http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk en-gb thirteenmoons.org.uk 2012-4-12T00:00:00Z thirteenmoons.org.uk http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#116361 I shouldnt be writing this. I have agreed to step back from Thirteen Moons and let Dawn do her stuff without my interference. After all last time I touched Thirteen Moons I nearly broke itSo this is Dawns party now. My job is to back off and concentrate on my nursing career. In all honesty it was too much trying to work full time and be an active part of Thirteen Moons. The cafe has been open a week now. I am so happy to see Dawn back in her element she seems happier exhausted and generally has her mojo back. I am so proud of her. It would have been much easier to simply walk away....it would have been much cheaper to walk away. But Dawn was not done with Thirteen Moons.It is great to see customers old and new back in the place bringing it to life. I must thank our family and especially our friends who have helped get us up and running again. Alan Debbie Pete and Sally and all the big kids Charlie Alfie who all worked like dogs when they should have been chilling in bonnie Scotland. By... 2012-4-12 19:00:04 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#109627 If years were sick horses I would have put 2011 out of its misery a long time ago At the risk of sounding miserable 2011 was probably one of the worst years we have had. Besides the obvious year long closure of Thirteen Moons we have lost beloved pets incurred incredulous vehicular bills seen our best friends and neighbours emigrate to Cyprus our loss not theirs had our Thirteen Moons sign vandalisedour owl figure stolen and saddened to say Jill Richards mum passed away. In the words of Caledonia we have also lost friends we needed losing along the way.I can honestly say that during much of the time I couldnt imagine having the strength enthusiasm or inspiration to relaunch the business ever again. It has been shocking how quickly the shop itself deteriorated once unused. Following the rupture of 18 water pipes and one toilet it didnt take long for plaster to fall off walls or mildew take hold. It was truly heartbreaking to watch. Even the work required to restore the plumbing caused ... 2012-1-3 18:30:09 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#97265 As my daughter Bella pointed out to me by far the most important piece of news is that I am to become a Grandaddy Who would have thought Only seems like yesterday I was a kid then kids of my own now kids kids......and the cliched sentiment that I still feel 18 inside rings true. It is a strange time for me. Those that know me well will be aware that my Mum died in April. I dont think I have really taken that on board properly yet. Still have days when I go to pick up the phone for a chat cannot bring myself to delete Mum from my phone contacts......all the little things. It feels very strange. A friend pointed out that when your parents die you are no longer a child to anyone anymore. That is probably the closest I can get to describing the feeling.......kinda alone but in specific sense. And as is Lifes way at the very same time we are awaiting the arrival of Bellas baby. Now I add grand parent onto my titles. Again a weird feeling and one I could never imagine. But I find myself l... 2011-6-29 00:27:47 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#97226 Thirteen Moons is having a wee breather our plans remain to open next year but in the meantime we are not resting on our glorious laurels......we are busybusy bees. Having a bit of time on our hands has let us crack on with our small holding aspirations. Our piglets have arrived we have three sows......one to keep for breeding and two to disassemble for food in a few months time. These gals are Wild Boar x Tamworth. They are delightful and have many of the characteristics of this ancient breed but crossed into Tamworth stock to make them more bidable and viable for food production. This is the next stage for us. These pigs are our third lot and we think we now should have an attempt at breeding our own stock next year. We hope to cross the sow back to Wild Boar to keep the ancient lineage present. Again we will be taking orders for our free range pork later in the year so watch this space We have been bust hatching chooks ducks and quail. We have also taken in 4 turkeys and 3 Ebdon g... 2011-6-28 16:04:10 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#93969 Firstly Dawn and I have been overwhelmed by the amount of support we have recieved since falling on these difficult times recently. Whether it has been an email a telephone call a word in the street or an old fashioned letter. Our landlords have been supportive and understanding about our difficulties We have been very touched by this and it makes us even more determined to reopen Thirteen Moons. We have been using the time as planned to sort ourselves out. Our first priority has been to pay our small scale suppliers our artists and friends what we owed. We are just about there with this and also we are making