Monday, 15-06-26

Good morning again, everyone.  Have you had a pleasant weekend?  The weather has been great round here so it was a bit is a surprise to wake to cloud this morning - and BBC predicts light showers.  Oh, well . . .

There's been a slight and unidentifiable whiff in the air inside for some days.  I'd sniffed, checked for forgotten food, etc, but nothing.
Yesterday I did all my washing and when I looked in the downstairs basket where I put tea towels, cloths and so on, I found the source of that smell.  Nothing 'nasty', they were just really pongy.  I gave them a hot wash and that sorted it.  Now everywhere smells nice again
In fact I got four lots done although, to be fair, one was a short one just for my gardening gloves, two pairs, that were pretty grubby.

So now I have a right pile of ironing and putting away to do.  That's the morning task after circuits.

OK, better get the day rolling.  Have a good day, everyone.  Take care and see you tomorrow.  xx

Sunday, 14-06-26

Good morning, all.  It's a lovely, sunny start, quite cool but that won't last for long, I am sure.  I've already gone out and given the pots a refreshing drink in anticipation.

After community garden work yesterday and with permission, I took some photos to show you.  

It's not a huge space and it's a mix of flowers and vegetables in raised beds/borders or pots.

One of the beds - In the middle there's potatoes with a row of sunflowers running down the middle - it's going to look really nice.

There are steps that go into the back of the church and either side there's pots - tomatoes, strawberries and various flowers.  I donated two lavendulas that I didn't need and they've both going into a pot.

The other side of the steps.

June harvested a couple of rows of onions . . . 

 

. . . while I picked some broad beans and I got to bring some home.  I'm having them with my Sunday dinner and very much looking forward to them. 

Rhubarb in a pot.  I felt a bit smug about this because it's second year rhubarb and isn't doing too well - the pot is way too small, I think, and R said maybe it would do better in the ground.  I wonder if that's what I will be doing next time.

Just a random ladybird . . .

And a random flower!

I have to admit that by the time I got home I was pretty wiped out, in bed soon after eight and asleep soon after.  I slept the night through, waking at my usual time of just before five.  

Lovely!

On to today and something exciting.

As I was giving my pots a drink earlier, I watered the pear from a different angle and look what I found hiding shyly behind a leaf!  One single, solitary fruit, growing nicely and my fingers are now crossed.
Do you think if I talk to it, it will be happy and stay around?  More seriously, as the other three dropped a week or so ago, maybe this one has escaped and will mature.

As for this, it's a tayberry and I have had it for ages, well before I retired and that's nearly ten years ago.  It's never been any good at all so I took to just cutting it right down to ground level each year because it was not a pretty sight at all.
For some reason I didn't this year and it's looking healthier than I can ever remember.  It fruits on the previous year's growth so I'm giving another chance, just to see.

More fingers crossed.

There's nothing in the diary today but I have a pile of washing to do and I need to have a dead heading session plus some weed scraping so there's plenty to keep me occupied.

Have a pleasant day, everyone, and enjoy the sunshine.  xx

Saturday, 13-06-26

 Morning, everyone.  The sun is shining, the birds are singing and the air is mild.  It's a beautiful summer morning here in Mid-Essex.  I'm glad about that because it's working in the community garden this morning.

I didn't do anything yesterday really except knock up a pot of chicken, bean and veg leftovers stew so I went out just now to take more standard views of the garden.

One of the hanging baskets on the garden room - they're all looking very pretty now.

The new rhubarb is still flourishing.

Now about 9cms in length and, I think, almost ready to cut.  It's a mini one so shouldn't be allowed to get too big anyway.

Maybe tomorrow.

I'm really happy with how these are doing.  There's loads of babies now and most of them have two trusses.  Really looking forward to these tomatoes!

And this morning's little picking.  Not loads but they will be nice in my breakfast fruit and yogurt.

As mentioned, I'm off to help in the community garden this morning.  I'll be careful, but at this time of year it's more weeding and generally keeping things going, nothing heavy.

Apart from that, it is an easy day again and I have no specific plans, I'll just see what comes up.

How about you?  Have a lovely Saturday and stay cool!  xx

Friday, 12-06-26

 Morning!  Sorry about yesterday but I've not been well.  I'm still not 100% but getting better and should be fine by tomorrow.  Just some sort of 'summer virus' that knocked me flat and the cold weather hasn't helped.

I'll be back properly tomorrow morning!  Have a lovely day.  xx

Tuesday evening, 09-06-26

Good evening.  I'm sending this early because tomorrow morning is a bit loaded with stuff.

Today, Groove was good.  New block, new play list and new movement sequences, nothing too heavy but challenging in places.  The sun shone and we walked which was nice.

Once home, I went straight to the garage, got the mower out and - flat battery!!   I gave it an hour on charge and that was enough power to mow my tiny little patch of mostly weed leaves with a bit of grass. It started clouding over and I just got finished before the rain started, getting slightly damp taking it back to the garage.  So THAT'S off my mind for a few days now!

