A sense of Spring

Theses last few days have at last shown signs that Winter is finally starting to give up; the weather’s changing, the cats are out more (thank goodness!) and I’ve actually woken up during the night too hot and had the window slightly open.

On Sunday I began to dig the piece of vegetable garden I’ve been promising to do for about three weeks and even cut the grass. I can never quite work out why there is this theory you shouldn’t mow the Lawn between around October and Spring, I cut mine all through Winter, but due to weather, this was the first one since mid December, it just hasn’t grown much.
After clearing a few Flower Beds last week, the lawn mower also does a good job of sweeping up bits and pieces from that as well, so all in all, it’s looking quite presentable outside – until you get to the Chicken Run that is, where at least I don’t have to cut any grass, there isn’t any left!

Almost Cricket

After quite a lot of painting and tidying up at the Cricket Club, the Dressing Rooms are now just about fit enough for the Players when they start Pre-Season Training this Friday. This in turn gives me three weeks work Monday to Fridays and even after that, there’s two four day matches almost back to back.
It was good to see the Covers out yesterday when I went there. The Ground and it’s staff are now in a buzz doing their final preparations; the noise of three lawnmowers going at once and the trundle of the large mechanical Roller slowly making it’s journey up and down a 22 yard strip of ground gives a sense of Summer and the mixture of Petrol and Grass once again ring well through the nostrils !

It’s going to be a challenging year both on and off the field. Once again we’re where we should be and playing against the best the there is and off the field, the Club will be fighting for a financial come back after a disappointing year in 2009.

I shall of course play my part in continuing to hang the wet towels along tha Pavilion, buy own Brand Jammy Dodgers and not change the soap bars in the Showers until they can barely pick them up as they’ve worn so small!

Finishing off the Winter work

I’m just about at the stage of no more work to do other than going into Cricket. In the last two weeks I’ve done some heavy clearing stuff which resulted in two enormous bonfires which put visibility on the A28 down to about two yards at one point. The reason for somewhat darkened smoke was that I’d removed most of the decent dry and old wood accross to my Barn for next Winter!Just another small painting jobs to do and that’s it, although there is always the occasional day during Summer, but this year’s going to be hard pressed with an extremely busy Cricket schedule.

Last Saturday I spent three hours searching for a dead something, probably a Rat, in the House opposite. It’s one of those things where you simply can’t place exactly where the smell is coming from and this meant scanning the Loft area, under a few floorboards and a quick trip up to the Guttering to see if it was a Pigeon. Needless to say, I found nothing, so have to live with it for a fair few days yet I fear. The Photo shows the high tech equipment I use for this particular field of my work.

As always, just in time, something else has gone wrong with my achy body! Last year it was the shoulder operation which still wakes me up at night now and again. This time it’s the other arm and Tennis Elbow!
The Physio reckons I’ve put more strain on the left one to conserve the right and developed this. It’s been getting slowly worse over the last three weeks or so, but I now have a rather fancy elbow strap and this helps no end.
Needless to say, I’m telling everyone it’s my excessive sporting activities which are the causes for the two, not the fact that I’m just an old Git!

Now I’m 62

Last week also saw my 62nd Birthday (see Blog article), something I didn’t particularly want, but I guess it’s at least better than 63! It’s odd how, if you go to a Wedding, you find yourself trying to work out the amount of people there that are older than you; each time the numbers seem to get less. Just another gauge of what lays ahead!

With the amount of spare time I have in the Summer, the above and a few other factors do sometimes lead me to wonder if I need half an acre of Garden. Great if I could afford someone even older than myself to come in and do a few bits at about £2 an hour! I need to put my thinking cap on, maybe it’s time to be thinking of a move to somewhere a bit more manageable, don’t know. I tend to think that every year though and I’m still here.
Beside the fact it’s all a bit hard work, I enjoy the location, the wildlfe and greenery which is around me and I know I wouldn’t get anywhere else the same at the price I pay here.

The next few Weeks

Will be busy! Between pre-season training I have to get the Vegetable Patch fully up and running and ready for much sowing, give the Chickens a good Spring Clean and clean the car, something it has sorely missed for about four months. Two minutes rain here and the Lane is a muddy stream, cleaning cars is not always a satisfying experience down here.

One final thing, cats again! Why is it that a cat is perfectly happy sleeping on a chair, a bed or somewhere else constantly for about five weeks, but the first time you get everything set up in your Office for a good days work, it’s the Office Chair, although cold, appeals the most? Serves me right for setting it up before I cut the grass I guess !