headway into our staggering bill to Scottish Hydro for electricity. Some people had suggested we just bankrupt Thirteen Moons and whilst this may make some kind business sense it is not how we want to trade. We will pay everyone we owe even the big multinationals. To this end I have been working extra shifts at the hospital to earn the extra money we need to achieve this aim. At... 2011-5-15 16:51:03 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#87107 For those of you who know us and those of you who dont we wish to take this opportunity to let you in on what is happening here at Thirteen Moons. It is almost two years since Thirteen Moons opened its doors to the public. Any doubts we may have had as to whether or not people would embrace the new venture were soon dispelled as it soon gained popularity. Many people returned regularly frequently bringing friends along with them. All of which boosted Thirteen Moons favourable reputation enormously. Thank you all you know who you are It was a time of acute excitement for us and an extremely steep learning curve at the same time. Neither Richard nor I had run a business before plus Richard remained in full time employment at Dr Grays Hospital throughout. We were very busy people to say the least The experience has taught us many things but two things stand out above all the others. Firstly the kindness trust enthusiasm encouragement and supportiveness demonstrated by almost... 2011-2-16 21:59:51 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#86251 Well needs must............so Im on night shift in my alter ego as a nurse. We need money and at the moment this is the only way to get it so here I am. I remember with a wry smile how I promised myself I would not be doing night shifts by the time I was forty....well Im just over that now sic and I find myself in that familiar state of trying to keep awake through the long long nights. We have decided we will do this we will make Thirteen Moons happen again so for the mean time it is just a lot of hard work. We have remained positive all through these recent trials and tribulations but tonight I am finding it hard to keep my pecker up....maybe its my age I think the wet dreary days dont help. I am trying to stay useful I have been mending the khana walls of the yurt in preparation for getting it back up come the Spring. The original camel skin ties have taken a bashing in the harsh weather here in the north east of Scotland. The khana walls are the trellis like wooden wasll that prov... 2011-2-5 02:32:00 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#85730 As I write Thirteen Moons remains closed. Pipes are burst water turned off and electricity disconnected. We have some significant bills to pay and we cannot trade at present. Dawn and I have spent many hours discussing the future of Thirteen Moons. Our conclusion is that it simply feels wrong that Thirteen Moons is closed. We have had so many letters of support messages and visits from customers and neighbours offering all kinds of help from the practical to admin support. If we could trade on goodwill alone we would be a very very successful concern. The bottom line is we need money to reopen. The last few months saw us being hit hard by the weather initially the snow made it impossible to get to us then the freezing conditions caused burst pipes through the whole of our building. We could not trade and very soon the bills could not be paid. We have put thousands and thousands of pounds of our own money into this business and we simply have no more to give. So we have the unpleasant... 2011-1-30 00:42:32 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#82810 Following the recent adverse weather we have experienced multiple setbacks that have resulted in us not being able to trade here at Thirteen Moons. Unfortunately due to considerable loss damage and expense we do not know when we will be able to reopen. We are taking time to pause and consider what is next for us and Thirteen Moons. Dawn and I truly believe in everything Thirteen Moons stands for and believe that if we can overcome our current issues we will emerge leaner stronger and more efficient. May we take the opportunity to thank you very much for supporting Thirteen Moons. It has been a pleasure. We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year and look forward to seeing soon. Richard and Dawn xxx 2010-12-15 19:14:30 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#81850 The winter is well and truly upon us. The snow has been falling and temperatures dropping to Baltic levels. This is always a very hard time of year for us and yet again we have been forced to conceed to the gods of the elements and close the shop while this cold snap has hold. We are trying to open every day so it is always worth checking here or giving us a ring. We have been as innovative as we can and have been taking Thirteen Moons on the road. Dawn has been battling through snow drifts to deliver our fantastic pork to our customers and our lovely gifts and crafts. If this weather persists we will try and come to you