Noisy!
Summer - you're very noisy! Buzzy insects, chirping birds, the pheasant honking in orchard paddock, Rusty the dog barking at pigeons and planes, my rooster crowing his head off...
And summer - you're suddenly nice and warm! Out come my gardening shorts, and the super-floppy sunhat. Droning cricket commentaries are starting up on the gardening radio. A baby magpie (larger than its parents) continually squeaks for food. My cats are getting very lazy.
Three Cats Snoozing
Tuesday 11th November
So far today I've cleared around the edge of the pond, weeded the Pond Garden, and burnt my pile of rubbish - all before 10am! Already I've had my morning coffee underneath the patio Wisteria - the flowers are pretty much finished, and the leaves now create delightful ceiling shade. It really feels like summer - yet only five days ago I was hiking in the snow...
Allowed to be Lazy...
Today I am allowed to be a little lazy - shifting the hoses, book reading and eating are my main plans. Also there's much more weeding to do - with the warm sunshine it might be nice to work my way down the water race.
Large Pink Rugosa Rose
The foxgloves are beautiful, and all the rugosa roses are flowering madly. A tall yellow rugosa, not as fluffy as Agnes, is flowering by the Pond - the blooms are semi-single, semi-double, and the buds are quite pointy. I thought that Agnes was the only yellow rugosa... Wonder what this rose is called. I'll take a photograph.
Animal News
Last night Fluff-Fluff was beautifully groomed, his fluffy fur brushed (taking half an hour). Already today he has been gardening in the forget-me-nots with me, and is covered in a new batch of sticky bidibids. Dear cat!
Haru the Lamb :- You can read Haru's story in my pets pages.
Blogging with absolute honesty about the pets can be difficult at times. I'm sorry to say that Haru my pet merino lamb from 2006 has died - no reason, no apparent problem. Just one of those mysteries of sheep-life. She was such a brainy lamb, and a friendly little ewe, and I'm very sorry to lose her.
Right. I'm off into the water - where are my red crocs? They get the Moosey endorsement for being the best summer gardening shoes I've ever had.
Late Flowering Pink Rhododendron
Later...
I think I will retire for the day - only four and a half hours work, but very productive. Gardening gets that lovely summer feeling when I do my water race weeding, standing in the stream. Rusty the dog takes up his downstream position to capture any escaped weeds, and I get happily, thoroughly wet.
Rose, Flax, and Foxglove
Now I'm going to sit under a tree somewhere with my book and cup of tea and read. I'm very lucky to have the time to garden each and every day - and the time to relax, sit, and enjoy the trees, flowers and shrubs. Or is it all to do with having the money? Hmm... Suspect that money is buried in there somewhere. When one has enough, money is easily dismissed as totally unessential for happiness.
Wednesday 12th November
I woke up early surrounded by snoozing cats, my head full of grand plans for the gardening day. But first of all I'm going gymming and swimming and shopping for scrumptious food treats. I'm determined to enjoy summer in the garden - yesterday's wet-legged weeding was the perfect way to cool off, and I have so many beautiful spots to sit and relax. Summer is the time to use them all.
The Driveway Garden
Later...
Hmm... I've weeded up the Driveway, and chopped out prunus suckers, and shifted the hoses around. And I've spent some quality garden-relaxing time in a seat with a book. Rusty the dog sat near my feet, and Fluff-Fluff the cat arranged his bidibidied bulk in the nearby greenery. Nice. I spend hours in the garden with only my cats and my dog for company, but I'm never ever lonely - not even for an instant.