Saturday

There was a huge change in the weather yesterday.  Gone was the sun and instead the rolling clouds smurged into a blanket of dullness that covered the world and dimmed the colours.  By midday it was raining hard and it remained that way most of the afternoon, clearing up just before home time.  I didn't have a chance to monitor the effect on my new class but Carly said they were OK.  That's good!

This morning is cold.  I opened the back door and closed it again hurriedly.  Brrrrr.  While sitting at the laptop I couldn't help but notice the there was a very strange colour outside as the sun rose.  When I looked again I saw a most glorious rainbow although there was no rain here.  Quickly I grabbed my camera and snapped off some photos, none of which came out brilliantly but never mind.  As I finished, I felt the first drops fall so took myself inside quickly, but it wasn't heavy and now the sun is shining his heart out!  It's still chilly though, which I suppose we must expect for September.

I couldn't get anything like the whole bow in - it was massive, stretching from horizon . . .

. . . to horizon.
(as they do!)

As I was out there I noticed that there are plenty of runner beans ready for picking.  I only have three plants so they're doing jolly well.  Today's picking will do us for lunch tomorrow with maybe a portion to freeze for later.  They look so pretty, climbing up and along the archway, and I am definitely doing this again next year, starting earlier and making sure the slugs are kept at bay as that's what finished off the other plants this year.  There's little to compare with fresh picked runners for flavour - unless it's fresh picked tomatoes!

No wonder the Elizabethans saw them as decorative flowers rather than veg.  They are so lovely!

As the season moves on, I have started thinking about next year.  Tomatoes, definitely, runner beans, ditto.   I am sure I will be running to Beth for advice.  I'm also getting some raised planters of a good size to go where I would have another walled bed, should I be having my garden redone now.  When I did have it done, I had a little grandson who needed playing space and that space was perfect for putting up the climbing frame.  Now it really is wasted space that could be used for growing.
I just wish I had seen them before the term started as now I have the problem of someone in to receive them.

Good news from Eddie - is seems that the PC problem was caused by the graphics card which can be replaced.  He's also going to do a 'health check' while he is at it, so all's well (apart from paying and thank goodness for savings).  Actually, thank goodness for Eddie too - it was he who provided me with the external hard drive and got it all set up.  I can access old planning, etc, which is a huge relief.  Eddie is a star!

Today is busy.  There's a whole lot of housework and, as you will see from one of the photos, the fence isn't anywhere near finished yet.  Hopefully it will stay dry enough.  I have eggs to pick up, washing, drying and ironing to do and I must make some more tomato sauce as I have four bowls of tomatoes that need to be used up (because there's plenty more to come still).  Thank goodness the planning is more or less complete and just needs tweaking.

Better get started then, hadn't I?