Multinational camping

Wow it was like looking for field mushrooms - which we are also doing at the moment and enjoying campsite grown fungi -

Often when you first start looking for mushrooms, you cannot see any and then they pop into view all over the place. Once you "get your eye in" you can see them everywhere. It was the same with tents, first there were only 2 tents in the campsite paddock, then 6, then a campervan arrived and then two more campers emerged from a tent in the morning, suddenly we were virtually full - 14 campers. 

And multinational too, campers from the Netherlands, Czech Republic and Holland with a couple of Brits thrown in for good measure. Great seeing everyone enjoying themselves, cooking at the campfire or on makeshift BBQ stoves, sharing music and chatter and perhaps a lubrication or two. Absolutely perfect camping.

Good luck to Paul walking all the way to John O'Groats for Dementia Adventure. We donated his 'campsite tariff and egg money' to this worthy cause. It would be great if other campsites where he stays would do the same. If any readers want to donate, the link is http://mydonate.bt.com 

We have been busy at the campsite, the beech hedglets needed weeding and the kindling pile has been moved from underneath the red oak tree, to alongside the campfire log store. Logs have been chopped into sticks to make up campfire log bags, with some small sticks and some bigger logs in the same bag, to make firelighting easy for campers.

The 'team' have been building a compost toilet mark two, which is sited next to the original compost loo, to increase our 'facilities' and improve campers comfort.

The campfire stone surround was almost hidden by clover and grass, so that has been weeded and cleared today in readiness for a bit of bonfiring to prepare the campfire for a busy August.

And just to prove that tents come in all shapes and sizes, look at this little beauty.

Summer is a coming

July really feels like summer is a coming - despite several mizzly days this week - but the rain makes us green and makes the grass grow and the grass is definately growing.

In the old reservoir garden the weeds are also growing and I have been trying to limit their multiplication so they don't swamp the flowers and hedges I have planted. Bought myself a new toy to help with the gardening and ensure a cup of tea on the campsite, an Mkettle. Brilliant invention. Took a little time to get the knack to light but once lit it was fab and boiled in 6 minutes or so and made two fab cups of coffee.

The campsite itself has been host to a steady trickle of campers and tents

and campervans

and a very gorgeous bell tent popped up, although I never managed to remember to take a photo in the sunshine! 

There have been some lovely reviews, many thanks for those. They can be found on our 2015 Reviews and Comments page.

The campfire has been is use by campers and not to be outdone, we used another of our new toys, a Ronnie Sunshine Dutch Oven, which we bought for a tentover and birthday party end of April and then illness and inclement weather conspired to spoil the birthday celebration and the oven has been waiting for the right evening to enjoy its first outing. There came a point where I could wait no more and a lamb casserole was thrown together which turned out rather well as an alfresco meal.

And since the warmer days do seem to be coming, I invested in an olive tree. I have been hankering after one for ages, so I have taken the plunge and repotted with a cocktail of horse and pig manure compost, which I hope it appreciates. Eventually it will go in the ground, but initially, since I am not sure where in the garden it will grow best, I have left it in a pot, but a bigger pot, to allow me some versatility and flexibility.

We have a new flag at the roadside this year, much brighter than its predecessor, but with our little white arabian horse logo. Amazing how, even though when the wind is blowing the flag around and it reads as a mirror image, ones brain is able to compute it says "camping", clever old thing our brain!

And talking of clever old things, Dom's new hens have been busily laying for the last few weeks and he is making quite a profit from his egg production business. Lovely brown eggs and deep golden yolks £1.50 per half a dozen, so bring your pennies and pounds to try them yourself when you camp.