Sorry for the delay.

Yes its been very tough couple of weeks and quite honestly we didnt cope with it at all well.
Thank you all so much for your kind thoughts and messages.
We are now trying to get on and live with things as they are, we miss him desperately as does our lovely Bonnie, she barely barks at all any more.
Sooner or later, we feel we will find another special friend for her, but just dont feel ready yet.


So....
Meanwhile life seems to have continued on without us ... we had an excellent helper Called Ana who was a great comfort during a very difficult time, she worked like a Trojan in the veg plot and got it all under control for me. She really was a lovely girl and soon became a good friend too. Sadly she had other commitments and could only stay two weeks.
We now have another helper called Jim, a very tall English bloke, he's been with us a week now and its going great, he works as hard as he eats!! He certainly takes some filling! But its good for Rik to have another man around to help with the heavy work and they plan to start on the log barn (and filling it up) during this week..
Our good friends Alik & Jan from England came and stayed for a week and again really brightened up a difficult time. It was lovely to see them and we were very sad to see them go... LONGER next time eh Alik? Im making it plain on here as we know he reads it often...

The place is really starting to look better, Ana and I sorted the veg plot, Ana & Jan have tidied the front of the cottage , and car park, now Rik and Jim have graveled and planted up stuff its looking excellent, very pretty. We have Spanish Guests in the cottage fr a few days and more due at the end of the month too... so we need to keep it looking spick n span.
Its very hot.... and I mean VERY hot at the moment, today 38 degrees.... Im trying to avoid cooking as much as I can, but we genuinely dont feel like eating much till its more or less bedtime as its too hot to eat... just drinking tons of juice and water...

The veg are strange this year... we had a very poor crop of peas, due to the wet weather and then mice eating the seed, but the beans are cropping well, Im picking french beans every day now, Ive pulled the onions, and although there isnt as many as last year, I think on weight we have more as they are much bigger... we have dug all the potates, we had about6 sack in the end, we gave one to a friend, one to the man who gaveus the seed and ahve three put away to store and still are munching through the rest...
The beets are poor this year, we had to start again and replant as they were so bad...
Carrots are excellent! We've been eating them now for few weeks, as are the cabbage, the few caulis that hearted up have been good , so we've run the risk of planting up another 45. Just have to hope the hot weather doesnt harm them.
The squashes are finally moving a little, so slow this year. This time last year we were eating Courgettes ... now they are just coming...
Yet---- the tomatoes are going to be stunning... so many I'll be buried under a pile of them all summer, the aubergines are doing well as are peppers and chillis. The few corn that germinated are looking good, so have high hopes there too...
All in all a mixed bag, so bad but a lot good too... we wont starve this winter...