Merry Christmas

Christmas Eve and I just wanted to wish all of the bloggers and blog readers out there a very Happy Christmas and thank you for following the Ednovean farm blog throughout the year. If you missed my latest blog post running up to Christmas you can catch it here and see my alternative Christmas tree!

That's is all for now (I forgot to buy the Parsnips for christmas lunch so a mercy mission to salvage Charles Christmas lunch is called for!)  so Let us all wish for a joyful and peaceful Christmas and a new year full of hope and purpose.

A little bit of Christmas magic

The Dining room at Ednovean Farm

You know these cold dark morning call for a little bit of Christmas magic to start the day. Our old farmhouse just lends itself to this time of year and never looks more beautiful than when the candles are flickering overhead. I've hung metal chandeliers  from the high beams above the Dining table and sitting room in front of an old overmantel mirror (a sale room find) to double the impact and then I line the window sills with fat church candle. I took a few snaps after our guest had left this morning before I cleared the table - I think it gives just a little romance to sit together in a weekend break from their busy lives and just soak up the old building.
P.S Please excuse the washing up!!

After Breakfast

breakfast is a relaxed affair with an eclectic mix of china, candles and brown
sauce if our guest would like it!

The dining room window sill lined with fat church candles
and oversized baubles piled in a fruit bowl for extra
Christmas glitz!

If you didn't catch my Christmas tree deliberations in my other blog you can read it here for extra inspiration to start your decorating this year. Happy Christmas back soon !

Autumn or winter - there's always something new in the garden

I love the way that even if it is late Autumn (or today i suppose I should say early winter) that there is always something new to catch your eye in the garden.  This morning, for instance,  I spotted this glorious Datura flower, on a raised bed, with the sun streaming through the petals with its companion a sweetly scented Mahonia.

If you've been following the Ednovean Farm garden then I've just written my monthly garden diary over at my new blog. Why not pop over to explore a Cornish garden in November

The last of the summer wine

I feel these days contain the last of the summer wine as misty damp morning suddenly clear to sparkling afternoons. And with the gentle decline of the year an elderly Tom cat has found his way back to us after quite a few years away. Wilbur - well we had to call him something and "Wilbur" just seemed to fit his lugubrious features, suddenly returned and took over my stray cat cafe saucers as a frequent diner. I often referred to the silent enigmatic tabby in my blogs of around 2009 and then one day after an altercation with Ollie cat he didn't appear again  .........until now!

Wilbur is an elderly gentleman now and keeps to a strict routine of two days at Ednovean followed by one days cat patrol before returning ravenously hungry. He appeared again, as though he had never been away and slipped back into his cat routine in that seamless way that cats do. 

The years have not been kind to him though or maybe he has lived life to the full in his time away. His chest is wheezy now and he moves very slowly with a slight limp and he has acquired permanent a kink in his tail but he still maintains his aloof, feral distance never approaching his saucer until I have moved away. Still it is good to think he remembered us when his needs changed and I have a horrible idea that even if I could catch him and take him to the vets they would just say he's very old and put him down. One day I'm, sure the day will come but until then the dignified old feral is calling the shots - saucers filled twice a day and maybe, just maybe he'll take a snooze in the open garden room these days as a concession to age, bless his old feral soul.

As I watch the old cat at the closing of the year with endless nights and days when no one seems to have turned the lights on, I really do feel I'm watching the last of the summer wine. And yet tomorrow the sun may come out again!

Apologies not the best shot of Wilbur taken through the glass of our front door of the old cat waiting for his breakfast. The camera had wanted to use flash and I wanted natural light and so it retaliated by using the slowest exposure possible!

A trip to Penberth

Fishing boats drawn up out of the water at Penberth
Cove

The autumn mists wrapped Cornwall in warm liquid blanket for days towards the end of October in a haunted half light. It was on such a day that we set off for a picnic eastwards towards Rinsey and just a quickly turned around again as the fog thickened towards Rosudgeon. And so instead we turned westwards away from the fog bank toward Land's End in the hope of dropping down below the clouds.

The road stops just short of the Cove or to be precise the signs direct you to "No cars beyond this point" and so we parked beside the stream that gurgles down passed the thatched cottages and followed the mossy tarmac down to Penberth Cove.

We finally crossed a "poo sticks" type of bridge and found the cove just as we remembered it and probably just as it had always been - a steep granite slipway topped by a vast Capstan with a gaggle of fishing boats pulled up out of the sea. The ropes and crab pots of the fishing trips lay casually piled around sure in the knowledge that they were safe from prying fingers in this half forgotten place from another era.

Crab pots stacked under the capstan

We chose just the right bolder to one side of the slipway and comfortably began the autumn picnic ritual of unpacking freshly made bacon sandwiches and pouring hot sweet tea from the capacious flask that is a veteran of so many picnics. And so we sat in this timeless place, with the steep valley sides carpeted with bronzing bracken and the sea churning and tossing relentlessly about the rocks that frame the cove.

