5th - 19th. July 2009

Well, this is a bit of a shock, it's exactly a fortnight since the last entry - whatever next!

Although I love the Cricket and everyone there, I have to say it's been good to have a couple of weeks off. It's allowed me to et on and finish a few things I started about three years ago and tend to the everyday jobs like gardening etc.

My son Leo started a full time job last week and smack bang on target, lost his voice with Laryngitis the day before. As he felt OK and no one wanted him to get any worse, I drove him to work every day. This meant a 12 mile round trip starting aT 0650, again at 1545 and finally at 2200, so the days were somewhat worked around all that.
Luckily he seems to have got over it now - the day before I start again !

But if I didn't have the job and other work I have, I wouldn't have been able to help at all, so all's well.

One thing I have done is to put the finishing touches to my Garden HQ (see right). I put the door shelter in, patched up a few airy bits, made a vent in the wall and put some guttering up.
That's where I haven't quite finished. As I don't have a water container and can't afford one, for now, the guttering is slightly over size in length and the water off the roof efficiently flows into the flower bed.

The time off has also allowed me to add one or two pages in the main Web Site and three in the Blog, so that's improving.

I thought the idea of fencing off the top of the garden and allowing the chickens out without eating the vegetables was a good one.
It worked in so far as vegetables go, but I wrongfully thought they wouldn't wander off into the surrounding six feet high stinging nettles. Upon returning from the other end of the garden I found five missing.
It was about 6pm when I started looking and about 6.45pm by the time I'd finally rounded them all up.

I didn't know what to buy Leo for his 20th. birthday, but upon looking at his Bicycle, my mind was made up! He is now with brand new Bike and I have his old one which I shall repair and use for myself. Sure I'll look stupid going around on a Silver Mountain Bike with go fast stripes, but who cares. If it gets me up to the shops and back in less than two hours, that's OK. The shops by the way are about one mile up the Lanes!

I've even found time to tidying up the Shed this week and I now have five neat boxes for my tools. You know, Hand tools in one, Spanners etc. in another and so on.

Of course, I realize this isn't going to last for more than about three days, but you do feel a sense of achievement don't you.
Like all normal blokes, I decided to leave the few screws scattered around places like the bedside cupboard, all fireplaces, various pots, jars, glasses, drawers, shower soap dish etc. You never know when you're going to need them in emergency and isn't it always so that you can find exactly the right screw for the job using this method. Should I have put them with the other screws in the box, I'd never be able to find them.

The end of next week sees the start of another long run of Cricket, about two weeks. This finishes with a Hospital Appointment and five days looking after the Grand kids in Southampton.

The only way of getting the Grandchildren out when I'm there is saying we're going for a Happy Meal, but they usually wish they hadn't taken up the Offer because I have one as well and ask for a refund on the grounds it has not made me any happier and it's against the Trades Descriptions Act..

Before I know it, Autumn will be here. I've already started bringing back wood from the fields and have kept a close eye on my 'secret' Horseradish supply down there. It looks a bumper crop this year, so late August will see some runny eyes and sore nostrils !

Finally, in the garden, everything is fine and we're eating Carrots, Runner Beans and Salads. I'm hoping by the time of the next entry, he Tomatoes will start off as well (this usually happens when I'm away!).
In fact, I'm a tad worried, it's not like me to have things fairly under control, so I've asked the cats not to kill the Mice stealing the baby Courgettes - I feel more comfortable that way !