Just Humans Being...

We are spending a week on Dartmoor again at one of our regular pet sits - taking care of the usual menagerie... Along with this lovely chap - who is staying with the gang temporarily and we have come to adore him. Being professional pet sitters means we can only leave the animals for up to 3 hours per day, which suits us fine as we are content being here and pottering about. We have visited The Beehive Farm shop in Chagford and the Zero Waste shop in Moretonhampstead. Both shops are great for us and nice that they are close by. As well as feeding all the animals, walking the dogs and generally keeping an eye on them all, we are enjoying cooking simple meals, reading, sitting by the fire and watching YouTube videos of folks building and renovating small houses in remote places!  It has mainly rained since we arrived with just yesterday being dry, which was nice! Amazingly, we've only got a thorough soaking once and seem to be quite intuitive regards venturing out and have mostly cho...

  We are coming to the end of our stay in Hampshire and the last 2 days have seen autumn arrive, so it sort of feels right to be thinking about leaving. A bit like Vianne and Anouk in Joanne Harris' book "Chocolat" - our work is done, though I think it's a south westerly here, rather than a north wind.   It is always a joy to be staying in this beautiful thatched cottage with our furry chum, to totally unwind and relax. The woodland walks are peaceful and we feel that we've reconnected with nature and got into a lovely rhythm.  The great thing about regular pet sits is that they feel like our very own holiday home, everything is familiar...especially the pets and with this particular sit, we have got to know the neighbours and their pets too over the years, so there is much merriment when we arrive and see everyone.     We have enjoyed our quiet morning walks, as well as the pack gatherings every afternoon with the crazy furry gang running around the big fi...

  It has been such a treat to have good weather again, especially as we are on another pet sitting assignment. We decided to take a longer route to our destination in Hampshire - taking a more scenic route out of Cornwall, along the Atlantic Highway and a wonderful stopover with our dear friends in Glastonbury. As always, we enjoyed feasting with great company and left with full bellies, feeling relaxed.  We had already travelled from Cornwall, through Devon and into Somerset and the next part of our journey took us slightly north through Wiltshire and West Berkshire before landing over the border in Hampshire. It was a gorgeous sunny journey with little traffic and we thoroughly enjoyed taking our time, soaking up the sights and loving the changing scenery. It seems such a long time since we travelled through this part of the country...Frome, Trowbridge, Avebury, and Marlborough. Seeing delights such as:  Westbury White Horse   Silbury Hill   West Kennet Long B...

  We have been in the Exe Valley for a week, on one of our regular pet sits and apart from venturing out to the farmer's market in Dulverton, we are very content to be here on the farm. Have to say, we met lots of lovely folks in Dulverton and spent a very pleasant afternoon chatting and purchasing a few bits and bobs...delicious home made preserves from The Selworthy Pantry,  Pain du Campagne from Lucho Bakes and we couldn't resist sampling some vegan beers from the Cottage Beer Project. Sime was also told that he should visit the music shop...Oggies Music and although it had closed for the day when we arrived at the door, a family turned up and said we can actually ring the bell and they were right...the friendly owner greeted and welcomed us all in. A wonderful shop full of second hand instruments, books and records. It is always a joy to be back here with all the animals, walking on the land, through fields and woods. In this truly peaceful place, we embrace the remote qui...

It is important to have some quiet time each day, to turn off TVs, radios, devices and just enjoy the peace. We see how addicted people are to technology and the information they are constantly receiving – it is very clear that these things are having a huge impact on their lives. This unhealthy habit is being encouraged and it almost feels like an obligation to stay “tuned in” and up-to-date with everything that is going on in the world. We are also bombarded with messages about the past - world events to acknowledge, shows to commemorate and documentaries keeping us fixated on a time gone by. Even social media pushes photographic memories. Why do we need to keep dwelling on the past? And then of course, there is “the future” – we must worry about what is coming next... Ask yourself this question: What would happen if you switched everything off for a few hours? Well, this planet we call Earth will continue it’s journey around the sun and the huge machine dishing out it’s sl...

We are in the middle of moving house. Our move is fairly simple as we gave away most of our big furniture when we left Meadowcroft...nearly 4 years ago! We don't need a van or a company to help pack. We are just getting on and doing it gradually...no rush, just a slow move. As always, we make time to sit still, take in the views, breathe and remain eternally calm. Life can be this simple. So why do many people make it complicated? Try to enjoy some quiet time each day, it's such a lovely thing to do. Love Kay and Sime xx

The height of summer, with most probably more people than ever in Cornwall.   We are the kind of folks who crave quiet and can always find beautiful places to spend time away from the noise...even on a hot summer's evening.   Oh what joy!  Hope you are all well and finding your own peace. Love Kay and Sime xx

Less traffic in the air and on the roads is making for a much more peaceful life. This area of Cornwall is already pretty quiet and now we are really noticing the difference... Trips to the outside compost toilet can be quite eerie - especially in the evening, but we do admit to loving it...Peace and quiet, clear skies and an increase in birdsong. Last year, we stayed in rural Hampshire near the border of Berkshire and we were genuinely shocked at how noisy it was each and every day. The constant hum of traffic and planes flying over. We wondered whether the lack of quiet was the cause of many people seeming stressed and impatient. This trait we usually see in city people, but it was intriguing to see in the countryside. It is amazing how quickly we become immune to what is going on around us, but do we still feel it subconsciously? The life we lead would not suit most people, but we love it. We were never cut out for life in a city or town and living on a housing estate ...