Trifles...

These last days have been full of trifles. Spring has turned up the temperature, so there's been lots of sneaky watering, and quite a bit of semi-sulking. Gardening content? Minimal. Oops. Fire engines, dead cars, and sore knees - read on!

 WInnie is the only one taking any notice of me...
Three Piece Dog Pack

Wednesday 7th October

It's been so awfully windy today that all I've done has been sneaky watering. I poke the hoses in low to the ground and leave them for ages to soak one garden. With the hot, dry, gusting wind comes a risk that old burning heaps can re-ignite. Aha! And so did one of the slash heaps next-door. It started with smoke billowing alarmingly over my property. Within minutes of me noticing, flames, leaping up into the air. So I rang the fire brigade.

Call the Brigade!

But no voyeuristic thrills for me, alas. The fire engine duly arrived, but I had to leave straight away for a rehearsal, knowing the dogs (in their kennels) were now safe. Non-Gardening Partner told me that two more engines attended, plus a police car. I missed all this. Blast! And phew. It's the classic 'could have' situation - the fire could have escalated in the wind and leapt over to my property.

Friday 9th October

Yesterday was cooler and thankfully windless, and Non-Gardening Partner nicely took the day off. We went with the dogs for a nice long walk in a forest, and then back home I fiddled and diddled around on Sibelius writing music for my double bass player. My only garden contribution was to shift the hoses around. Apparently it's too early in the season to crank up the big irrigation system, (I did ask, ever so sweetly).

 On the path by the red rhododendron.
Escher the Brown Dog

Now I'm off to the dog park, and then I'm coming home to do more seeds and sulk a bit. Why on earth is this? Because my car is 'dead', at the mechanic's awaiting the BIG decision (which might involve the wrecker's yard). So I might have to buy a new one, such a nuisance. Does a gardener need a car? Maybe not, but my musical commitments (and my compulsory socialisation programme) do. Blast. I'm too far away from anything (and a little too mature) to use the bicycle...

 Freckles!
Weeping Pear Blossom

Saturday 10th October

Oh boy. Yesterday's planned 'bit of a sulk' upsized itself. A couple of large dogs chasing each other bowled me over at the dog park. I did a spectacular old-lady face plant, with a jolly sore knee as the result. I spent the afternoon in bed with my book, the knee feeling decidedly dodgy. I can still get around, slowly and carefully, but it takes forever to go anywhere.

No Sulking Allowed Today...

But no sulking allowed today! Lucky me - I've been able to borrow a car for the week. My friend's NGP has a spare one. Thanks so much! But I haven't done any gardening.

So far today I've retrieved a dead rat from underneath my bed in the cottage (aargh!), and limped around the house lawns picking up dead mice and a sadly deceased blackbird. Thanks to my cottage cat Minimus and sneaky black Buster for the rodents. But please leave the birdies!

Then to rest the knee (ouch) I spent a productive hour in the glass-house pricking out Orlaya, cherry tomatoes, and Lavatera. And, regarding the knee, it doesn't take much to put a little chink into an older-lady's confidence. I hope I'm not turning into a ditherer who is frightened of big dogs and of falling over. Hmm... Right. Off I limp, back to the glass-house for session number two.

Much Later...

I've used up another 40 litre bag of potting mix, and run out of containers. I've pricked out Omphamlodes, white Cosmos, yellow Marigolds, and more lettuces. Then - oops - I had a wee snooze in my (ratless) cottage, to celebrate my knee feeling much less puffy and sore. Now the plan is to regroup, turn on the hoses, cook the evening meal, and water the patio pots.

Sunday 11th October

Aha! The knee (obviously a superficial worry-an-old-lady injury) is much, much better. Today I planted Lavenders in the sunniest house garden. I like Lavenders again (in spring they start growing and flowering so beautifully). I need to remember this.

 By the side of Winnies dog kennel
Lavender

I did lots of watering, and the dogs leapt in and out of the pond a lot. Dead cars and sore knees shouldn't spoil my enjoyment of the springtime garden, by the way. And watching the dogs just makes me smile.

Jazz Concert

Later in the afternoon my jazz choir gave a small concert. We were just wonderful! Well I thought we were. And snazzy, jazzy piano playing, by the way (me). Three cheers for Jazzamatazz!