Ok where did we get up to?
The last picture on the site is my veggie patch looking all laid out and neat-O, ready for the growing season. So hits and misses;
Misses, Beans never even broke to soil as I reckon the ants had them away. I spent a couple of weeks training a bit of bindweed up a stick in the mistaken hope it was a sole survior bean. Late Cabbages also got devoured by catepillars.
Hits, All the salad veg came on excellently well. I should have staged their planting a bit as we had a bit of a glut of Rocket. Cut and come again lettuce was just the job. Red spring onions were super and coriander was good as well...but the stand out performer was the bolt hardy beetroot. Took some of them small and young and they were scrumptious. Next year I am gonna enter them in the local show for a laugh.
June featured a trip to Turkey, on conference, (nice one). Five star all inclusive hotel on the Med with a boat trip thrown in. Now I'm not saying that it wasn't work, 'cos it was. But if you have to do a conference, why not the Turkish Med coast?
At the end of June I was promoted to the position of Uber busy design guy (previously just busy design guy) which has made my life a lot busier and more stressful, but them's the breaks.
July was holiday month.
Its hard to belive we're in Devon
Salcomb: Nice isn't it?
Then there were 4August marked the Arrival of Rory James.
Which was supposed to clash with Bren and Rach's wedding. I made a mad dash down there, but to be honest I could have walked there and back as Rory boy thought it would be funny to be two weeks late. As a result he was pretty scaly and overdone, which combined with the not too gentle attentions of forceps made for him being a pretty ugly babbie. He then of course went yellow, which is becoming a bit of a family tradition!
Cuban ConnectionSeptember saw my first trip to Cuba. We were over for a trade show/convention and securing a deal on some implants. The convention was held in Varradero, which is a resort district around 150-200km east of Havana. It was VERY hot, but very nice when we got a break in the evening. The beach there was outstanding. I will post some shots. This was a different (tourist) version of Cuba than the proper Cuba we saw in December.
September and October were overall fairly busy but a highlight was the stellar performance of my apple tree. A good harsh prune stood it in good stead and it produced about 5kg of very tasty eating apples. I had to pull them a bit early mabe, but I was engaged in a mortal struggle with "the Scab". I really want to see the back of it next year.
We also went to see Thomas in October, typically Jules was more impressed by the merry-go-round than by Thomas. I was however "totally stoked".
Round about the start of October we also made a dash across to Ireland to show off baby Rory. We got some great weather and Jules got to catch up with some of his cousins.
Of course Halloween sees the vist of our old friend Mr. Pumpkinhead. Jules helped me both make and dispose of him this year, which was funny as it resulted in Jules waving into the composter and saying"Bye Bye Mr. Pumpkinhead, see you next year!"
NovemberThe dread drear grey that is November was illuminated by the wedding of Johnboy and Hester in Scotland and the visitation of Bren, Rach and Leon for some full contact Trivial Pursuit (we dont allow them to play scrabble in the house cos of the pale colour of the walls). Yet again the weather was lousy for their visit, I hate November!
December: Back to La Habana 
This time it was back to the real Cuba. We went to do a series of lectures, demonstrations and support some surgery. We spent 4 days working at the main orthopaedic hospital in Havana. Half the place is falling apart over there, the driving is manic and nothing works, it reminded me a lot of 1980's Ireland, but with much better weather. The people we were working with there were fantastic and the quality of the medical staff over there is pretty bloody good. I have to say I found myself rather liking the place. The harbour at Havana is beautiful, especially at night.
..then back to Blighty 
A bit of a cold patch towards the back end of December provided a perfect opertunity to prune to apple tree. Emboldened by last years sucess I gave it a good seeing to, so hopefully it will respond well again.
Then it was Christmas at Dollys' and visits from the brothers and their kin to round the year out nicely. The big T was, as usuall, the bright center to the Universe at New Years (not). Still I am now Mr. New Year sparkle myself so it suits me! MarcO and Ro were somewhat less than impressed :-|
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