Yesterday was a birthday - not mine - and meant a bit of celebrating, a bit of exercise, and by the time we were done with that, I could not face being near the computer (actually I was tied to the juice pot, as we had 4 pounds of elderberries doing their thing).
The weather has not been inspiring once again, which has resulted in two cats finding their inner kitten/getting stir crazy and needing to run around like crazy. Normally the lizard population provides summer entertainment, but this year we have needed the help of the mouse on a long string, a piece of rolled up newspaper and the Red Dot. "They say" that summer will restart this week, but first it was today, then tomorrow, now Wednesday seems to be Summer - we'll see!
There have been two flower events this week worthy of note. During the week the final bud opened on the large red orchid I bought from Aldi - this is much bigger than my other orchids, so is having to live on the kitchen window sill for the moment. I have bought another like this one, but it was half price as the flowers had finished and the shop (not Aldi) didn't want the ugly thing sitting around. We'll see what happens with that one too. The other flower event is the first flower on one of the many chilli plants we have knocking around the garden out of the range of chicken beaks. What these plants really need is heat and sun, so fingers crossed from Wednesday (bit of a theme developing here).
The potato harvest is in full swing at the plot, and as I moved the weed suppressant matting that makes potato crops possible, I found another of my little garden helpers - a rather fine baby slow worm (less scary than the sloughed snake skin I found last week). The first sweetcorn - the six or so that came from the first sowing of 51 seeds - are starting to look promising. I think they may be ready before the end of the month. The second sowing are starting to show their male flowers and there are hints of the female flowers (the tassels and the cobs). They won't be ready until September, unless the weather really bucks its ideas up.
We have been joined by yet another chicken this week. Following our purchase of Mac and Jak in the Spring, and being invaded by the Economic Migrant in July, we have been prevailed upon to provide shelter to an old girl who was left on her own when her chums died off (after a suitable quarantine period). She needs company, we were told, she is pining for the company of other chickens we were told. Meet Auntie Mo, the chicken that walks by herself.
The Birthday Weekend started with a tasting at a craft brewery in Chinon on Friday night, on Saturday we went shoe shopping and won (well, found two pairs that were considered acceptable), and Sunday was lunch at Buffalo Grill. They are formulaic, but the meat is good quality, the chips are very nice, they have a full range of steak sauces, and the puddings are magnificent. Of course after that lot, you then need exercise, so we walked round the wildlife sanctuary lake at la Monnerai, which was new to us. Using the free telescopes, we could admire egrets and cormorants on an island in the middle of the lake. The wildlife lake is also less visited, and there were mobs of people around the leisure lake, as you would expect on a Sunday afternoon in August!
So apologies for the delay, and until next Sunday, which should be Summer!
Comments