In one of those weird reversals of fortune that seem to run in every human’s (and probably animal’s too) life, things have changed in my world hugely since I last got off my arse and posted a photo/story into my photo diary.
Last time I was here, it was snowing and I was as fed up as a fed up thing. I couldn’t get on in my precious veggie patch because of the snow and I was stuck indoors doing boring things like processing photos. You may think that’d be a bountiful time for preferring to write stories for my blog but it’s funny how boring jobs seem to knock the stuffing out of you.
Anyway, last Saturday, while I was at work, I spoke to my boss and reported that the weather (chucking down stair-rods from the blackest of skies) was keeping people off the street and therefore out of my “shop”. That was the last rain I saw……between then and now the weather has been glorious – sunny, hot and in every regard, bloody perfect. So, it’s only ten days since we had snow, only a week since the skies were just plain nasty and here I sit with a sun tan. Yes folks, I was at work today and someone I see regularly asked me if I’d been on holiday because of the glow of my tan.
I’ve spent the entire week (from Monday) in the garden – I’ve prepared one of my veggie plot’s beds and planted my potatoes, I’ve prepared and planted another half a bed with onions and shallots. I’ve done lots of clearing and other work in the greenhouse and cleared my herbaceous border, planting up gaps with new plants that I’ve been able to get hold of very cheaply. I’m hoping for a good display this year. I feel really chuffed, despite wanting to commit murder most fowl (yes, fowl, not foul, it’s those bloody chickens who are determined to wreck all of my efforts – the week has turned into a battle of wits with them and don’t tell me they have a brain the size of a pea and mine is the size of a grapefruit because I do know that but it’s still surprisingly difficult to stop them when they’re on a mission). If you couple that with a dog who has suddenly discovered that chicken poo pellets (my garden fertilizer of choice) are the most yummy thing he’s ever tasted then I’m afraid that my temper has been frazzled.
None of the temper-frazzling things going on at home made me wish I wasn’t there though today as I was at work once again but on this occasion in bright sunshine and feeling blue about wasting a day working that could have been spent in the garden.
On my way home, I noticed that a local pub that’s been semi-closed for some time has reopened and I cooked up a plan. The pub is about two-miles-ish from home and is in a location that we can walk to without going near a road. A two-mile walk, a quick beer and then home in the last of the day’s beautiful sunshine seemed like a good thing to do so that’s exactly what happened.
This photo is crap (snapshot again) but it does show a number of things that are GOOD. JD off the lead – he is now trusted to be off the lead and responds well to being called back. He has shown no sign whatsoever of wanting to chase sheep which, given that there are the tiniest new-born lambs everywhere here at the moment, is a huge relief. Also, it shows that we live and play on top of the world. Most of all though, the black and pink blur in the corner shows just how well Rosie is some six months after her cancer diagnosis. She is looking so good it seems impossible that we were told by our vet that it was VERY unlikely that she’d still be with us now. Let’s hope I don’t tempt fate by saying that.
JD has now been to the pub four times and on each occasion he has become more confident and happier to be there and be fussed and petted by strangers. On the whole, these trips to the pub are regarded as a success although there is one teeny weeny problem…..on two of the four occasions, he’s up-ended our table – the first time breaking glasses and the second time depositing both of our cameras on the floor……I think we’re going to have to work on that one. Ah well, I suppose it does mean some more trips to the pub – now that can’t be bad, can it?
Seven years ago, not long after I first started this blog thingy, I was chuffed to bits that my new kitchen had arrived. Since that time, we've had three new kitchens (here's another) in three different houses......hhhhuuuuunnnnnnnuuuuurgggghhhhhh. Here's the latest... I don't regret leaving Sandhurst for a single moment but boy do I miss that wonderful kitchen.