The timeless scene at Penberth Cove

All too soon it was time to go

All too soon it was time to go and follow the stream back out of the cove and back to our waiting car with a little memory tucked away of a few hours stolen from the mist in a quiet fishing Cove. It really is a cove where time, to quote the cliche really "has stood still."

Autumn leaves and coastal walks

I'd swear I saw an old lady scuffling through the autumn leaves today as I rode our Spanish stallion Danni out around the Cornish lanes. And who can blame her.  It's been an uplifting and inspiring autumn this year for me this year, with warm dry days that have gently turned the autumn hedgerows to golden bronze. The familiar coastline blazes with russet bracken framing the familiar views with a touch of autumn couture You can almost hear mother nature sidling over and saying "so suits you madam and picks up the colour of your seas perfectly.

Obviously a horse is not the best place to balance a camera from and so we took a couple of walks last week in the afternoons. We walked  from the farm along the coastline to admire the autumn colours to Trenow Cove on a windy afternoon - read about our walk and find lots of pictures of Cornwall in Autumn here http://ednoveanfarm.co.uk/blog/an-autumn-walk-to-trenow-cove/

or just to tempt you..................

St Michael's Mount framed by the russet colours of Autumn on our walk

We reached our destination and dropped down the grassy slipway to
Trenow Cove

I hope you've found my new garden diary spot by now and I'm just working on the October entry - well trying to choose some music for the youtube video at the moment - I'm looking for something that avoids musack that horrible background drone that half convinces you that you are dead and living n some sort of alternative reality and treads the fine line of not sounding like an add jingle...........I could be some time Until then my September Garden Diary is on line here 

A quick preview of my October garden where the
shadows are growing longer and my latest blog
will be along soon!

So goodbye for  now and I hope you join me again to read the Ednovean Diary!

The professional cat

Spud Taylor Esq.

As a busy Bed and Breakfast profession Spud Taylor has a very busy itinerary and of course always has to spend some time scheduling  with PR opportunities as they arise. He understands the need to prepare for a photographic opportunity and is a master of staying relaxed in front of the camera whilst gently guiding his journalist into always showing his good side. No really it is not only actors and actresses that have to know their good sides if a cat is not to open a publication and say eeyherrr ..........but nice article.

The process all starts with a good PR arriving promptly when required and taking time for that special attention to grooming of course.

Read Spud Cats three point plan for publicity photos

Arrive promptly at the time agreed and great your journalist answering any questions with gentle charm but stay near to your chosen points you wish to emphasise in your career point.

Make sure you are fully prepared, relaxed and confident

Finally offer a choice of profiles to the camera keeping the breath relaxed and natural - don't force the pace.

and voila! 

Spud Taylor Esq

Choose an appropriate background with good lighting - side lighting often works well. Spud has found the  "golden hour" just before sunset gives the best results with his coat colour.

and finally take your leave, politely and firmly at the appropriate moment - of course leave your contact details for any queries but be firm when the session has come to a close.

Goodnight from Spud

Spud Cat can be found meeting and greeting at Ednovean Farm and luckily doesn't suffer from an allergy to humans. He does take precautions however by keeping to his own quarters and is seldom seen about the house except in case of heavy rain or snow.

The last day of Summer

One of the unspoilt coves that line Mounts Bay

We celebrated the last day of summer in splendid isolation, last Sunday,on one of the secluded little coves that line Mounts bay. We  slipped into the chilly waters to swim before picnicking on the foreshore and absorbed  wonderful memories of a stolen day of sunshine before setting off for home, sure that would be the end of summer............ but do you know? We did it all again this afternoon and the sea was much much warmer in fact!

The joy of a staycation - no lost days in airports before being scanned for explosives and removing sundry items of clothing and personal belongings that disappear on a conveyor belt. No panics about passports and tickets. No watching the lady with the baby heading for the empty seat beside you before spending the flight as an unofficial nanny Ah the anticipation of the cellophane wrapped meal with plastic cutlery..........Just open the front door and set off in the Cornish sunshine for an instant away from it all adventure! and the last day of Summer?? Well not yet - not in Cornwall anyway! happy sigh

We sat and listened to the waves rolling in

Walking from Ednovean Farm

We have easy access to the coastal footpath from Ednovean Farm and our guests have set out regularly across the farm throughout the summer but you know!  Charles and I have stayed at home! So with the unexpected Indian Summer giving warm days of balmy sunshine and an alarm clock purchased for the giddy sum of £6 from Sainsbury's, we've set off for a second day  to enjoy the path ourselves!

Charles with lunch in his back pack

Within half an hour we had chosen a secluded cove and were sitting  and munching the bacon sandwiches that Charles had magically produced from his backpack. We watched a cormorant diving beneath the swell and by the time tea was poured from a flask, a neat Tern settled in the more sheltered water in front of us pirouetting like a ballet dancer with a whisk of its short important tail. Sorry but the camera was just out of reach and really nothing should interfere with a a good bacon sandwich! As the sun came out we settled down to snooze  with a wary eye on the time. Oh that steadily ticking clock that told us when it was time to head for home and meet more guest arriving for Ednovean farm, ready to start a new holiday and perhaps walk the footpath stopping to sample the blackberries along the way. Still it was good to get out and remind ourselves about the treasures on our doorstep.

