Let There be Light - and Plants

A busy Saturday here in the run-up to storm Ciara tonight and tomorrow.  During the still before the storm our new embankment was planted with carefully chosen planting by no less than Andrew Lay of Settle's super-garden-centre lay of the Land.  Here is Andrew getting his hands dirty:

Above is the completed planting - inevitably unimpressive just yet but just wait.   Barely visible but definitely there are tiny rockery plants between some of the large boulders, including aubretia that will cascade downwards.  This really is an outward and visible sign of finishing touches.

Indoors was another milestone - the near completion of the second-fix electrics by electrician Steve Dinsdale.  Poor Steve has been off work for many weeks following a serious foot injury.  Bless, him he gave up his Saturday for a pre-return to full time work to get our electrics finished.  I had spent much of the past week fitting sockets and lights for Steve to inspect and test before anything could be made live.   Happy to report in all due modesty that my wiring was fine.  Excellent indeed.  All the power sockets are now live, so too the lighting circuits:

To cap it all, the second steam special of the season flew through Settle at 1608, bang on time with the Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express London Euston - Carlisle - London Euston, hauled by Royal Scot locomotive Scots Guardsman, seen here earlier in the afternoon near Armathwaite, just south of Carlisle:

See the real Scots guards in the link below parading through the streets of Glasgow after a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

https://youtu.be/JVxb2dXCXTY

So sad that such a large police presence, some no doubt armed, is required for soldiers on ceremonial occasions like this.  A stirring spectacle nonetheless.