Bonus MVP points...
I've been web-working - I've just spent an hour of good, sunny gardening time totalling up Head Gardener's bonus MVP points. These are awarded to my cats, dog, chooks and sheep in the website's Most Valuable Pet competition. What a goose!
No, there aren't any geese in my on-line competition. But rather than wasting good daylight on in-house work, I'd be better starting some 'in-garden'! This afternoon my ladies' choir is singing in a concert, so gardening time is precious.
Head Gardener Tries to Cheat
Sunday 7th September
While I am rabbiting on about the MVP (no - there aren't any rabbits in my on-line competition either) I should apologise to Mugsy the cat and Jerome the grey, who never, ever feature in the MVP points. I don't know why this is, because I love them both and spend lots of quality time with each.
Most Valuable Pet Competition :- Vote for your favourite pet - but perhaps not the poultry...
Whereas Rusty, lucky dog, gets heaps of bonuses - just because he's bigger, and his gardening company much more obvious, I reckon. Mind you, he does 'help' dispose of unwanted rat corpses (eek!) and is good at keeping Moosey airspace plane and pigeon-free.
Tiger the Tortoiseshell should have a stack of demerit points for all the phantom piddling she's done over the last couple of years. First the pantry, then the inside of the grand piano, then on the screen of the new TV - where-ever next? Aargh! Enough demerit points to lose her cat-license.
Tiger the Cat Sunbathing
The creatures I'd love to vote for at the moment are my tree-frogs, who live on the banks of the water race and sing and chirp all through the night. But enough of this time-wasting nonsense. This morning I'm not sure what to do first. So I'll get a hot coffee and walk around the garden with my dog. I'm bound to see a thousand places which need weeding work, and maybe I'll get some new ideas for new plants! Hee hee...
Much Later...
I seeded and weeded for a couple of blustery hours, before scrubbing the fingernails and transforming into a claret chorister (that's the colour of the uniform). Now I'm home, but of course it's too late for any outdoorsy action. But guess what? It's my birthday eve, so I've bought sushi and strawberries and a blueberry crumble for my evening meal. Plus a bottle of Merlot. What do I want for my birthday? A fully functioning waterwheel (thanks in advance, Non-Gardening Partner) and possibly a garden shed that I can have sleep-overs in.
Early White Rhododendron
In honour of this my - fifteenth? gardening Moosey birthday I will quote the words (John Bunyan) of one of my favourite choir songs. It's about a snail, but it sort of fits an older-lady gardener's journey through life.
She goes but softly, but she goeth sure,
She stumbles not, as stronger creatures do,
Her journey's shorter, so she may endure
More than they which do much farther go.
She makes no noise, but stilly seizeth on
The flower or herb (or hosta! Eek!) appointed for her food,
The which she quietly doth feed upon
While others range and glare, but find no good.
And though she doth but very softly go,
However, 'tis not fast or slow, but sure:
And certainly they that do travel so,
The prize they do aim at they do procure.
Sorry about the hosta interruption - I couldn't resist. Searching through my thousands of garden photographs there isn't one of a common garden snail. I'm sure that's a good garden thing...
Happy Birthday to Meeeee!
Monday 8th September - My Birthday
Good morning and happy birthday to me, the birthday lady-gardener. I've given the cats their birthday breakfast (veal pet meat), quick-walked the dog around the driveway loop three times, and I'm about to go to the gym. Then I'm collecting Stumpy the cat's thyroid pills from the vet. So far, so normal...
But on the way home I just might stop at a nursery. Mature birthday excitement is always partly self-induced, and just might involve the purchase of some really silly plant, hugely overpriced...
Plans for NGP
NGP is returning tomorrow from overseas, and hopefully he can fix my waterwheel. That would be the best present of all - a waterwheel that goes around (turn, turn, turn) in the water. I could easily add in a trellis or two for the shorter climbing roses, and a trailer-load of compost - and there's that tree to chain-saw down... Poor chap - he may never come back! Yes he will - he'll be missing Rusty the dog!
Mixed Daffodils
What would I like to buy myself for my birthday? While I am gymming I'll have a think. What about fifty-nine new roses, hee hee? Oops - too much information...
Great News for the Merino Sheep
+5Charles my handsome merino ram leads a largely forgotten life pottering (?) in the back paddock with ex-pet sheep George and Fred. But he has been asked to 'pose' (via a photograph) for a sheep portrait by a Welsh artist. Go Charles - this is a great honour for you and your human owners. Congratulations.
Later, Apres Early Lunch...
Hee hee. Since I am reasonably proud of being random, I've come home with quite a selection of birthday self-gifts, after a quick visit to an op-shop and a garden nursery. Ha! A list...
2008 Self-Presents (that's the year 2008)...
- A Magnolia Stellata - finally!
- Four packs of yellow primroses.
- Seeds - cornflowers, hollyhocks, mixed lettuce, and blue petunias - and seed raising mix.
- A framed painting of a rooster.
- Some mango soap.
- A 'new' pair of brown leather boots.
- A coral Flower Carpet rose and three Imperata grasses.
- A cat basket for Stumpy.
Stumpy (old and grey, in failing health) has her own feeding station on the kitchen bench - her warm fleece blanket now fits into a little cane basket. It's a better look when preparing food...
Right. I'm off outside to plant my new birthday plants. Do you know - I am so lucky! I actually love being 'oldish'. Nobody criticises you if you go to bed really early, or disappear into the garden for five hours...
Five Hours Later...
I planted the primroses in the house planter boxes (nice) and all the rest of my birthday plants in Daughter of Moosey's Birthday Rose Garden. This seemed nicely symbolic. I did quite a lot of weeding therein, while Rusty the dog stood in the water to catch any escaped floating vegetation.
Birthday Rose Garden and Stables Garden
Naturally I've been thinking lots about all my family today - NGP bored on a plane nearing Hong Kong, DOM in the sunny Pilbara, SIL (son-in-law) in the Canadian Arctic, DIL (daughter-in-law) and web-master son in swinging London, younger son the only body near enough to grab a coffee with. Right, you lot, where are my presents?
Cordyline
Tuesday 9th September
Stumpy the cat (who has put on weight) has started her pills, but now I have a slight problem with her sister Jerome, who cannot get in and out the upstairs window. Oops. My house might have to have kitty-litter boxes in all rooms for the convenience of these declining cats!
Yippee - I'm off to the airport to pick up NGP. I have a serious list of garden things for him to do. Rusty the dog will be excited - his best best friend is coming home! I wonder if he knows? And how long does a dog take to stop missing someone? I guess that chain-sawing a tree down will not appeal to NGP after 36 hours of global travelling...
Later. Nope. It didn't...