Blackberries above a cornish cove - sorry i was hurrying for
home and forgot to check the settings on the camera!

Coves to explore on summers fading days

A ruined boat shed on a deserted Cornish cove

We stole away last week to walk from Ednovean Farm across the fields towards the coastal path as the last days of Summer slowly faded but still gave  a promise of sunshine and perhaps a dip in the cool silent seas. The coastal footpath near us passes so many deserted coves, maybe it is the pebbly beaches or the walk from the car parks that stops so many people from exploring the hidden places along the cliffs but I know I can always find a silent deserted cove all to my self, away from the thronged sandy beaches.

The tide stealing silently in to a deserted spot - well apart
 from us of course!

There are quiet sandy beaches too of course the walk to  Rinsey beach from the National Trust car park springs to mind. Reached by zig zagging down the cliff and finally sliding down through a little gully to the vast expanse of sand exposed at low tide it is best to take anything you would like to eat or drink for the day with you as this is not the place with a beach cafe and post card selection. Or maybe Portheras Cove - about a miles walk along the coastal path from Pendeen lighthouse in the St Ives direction, again it is a rare treat of unspoilt beauty carefully cared for by a dedicated band of locals to keep it in a pristine condition. But again they are not unpaid refuse collectors so do leave not a trace of your day there.

Trevean Cove

This September has been an unexpected treat and we realises nearly  too late that we had not even swum in the sea this year and so we set off with a picnic and  a flask of hot sweet tea to bask in the sunshine one afternoon and finally swim in the sea warmed as it slid quietly back into a deserted cove - just bliss! Oh and no sand in the sandwiches either!! Did you see my post about our adventure in our new wordpress blog?

Charles demonstrating hardly a ripple in the sea

We walked home stopping to turn to admire the view back to Cudden Point and the imposing facade of Acton Castle

Acton Castle

Cudden Point

Sunset of summer days but Autumn breaks ahead

The lingering sunsets of late summer

What could be a more perfect end to the day than a vibrant sunset. I walked up to the top one of our  fields for a different view of the bay at Ednovean Farm last night and I was rewarded with a view of the tide rippling across the rocks of Mounts Bay. So  far below me and off to my right in Marazion on a warm still evening. September has delivered the sort of weather that you tend to remember on childhood holidays when you were giddily allowed to stay up a little bit later than usual. Those holidays in Cornwall that started in the dead of night as a child sleeping on the back seat of a car on roads that wound for hours to a chorus of "Are we there yet!" The thrill of the first mesmerising glimpse of the sea of Cornwall that always draws you back to relive childhood holidays and ponder the sunset at the end of a warm September day.

Mounts bay at sunset

A perfect end to the day in Cornwall

Visit our august garden

Did you find my August garden update at the new wordpress blog? Do pop along and have a look and catch up with the Ednovean gardens after this beautiful summer. I've also included a few suggestions of the best gardens to visit this month within easy reach of us in West Cornwall.

The last of the evening sunshine catching the grasses
that frame the Italian garden's entrance

Autumn breaks and winter holidays

As Summer is slipping away from little by little and the spring bulbs are appearing in the shops I thought it was time to put our popular Autumn /Winter three day special breaks together - Aptly named Winter beaters and storm chaser!  Just go to the  reservations tab on our new website and select your three day break from October onwards and you will find a £10 reduction for each night when you complete your reservation. Or of course phone we love to hear from you - it is surprising how many guests we meet again after a number of years as their lives have taken in other directions away from Cornwall!

A walk along the coast footpath from Perranuthnoe to Marazion

Goodnight for now from Ednovean Farm

A vist to Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens part two

Glorious exotic planting on arid terraces

Following our journey through the gardens in pictures this week such a selection of rare plants where to look first!

The splendid jungle hut that made adults into small children hanging
over the railings to watch the struggles of the advancing hoards
probably us!

The winding paths that had mentored our progress grew more
demanding now

Huge grasses mingled with phormiums

The next vantage point to explore

Cacti and Succulents

Perhaps the combination of modern and tradition buildings....

Unbelievably there was a whole avenue of Butea Capitata

my love affair with Agaves continues!

A garden beyond my imagination!

Every adult became an excited child for the day

and down again to the jungle floor

Grasses and Bananas

A heard a visitor remark "the camera obscura" for a moment I thought
he meant I was in the way!

A sharply drained terrace

We could only collapse on a bench after the final climb to see the sculpture
featured on BBC2 Gardeners World!

I hope you have enjoyed your virtual visit ot this  exciting new garden that has opened near Penzance - for more info check out their web site Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens

What an adventure!! We loved it!