if you reside in this Winter wonderland around Keith. Our poor animals hate this prolonged cold. It is also loads more work for Dawn and me. Our normal morning chores now take about two hours as we have to feed all our animals change frozen water feed birds .......then go and do it all again a few hours later. It also costs a fortune which is tricky when we have no i... 2010-12-2 06:55:41 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#79274 We celebrated our Halloween with a Bistro evening at the Moons. This was our first venture into the world of evening entertainment and to hold our hands Maggie and Angus from Steading Artisan Foods cooked a delicious meal while we organised the music and venue. We decided we would only sell 20 tickets to ensure an intimate atmosphere and to try and make the evening feel special for all our guests. Entertainment was provided by Mamas Brand New Bag . We were already fans having heard their album but to have them live at The Moons was just amazing.They didnt disappoint with the combination of Kates amazing vocals smooth barrelhouse blues and absolutely awful jokes. I loved the raunchy heartfelt blues but will remember the Mamas version of Route 66 reworked as Get your kicks on the A96. The meal was created by Maggie and Angus and they endevoured to use fine locally sourced ingredients to demonstrate just what fine food we have here in Moray. Feedback was very positive the meal was an un... 2010-11-1 21:37:46 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#78949 Heres a little tle that warmed my heart today. We had a vist from a group of senior folk today. It was the second time the group had been out to us and we loved entertaining them. One lady in the group had spent her whole life terrified of horses but on her previous visit she had been persuaded to pet our lovely gentle Highland Pony . Rhum is a beautiful boy and behaves impeccably. This lady who had been scared of horses stroked and fussed him and found that far from being fearful she loved being close to this wonderful animal. She went away from Thirteen Moons that day and decided that she would learn to ride so now the highlight of her week is her riding lesson and she puts it all down to meeing Rhum at Thirteen Moons. I think this is such a lovely story and I am so proud of Rhum and his place in our magykal world. 2010-10-28 04:33:22 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#78245 Recently I fell off the rig while out training the huskies. I suffered hideous injuries....well I bruised my ribs and trashed my back that laid me up for a few days until the bruising had settled. While I was drifting in and out of a life threatening coma......well lay on the sofa and couldnt move without screming.....Dawn had to manage in the shop by herself. I was worried how she would manage. Our helpers stepped up to help her Fergus came in on extra days and Mary came in to work along with Shona and Emma. By Thursday I was feeling a bit better and went to help out. I was expecting to be welcomed back with open arms and sigh of relief but it was not exactly what happened. If anything Emma and co looked a little disappointed. I have been relegated.......Im no longer on the A team Im on the B team.....the reserves And do you know who else is on the B team with me.........Hamish and Sookie.......and they are both puppies Im hurt first physically and now my pride has been cruelly cru... 2010-10-18 22:16:56 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#74250 The Summer has limped along here at Thirteen Moons. We dont seem to have had much more than the odd day when it was vaguely warm. Our plans and aspirations for outside have been hampered but fortunately for us we have had a string of helpers this Summer. We have a volunteer from the HelpX organisation staying with us at the moment. Confusingly she is also called Dawn We have drawn the distinction between them as Boss Dawn and Slave Dawn....not very politically correct and all that but we never were the best at that. Slave Dawn has been a real asset to Thirteen Moons and for Dawn thats Boss Dawn and I. Slave Dawn has revamped the shop cared for our animals worked....well.....like a slave all for the meagre priviledge of staying in our dogfilled house. As I write the two Dawns are out unsupervised in Elgin and surrounds looking for bargains and escaping the Moons for a few hours. Clare has also been helping out mainly tidying and building outside. She is amazing and a font of ideas and... 2010-8-31 16:02:51 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#71121 It was our great priviledge to be invited to the Queens garden party at Hollyrood Palace in Edinburgh this month. We felt very honoured to have been nominated and then selected to attend. It was also a great excuse for a trip to Edinburgh for us seeing as we havent had a day off in ages. We took the train down and enjoyed the chance just to sit still for a few hours and to be alone for a while. I think we made the right decision as Edinburgh was gridlocked while we were there. We stayed in the centre of the city for one night