My first visit in 8 months

 With interruptions from other holiday trips,  eye ops and attendant lockdowns I went with Elaine to Underhill for the first time in 8 months this week.

We drove down on Thursday afternoon and visited Cal on the way who warned us of soggy roads and drives. However, with only a few slips at the low point of the Underhill drive we were able to settle in for the evening and experiment with cooking some prepared Madame Foodie meals over a wood stove. Hmm! It seems steaming them in some sort of double boiler affair works best.

On Friday morning after our coffee and breakfast Geoff and Ponyo arrived and we set to viewing the very green vegetation. Quite a change from the 'concrete' ground cover of 2019. 

                                   

The comfrey is fantastic and will make great compost

The household seedlings are doing well

The medlar is covered in flowers

Elaine had the duty of using our super magnet to find nails etc in the wood ash of the open fire then scattering the ash in areas where we do not drive.

Geoff tested his archery skills.

Greg and Ev arrived with Coco mid morning and Terry and Ellie not long after.

We enjoyed lunch together then headed off to inspect fruit trees and collect fire wood.

Geoff left soon after lunch and on watching him negotiate the very muddy, slippery drive now chewed up by three other cars coming since Elaine and I drove in we discussed the many options for everyone else getting out.

It was decided that as mine was the only 2-wheel drive I should go first and just park up the top for the night. This resulted in me getting bogged of course. The car just kept slipping downhill to the left.

Finding the towing point in my car

Then it was decided that Terry should drive past mine to get in front and pull me out. But in doing so his rear wheels kept slipping towards mine.

It was then a matter of digging mine out and just gunning it before Terry could get his out. 

After that debacle was over Greg was able to drive his All-Wheel-Drive out like a pro.

Needless to say, after Terry and Ellie had left Greg and I parked up on the road and I eventually backed mine a short way back down the drive for the night.

Smiles after the ordeal was over - just a little muddy

Before they left for home Greg, Ev, Coco and Elaine walked to the far dam while I had another experiment with Madame Foodie meals and a wood stove. Overflowing dams seemed the order of the day.

The oaks planted by Greg and Ev are doing well on the top dam wall

Back to wait for dinner then a short walk for Greg to look at the 'waterfall' before they went back to the big smoke.

After Greg and Ev had left for home Elaine and I walked some of our things to the car and just as we were walking back to camp huge drops of rain and then a cloudburst arrived. We got back to shelter just as the first few drops started.

Then the fun with the phone and caravan power started. It turned out the phone would no longer charge from the caravan batteries so I turned it off to conserve power in case of emergency. 

Another restless night for Elaine and I with a very strong gusty wind blowing. This morning we walked all our belongs over the swampy ground between us and the car. It only took two trips each.

I tried to charge the phone in the car and it would not charge there so I started to get a bit concerned. When I got home I plugged it into 240V and hooray! it started charging. Then I remembered I had had an auxiliary phone power pack in me handbag with me all along and could probably have used that. I must check it on this new phone.

We then headed for home after a very muddy, soggy adventure.