Audrey Hepburn and polka dots.

This is a pretty cake where the design followed the topper. This was bought from the Black Isle Show last year.


Finally we have 'Ruffle'. This cake has made quite a stir when we have had it out at shows this year. It is built round a five tier cake and decorated in handmade belgian chocolate ruffles. There is an additional 4 kilos of chocolate on the outside of the cake.

Along with most of the UK, snow fell heavily here overnight. We checked this morning and school is closed today so Rebecka and George are staying home. It seems that we have more snow than elsewhere in Moray as both Forres and Lossiemouth schools are still open.



It started snowing last night and judging by the depth it didn't stop!



Our car is under there somewhere!



The council have done a sterling job with snow ploughs and gritters working their way through, and our bins were collected this morning. It is difficult to drag the wheelie bins through 5 inches plus of snow.



I don't think anyone would want to sit on our garden bench today!



Everything is covered in snow! Never mind, I am going to spend the day washing, although I don't think it will be worth hanging my washing out. Mind you, I don't think I could get to the line anyway!



The weather report says the snow should move away during the day, so hopefully everything will be back to normal tomorrow.



Kev says that he is going down to the factory later on to make sure everything is ok, but at the moment the roads are too bad to move. The A96 is incredibly slushy.

We felt that today might be a bit of slow one. Having been to the reclamation yard yesterday we did not have much to do. Nothing to build, no paint here yet. And then, at 10am we had a delivery. The guys at Lochpark Challenge delivered our door, window and wood.



If you need any wood, windows, doors or reclamation I would definitely recommend you visit Lochpark Challenge at the Chanory Industrial Estate in Elgin.


Having bought an 8ft 2in window, we needed to make the big hole in the wall even bigger! Kev worked out a way to remove an extra 5 inches which would create a space big enough for the window and supporting uprights.



Having decided on a plan of attack Kev used his super-duper grinder. He nearly got more than he bargained for when grinding at the top, the sparks bounced off the beam and burned the top of his head.


The grinder made short work of the job and the hole was expanded.


Kev used the reclaimed wood to build a frame and uprights.


When we saw that it took 5 men to carry the window in it became more than apparent that we (as in me and him!) were never going to be able to put the window in on our own. A phone call to Jo and Brian and bodies were recruited.



A special thanks has to go to Brian, Si and Chris for their manpower. Within 10 minutes the window was lifted, turned and in place.




Wow!!! We have a fitted window and ....


the makings of a viewing area.


So what looked like a day where not much would happen we went to having a hole in the wall to a viewing area.

Today could be described as perplexing! We waited in all morning for the paint delivery which was due on Friday. By lunchtime we were a bit fed up. I rang the company to find that the rest of the paint had been returned because it was leaking. It is being redispatched but will probably be Friday before it arrives.

This then meant we were free to go to the reclamation yard to search for required items.

We wanted a window for that nice large hole in the wall. The hole measures 8 foot across and 7 foot deep - so we bought a window that measures 8ft2 across and 5 feet deep.



Kev felt a little perplexed at this point, but I think he has a plan!

Saturday saw a big unpacking of boxes and a shifting round of items. Now all that is done we can see the wood for the trees! With a couple of loads to the tip we now know what we have and haven't got. As you can see Joshua took it all in his stride!

Kev took down the sign for the last company and we have our own little sign on the door so at least people will know they are in the right place.

Many of the items unpacked are now in the bulk storage. It was tidy on Saturday, but then Kev has his tools in there as well. Kev and Brian were talking grinders this morning with all the enthusiasm that only men can show for their toys! I have to say that it was quite impressive when taking the panels out of the wall!

The retail area now has some furniture in and is passable with care.


The visitors centre section has all the display units in ready for assembly as soon as the area is painted and ready to go.


The unit that we originally bought for chocolates is being deployed for favours and was moved into position just outside the wedding room so we know that will fit there.




The cakes are all back home now after a day out at the Ramnee Hotel Wedding Fair at Forres yesterday.



Of course, the paint that should arrive on Friday - Monday at the latest hasn't made an appearance yet. Here's hoping for tomorrow.