before the party. We maxed our time there wandering the streets and exploring. It was the first time I had been in a city for a while and after 24 hours I was ready to get back to the country beautiful as Edinburgh is there are just too many folk in yer face The party itself was a strange affair and I did actually have cucumber sandwiches with the crusts off. Dawn and I couldnt help but marvel at the catering facilities put on for several thousand people while w... 2010-7-23 23:49:01 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#68787 Warm long days in Scotland are a delight. It sometimes seems that in this part of the world it has forgotten that it should get dark at night. Long days are great but also mean there is no excuse for putting your feet up. The jobs just keep piling up think and fast. Dawn and I have been struggling to keep on top of things as Thirteen Moons gets busier animls keep having babies and my nursing job keeps me on the go. We got to a point where we have had to say enough is enough....this isnt really fun just now. We were working so hard but feeling like we werent getting anywhere. So we have had to decide what we do.......do we quit let all this go........Damn you life you wont defeat us that easily So our alternative has been to look for more help around the place. To that end we have taken on a bit more help. Shona and Mary have joined the Moon Team. Both local ladies who not only help aboot the hoose but also are getting Dawn and I up to scratch with our Doric the regional dialect here ... 2010-6-25 04:28:31 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#65891 We were very honoured to be asked to host the wedding reception of Adam Taylor and Lesley Ford at Thirteen Moons on 15th May 2010. This was a new departure for us even though Dawn and I had our Handfasting ceremony in the Mill and also Emma and Ian had their binding ceremony at the summer solstice last year. This was to be the first semicommercial wedding we would host. Adam and Lesley arranged for a magnificent marquee to be erected by North of Scotland Marquees and the grounds of Thirteen Moons were transformed into an idyllic rural setting for their celebration. A hog roast was provided by a local butcher and flowers and music were sourced locally. The couple were determined that not only would their dy be special for them and their guests but also they wanted local businesses to benefit as well. This was exactly the ethos we promote at Thirteen Moons. The marriage took place at the beautiful St.Rufus church in Keith then the wedding party was piped to Keith Station where the Keith... 2010-5-22 10:11:35 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#61042 Tomorrow we have two guests coming to stay for a few months...we are getting two Tamworth piggies from Jim. This time we are going to be confirmed Fair Weather Pig Owners.......these two boys will join us in the Spring and say au revoir in the Autumn. We hope to have our piggies butchered and be available for sale later in the year so let us know if you are interested in some Thirteen Moons Magic Pork. The sun has been shining and we have been falling in love with this place all over again. Tonight we took Rhum and Magnifico for a wee walk up the hill. Twas really lovely and peaceful apart from Magnifico alternating between immobility and kicking his heels up and trotting down the road. The ducks and hens have been laying eggs again. The Spring is here. 2010-3-21 20:01:16 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#60678 We are open Hurrah I hear you cry......about time too Our Christmas break just went on and on curtesy of the worst winter for many years here in North East Scotland. We have survived floods snow and ice burst pipes power cuts and pestilence.....well not pestillence really but Dawn did have a nasty cold. It was the ice and snow that really got us. Our track became unpassable except in 4X4s or tractors and even then it was touch and go at times. Eventually the weather improved and we set an opening date for 2nd March. We had a Press day on the 1st which was well attended and the spin off was a couple of great articles in local papers and the chance to tell local people what we are up to here at da Moonz. We are so glad to be open again and seeing some familiar faces again and meeting lots of wonderful new people who excite and inspire us. Our other big news is that we have embraced the Social Enterprise structure for Thirteen Moons. We have appointed a Board of Directors an Advisory pa... 2010-3-16 21:56:26 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#57570 The thaw came and went and now we are back under the white stuff yet again. We have a horrible sense of Deja Vue as the fields disappear under a white blanket yet again and our poor animals shiver. Anyone who says we have not been through a proper Keith Winter may suffer a severe sense of humour failure on our part. While the shop has been shut Dawn has been making stocks of marmalade and chutneys and we have been planning for our reopening on the 2nd March. Our plan is to open 6 days a