I did some washing too and, after the rain cleared, got it onto the line where it dried nicely.  It is now all ironed/folded and ready to put away.

As a start-in for the AYWMC, there's a thing called something like thirty days of photos.  There's thirty headings like 'things in threes' and 'reflection'.

I popped into the garden to see what I could catch . . .

I am assuming 'snail's eye view' means something like this - camera on the ground and click.

Weather?

Abstract?

Taken at midday?

I just like this one.  Might make it my next header banner.

Just two colours?  

Botanical?

Abstract?  Maybe not . . .

Another Just two colours?

Snail's eye view - although any snail eyeing up my rhubarb had better think again!!

And another . . .

On to tomorrow and the reason why the early morning is busy is because I have personal training at 7:15 - that is am, not pm.  
Then I'm in school for a governor's visit - the focus is phonics and it is phonics screen week.

And the reason why personal training is so early is because at the usual time I have another online training, this time a heavy one on exclusions.  The only alternative time Lindsey could offer was early morning.  It's lucky I am an early riser, isn't it?

I'll send this now.  I know I could have scheduled it but I do get in a muddle with tenses when writing one day for sending another and this is easier.
Have a lovely Wednesday, everyone.   Stay safe and well.  xx

Tuesday, 09-06-26

Good morning, all.  Welcome to my Tuesday blog.

Already this morning we have had sunshine, rain and then sunshine again it's not half past seven yet.  Very unpredictable weather.  It also felt quite chilly when I popped out to take a few photos.

Here they are.

The lavender smells gorgeous.  I will be harvesting it in due course.

It's getting a bit big - I think it needs a good old cut back come the autumn.

A four cm cucumber.  :-)

The first baby tomato (that I can find).  The others won't be far behind.

A few golden raspberries.  Any fruit is a bonus this year after the poor things got so dehydrated in April.

The first video I have taken on the new camera.  Just a panoramic thing from the back door.  Apologies for the traffic and the wind and for any heavy breathing - I'm very hay-fever wheezy at the moment.  

I'll be off to Groove with Chris in about an hour and a half.  We're planning to walk so fingers crossed.  After that, the day is my own and I'm not sure what I will do - maybe pop out somewhere, just to cheer me up.  I'll Have a lovely day, one and all.  xx

Monday, 08-06-26

Morning, all.  Guess what - it's raining.  Just for a change, you know!!  😃

It might brighten up though.  The clouds look quite high.  Fingers crossed.

A few garden photos first because why not.

Messy bits I don't usually show.  I'm not using those pots for tomatoes this year so they really need a proper clean and putting away.

More messy bits.  The water butt and I also prop the broom and the washing line up against it.

They're all useful though.

Happy rhubarb!

And a couple of pretties in the middle bed.

After yesterday's little moan (sorry for that), I DID get a bit of decluttering done.  You don't notice the difference but I know I've done it.  I have another little bit listed for today which should make a bit of a visible difference.

In the afternoon, I popped over to Beth with her bread and sat outside with a nice cuppa to chat.  
I came home feeling cheerful and started sorting out the very messy front patch which is now not an utter disgrace to a decent cul de sac!  Well, the border isn't, we won't talk about the grass which I didn't cut yesterday because it was damp and won't be cutting today unless the weather improves dramatically.

I was getting really concerned that I had seen no signs of my dahlias coming up neither round the back or at the front.  While the back ones were very young and started as bedding plants which maybe were engineered to not keep going (I don't know, just maybe), the front one, the confused dahlia is much older and established and I would miss it no end if it wasn't there.
So you can imagine my delight when I saw signs of growth on Saturday and yesterday it looked like this.  They do grow fast once they get going.

I'll keep looking round the back and if there's nothing in a week's time, I will see if there's any bedding plants remaining in a garden centre.  If not, no worries, there's always next year.

Something that really cheered me up - my lovely neighbour went strawberry picking and brought round a pot with eight beauties in it for me.  Wasn't that kind?  They were lovely.

The one downer yesterday was the hay fever.  I truly thought I was growing out of it at last as symptoms have been so mild for ages now but this year - oh, my word.  Yesterday was awful, despite medication, and this morning isn't great either.  Ears, eyes, nose, sore throat, itchy skin.  Yuck.  I wish I could do a Paddington with a couple of toothbrushes.  In case you don't know, here's the link to a YouTube clip.  It makes me laugh every time.

I mut do some washing today so I've already got one load in and a couple more lines up.  I'll be off to Circuits in a while and then, when I come back, it is Monday so downstairs housework day.  If it doesn't rain again, I might give the 'lawn' a high cut, just to sort out the worst.

It feels nice to have a list!  😏
Have a lovely Monday, everyone.  Stay dry and be happy.  xx