My dog is desperate...
Oh dear. Rusty the desperate dog has taken up his morning feeding position underneath the bird feeder, where he can literally feast on the crumbs. I've been drinking a leisurely cup of tea, re-reading my journal, thinking about holidays and gardens...
Tuesday 12th July
Days in Rarotonga were really timeless, not because of the quaintly patronising 'island time', but because the temperature stayed the same (almost) from dawn until dusk. In contrast, my night temperatures drop considerably, even in the middle of summer. How cold is it getting? Brr... Must be about 5pm.
Rarotonga Scenery
Another thought - Rarotonga is a seed-shaped island with a road right round it, and this can mesmerise the navigationally challenged (like me). Early on I stopped trying to work out which way the beach was pointing. And the sun always seemed to be 'right up there'.
More New Gnomes
Idea for a Path...
Back to the present (the log-burner going, the sun just sneaking up between the pine trees)... I've had a new garden idea, to create a bark-mulched path from Pond Cottage around the pond to the decking and towards the house.
Each night I plod out there with my torch over the damp grass. If justification for a path is that it be trod on once a week, I'm in business!
Gnomes...
One more small thought (sorry, but I'm full of bird-seed this morning) - do I want to buy four replacement ceramic Disney garden gnomes? They are advertised as 'new - never been used'... Ha! Have decided to say no. Such will-power (well, actually it was the price of the postage).
Wednesday 13th July
There's a lot of snow in the mountains, but the milder weather in my garden is beckoning me. I've actually chosen not to go hiking today - I've missed my garden so much. Here's a list of physical things to do first.
- Rake leaves off Pond Paddock.
- Dig out ash pile.
- Finish weeding and trimming Stables Garden, and shift a climbing rose.
And then, if I've been good, I'm going to wander over to Pond Cottage, sit on the verandah with a cup of coffee and think my new path through.
The Gunnera is Cleared Up
Later...
Yippee! I've worked for four and a half hours doing things on my list, with Bach's Art of Fugue gurgling away on the Ipod. I couldn't find the rose to shift, and ended up sawing down the tree it was to climb up (self-sown, very much in the wrong place). Then it started to rain, so I went into the ice-melt water to trimming another clump of giant Gunnera - my last task for the day. A quick warm-up while poking at my bonfire, then I took my pink legs and numbs toes inside for a hot shower. I'm feeling much better now.
Minimus :- I get upset because Minimus is the smallest, youngest cat.
Little Minimus has a scratched eye, and (as usual) I blame Histeria (she can be really nasty), and I've threatened her with being declawed (just joking, sort of).
Now - a cup of tea, I think, and I'll watch a bit more of the Tour de France. I am getting way behind the big boys (am still happily TV couch-cycling in Brittany, have just zoomed underneath a hugely high road viaduct)). But of course I have to write up my journal first. I love being a blogger. I've joined the ranks of the totally self-deluded, who think they've made every day count because they write about it, hee hee...
Fluff-Fluff the Cat
The nicest little thing I did today? I dug out some self-sown purple pansies and replanted them around the base of Sifter's patio Camellia. The not-so-nicest? The wet ash sticking horribly to my shovel, and making it really heavy to lift. And I like the idea of the person-path leading to the cottage. Now I need to check with Non-Gardening Partner, and then get a trailer-load of soft bark mulch. That could all happen this weekend!
Thursday 14th July
Oops. Yesterday's not-so-good thing was that I didn't give big Fluff-Fluff the cat any pats or cuddles. Apart from taking his photograph by my piano I had a totally Fluff-free day - too worried about little Minimus, I guess. But her eye scratch does seem superficial, though, and she's better today - phew! And so I'm trying to be nice to Histeria (who retains her claws). And I've made a big fuss of Fluff-Fluff to catch him up. There's room in my heart for all my cats...