week Tuesday to Sunday 1000 1700 and having Mondays off. Our other big decision is to embrace the Social Enterprise aspect of Thirteen Moons and seek to push on with our social values as core dimensions to our business. We will shortly be opening up membership to Thirteen Moons. By becoming a memeber you will receive a regular newsletter and updates of all the events and happenings at Thirteen Moons and be able to attend our AGM when we will review how our trading year has gone and look forward to the... 2010-2-2 23:59:29 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#55699 We have been snowed in for almost three weeks now. Bella Luke and Liv are still here they were supposed to fly back to London on Hogmany but a combination of snow and ice have cancelled flights. So we are holed up. We have not been able to open Thirteen Moons since Christmas Eve it simply is not safe the car park is under at least 4 foot of snow and we are struggling to even get the doors of the cafe open We also have to consider the build up of snow on the roof which is getting deeper by the day. Times like these are double edged. The scenery is truly stunning the snow gives the landscape a magical quality but at the same time it is causing chaos for the local community. Whilst we make every effort to be a low impact business we are so glad of our 4x4 at times like these. It has let me get to work at Dr Grays and also to get out and do a few errands for friends and neighbours who are truly trapped. It has been great to have Bella Luke and Liv for an extended break. They hav... 2010-1-7 21:58:45 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#55436 18 Eskimo words for snow N.B Since English does not offer the necessary diacritical marks the spelling used here is an approximation. It is based on the Umingmaktormuit Inuit dialect. Since Inuit like German is polysynthetic it strings participles together tacking them on to the root word thus it is difficult to know where to stop. But I have listed 18 clearly differentiable words here. N.B These data are based on a 1979 article in The Straight Dope. akuvijarjuak thin ice in the sea anijo snow on the ground hiko ice generic expression hikuliaq thin ice ivuneq high pack ice kaniktshaq snow generic expression kanut fresh snow without any ice kuhugaq icicle manelaq pack ice maneraq smooth ice for the skating fans nahauliq snow bunting nilak freshwater ice peqalujaq rather old ice pugtaq drift ice qanik falling snow quahak fresh ice without any snow tsikut large brokenup masses of ice blocks tugartaq firm winter ice And of coarse which is NOT a typo kani... 2010-1-4 02:50:41 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#54266 Busy times at Thirteen Moons as we move towards the festive season. Dawn has bookings for over 50 Christmas lunches before the big day and Im sure we will be sick of the sight of turkey by the time we sit down for our lunch on Christmas day. The shop is looking fab with loads more gifts arts and crafts and clothing now in stock for some exceptionally talented local people. If you are looking for something a bit special and unique you will be spoilt for choice just now. Our pottery class has finished for a month or so. I will miss the Saturday morning gang and all the hilarity that accompanied the class. Their creations are being fired on the 17th so we are all looking forward to see them glazed and finished. However there is never a dull moment here and we have hosted a Soul Buddies workshop for kids and adults where old pairs of socks and gloves are transformed into crazyimaginative dolls and puppets. We also have had Sun Fyre offering Tarot readings and we have appointments avail... 2009-12-10 07:40:52 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#53407 2009-11-25 22:23:09 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#52426 Winter is here its official the clocks have gone back and we are having to scrape windscreens in the morning. This means we have changed our opening timesWe are now open Tuesday Saturday from 1000 1700. Whilst this may mean we lose some business we hope you will understand that it was our beloved huskies that bought us to Scotland and we are setting aside Sundays for racing through the winter season. Our first race being on Sunday 15th November in Culbin forest with the Scottish Siberian Husky Club. Its the first competative race for our pups and we are hoping they will run well. After all the recent upsets with our dogs it will be a relief and also somewhat strange to be out competing again. The business seems to be heading into winter in a fairly healthy state. We have hosted some events for various community groups including the Moray Moot and also a local sled dog group. We are really looking forward to showing The Age of Stupid on Thursday 26th November at 1900. This film is bei... 2009-11-11 20:10:22 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#51267 Samhain or Halloween is upon us and Thirteen Moons is dressed for the season. Oranges and black abound in the shop and our own mini pumpkin patch sits in the hallway. This is how we envisaged