For the first time today, I have properly benefited from my new working contract of three days a week. I have been off today so this morning, while DM was doing his tax return (yes folks, today is the VERY LAST day to send it in before the fines kick in – talk about a last-minute merchant….and I can be very smug about this because I did mine months ago), I was in the garden with the tripod and my macro lens. Now that’s what I call freedom!

This shot is our paddock’s padlock!

I have had a wonderful time and taken some pics that I’m really pleased with – they’re in my January in the Garden gallery – the difficulty is that because I have inherited a mature garden for the first time, I have absolutely no idea what many of these things are….so if you can identify any of the numbered plants, please let me know. It’s made me realise that I don’t know as much about plants as I thought I did so I am going to trawl out my RHS books and do some learning.

There has even been time to finish off my Heligan gallery!

Gardening is one of my great joys in life and every time I set foot outside here I know that I am going to love working this garden. I can’t wait for some less-cold weather – not because I’m being a ‘big girl’s blouse’ about being outside in the cold – quite the reverse, I love crunching through the frost. Actually I’m just dying to get back into my veggie plot and carry on my digging but you can’t dig frozen soil easily so I’m having to wait for the thaw. This cold has been going on now for a week or more – I wonder how long it’ll last?

For a girl with ants in my pants, days like today are just what I need, plenty of time and opportunity to do my own stuff and still get all my chores done. The washing has been done, our clothes have been sorted and homes found for them, the wabbit has been cleaned out and all before dark!

Now – all I have left to do today is to sit and watch the footie with DM – COME ON YOU SPURS!!! Hallelujah for Sky – now we don’t have to go to the pub to see a game any more.

Last year, I was giving my man a smacker