Thirteen Moons would run following where we are in the year reflecting the seasons and respecting nature. In the kitchen we have been cooking jams marmalade and chutneys using any excess produce to make delicious treats for the rest of the year. All these are available to buy in the shop and as each batch is hand cut and cooked every jar is unique. Dawn has been teaching some of our younger helpers to make preserves and you will find Royans jars of sunshine marmalade alongside Richards Cheeky Chilli Chelly. Perfect for a treat for yourself or as a gift. Our first advert went in the Knock News this month and we have started running the Pottery class every Saturday with Lindsey teaching small groups of budding potters. We are looking forward to seeing the first fired and glazed pieces from our tal... 2009-10-24 03:15:16 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#49539 There is a definite nip in the air the mornings have been cold and bright and we have been blessed with blue skies for the last few days. Despite my good intentions we have failed dismally to take the yurt down and have decided we will dismantle the beast at the start of November when we have a whole day to do it. In all honesty I do not think Dawn and I have ever been this tired before but it is a strange feeling because we are exhausted but happy enjoying our days in Thirteen Moons and all the great people we have met from all walks of life. As the weather cools so the huskies get eager to run. Dawn has been taking the pups out with Layla and working on getting them fir for the up coming season. It is an extra job but it was the dogs that bought us here to Scotland and we owe it to them to make time in our day for them. HexCruz and Voodoo have been getting faster and faster. We have decided that this year Dawn will run the girls at Aviemore so she is working hard with them and buil... 2009-9-27 21:22:41 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#48897 We are experiencing a bit of a resurgence of Summer over the last couple of days but there is definitely a nip of Autumn in the air. What a welcome relief after the downpours earlier this month. We even had guests sitting outside the last couple of days. Its funny how things go there must be some business academic somewhere who can explain why some days are busy some are quiet somedays everyone wants soup and then on another we only sell scones It is the mystery of running a tearoom and for Dawn and I who have been nurses all our lives it is somwhat baffling. The last couple of days have seen Dawns homemade jamschutneys and preserves fly off the shelves. Maybe it is that Autumn chill that makes people want to hunker down stock up and get ready for Winter or maybe they are just after a quirky Christmas pressie who knows Which brings us to our latest bit of domestic strife As a good husband and business partner I feel I should do all I can to help in Thirteen Moons so when Dawn left j... 2009-9-17 01:30:38 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#48656 Moray has been battered by floods. We made the National news for once as houses were left underwated and the power of nature over man was gain demonstrated. Here at Thirteen Moons we found our kitchen flooded all our fields were under water and our animals were all rounded up and hused in the staeding like some kind of ark. It rained and rained and the rivers burst their banks. People phoned round to see if anyone needed help we met on the bridge to watch the water pouring across the road while cars stopped and turned around or the occaional gungho type would plough through the torrent. It was a terrible day but also it saw the best of people coming out. Neighbours helping each other our landlords sending down tractors and sandbags to aid us. All we could do was stand and watch and wonder how long it would go on for. And ofcourse it eventually did stop and the water levels subsided and slowly things got back to normal. For us it meant mopping up and drying out. Returning animals to th... 2009-9-14 01:18:24 http://www.thirteenmoons.org.uk/page12.htm#48137 We have been open two months today and things have gone really well I think. We have met some lovely people learnt alot and despite all the hard work we have been able to enjoy the ride. Ironically the only reason I have found time to update this blog today is because we have been forced to close due to flooding which has been bad round here closing roads flooding homes and submerging fields. We are thankfully ok and although I am yet to get into the restaurant I think we have escaped significant damage by about 1 inch We have come up with a new slogan for the shop......Thirteen Moons we only close for disasters. Opening Day at Thirteen Moons We have received some lovely comments in our visitors book and we have loved the days when the restaurant fills up and there is a buzz in the place but equally on the quieter days seeing people bringing their books down chillaxing on the sofas and taking their time over a coffee or a Bobby Dazzler trademark pending is exactly how we ... 2009-9-4 13:39:31